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Struggling to hire top talent or keep your team happy on a tight budget? You’re not alone, and we’re thrilled to help!

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A smiling professional man in a blue sweater sitting at a desk in a modern office, representing the approachable and supportive C3 Compensation Blueprint demo for easier public sector pay planning.

Your partner for public sector compensation

Designed just for cities and counties, our public sector compensation solutions make pay planning a breeze—solving your toughest challenges with a smile and results.

Book a free demo today, and discover how the C3 Compensation Blueprint can transform your government pay strategy into a game-changer for your team and community!

Comprehensive

Competitive

Compliant

Why Book a Demo?

Imagine a pay plan that attracts qualified candidates, keeps your team smiling, and fits your budget—all while staying fair and compliant. That’s what the C3 Compensation Blueprint does, and our government pay demo shows you how. In just one session, our pay experts will walk you through a public sector pay strategy demo tailored to your needs, leaving you excited and confident about public sector pay planning.

No pressure, just practical solutions and a friendly chat with our team who loves helping government agencies succeed.  

What You’ll See in Your Free Demo

Our public sector pay consultation demo is packed with ideas to solve your pay planning challenges. Here’s what you’ll get: 

Compare Your Pay Strategy

See how your salaries can stack up with salary benchmarking, so you can really compete for talent.  

Make Pay Fair

Learn how pay equity solutions create fair pay for cities and counties that builds trust and meets the rules.

Fit Your Budget

Discover a government pay strategy that’s competitive without over stretching your funds. Spend smart and strategically with impact.

Keep Your Team Happy

Build a pay system that boosts morale, increases your bench strength, and keeps your future leaders around longer.

Common Compensation Assumptions

There are many common myths surrounding public pay plans and strategy. Let’s address what’s fact and what’s fiction.

  • “Pay is the only issue.”

    Myth:
    Fixing pay will solve all our workforce issues.

    Reality:
    Compensation is important, but so are engagement, leadership, communication, benefits, culture and career paths. A balanced approach is more effective.

  • “We just did one recently.”

    Myth:
    A compensation study is only needed once every 5-10 years.

    Reality:
    Labor market shifts, inflation, and competition for talent mean pay structures can become outdated quickly. Best practice recommends reviews every 3-5 years.

  • “Job titles tell us everything.”

    Myth:
    We can use benchmark salaries by matching job titles.

    Reality:
    Job duties, scope, and qualifications vary even under the same title. Accurate comparisons require job content analysis, not title-matching alone.

  • “Employees are lucky to have these jobs.”

    Myth:
    Public jobs are stable with good benefits, so people won’t leave.

    Reality:
    Job security alone no longer retains employees. Competitive pay, flexibility, and growth opportunities are now key retention drivers.

  • “All we need is a list of salaries.”

    Myth:
    A salary survey is just a comparison of pay ranges.

    Reality:
    A thorough study addresses classification accuracy, internal equity, market alignment, pay compression, and structural gaps… not just salary snapshots.

  • “Internal equity isn’t an issue here.”

    Myth:
    Our current pay system ensures fairness.

    Reality:
    Without regular reviews, pay compression, inconsistent classifications, or outdated ranges can still lead to inequities, especially for new hires and promoted staff.

  • “Consultants just tell us to pay more.”

    Myth:
    Consultants will recommend expensive across-the-board raises.

    Reality:
    Professional studies use objective data and often propose sustainable strategies like ranges adjustments, pay structures, or priority-based increases, not blanket changes.

  • “We can find pay data online for free.”

    Myth:
    Publicly available data is sufficient.

    Reality:
    These sources often lack job-specific, regional, and government-aligned detail. Professional studies ensure accurate, defensible benchmarking.

  • “We can handle this internally.”

    Myth:
    HR can conduct a full study in-house.

    Reality:
    Internal teams are often short on time, tools, or objectivity. External partners bring efficiency, credibility, and expertise, especially when justifying decisions to stakeholders.

  • “We don’t have high turnover.”

    Myth:
    Since turnover is low, there’s no compensation issue.

    Reality:
    Low turnover may reflect economic conditions, lack of opportunities, or staff “waiting it out,” not satisfaction. Recruitment struggles and early exits tell a deeper story.

  • “Our legacy system/philosophy has always worked.”

    Myth:
    Our current classification and pay system has worked in the past, so there’s no need to change.

    Reality:
    What worked in the past may not support today’s hiring, retention, or compliance needs. Modernizing doesn’t mean discarding tradition, it means building on it.

  • “Our benefits are better than the private sector.”

    Myth:
    Great benefits make up for any salary shortfall.

    Reality:
    While public benefits are valuable, younger and mid-career employees often prioritize high wages and flexibility, with some opting out entirely. The market has evolved, with common perspectives like, “I can’t eat my benefits!” and “My benefits don’t pay my bills!”

  • “Our employees aren’t going anywhere.”

    Myth:
    Tenured staff are unlikely to leave, even if underpaid.

    Reality:
    Public service loyalty isn’t guaranteed. Retirement-eligible staff may even leave faster than expected, and passive job seekers are being actively recruited by other employers.

  • “It will cost too much to implement.”

    Myth:
    Even if we complete a study, we can’t afford the recommendations.

    Reality:
    Implementation can be phased and budgeted strategically. Many recommendations focus on structure and alignment, not just raises, and are scalable to fit fiscal realities.

  • “One size fits all.”

    Myth:
    A single salary structure can apply across all departments.

    Reality:
    Certain roles like law enforcement, public works/road & bridge, or IT operate in different labor markets and require specialized ranges or structures.

Your Demo Includes:

  • Easy Walkthrough: Explore how we create your Compensation Blueprint, step by step.
  • Real Insights: See how salary benchmarking and pay strategy can impact your city or county.
  • Custom Ideas: Find compensation solutions for your unique hiring or workforce challenges.
  • Live Q&A: Ask our pay experts anything about public sector pay consultation—we’re here to help!

Have Questions?

Contact Us

Real Words. Real Impact.

  • The Arnold Group’s C3 Team was great to work with. They provided great insight to our compensation study to ensure its successful implementation. They were considerate of our time, budget, and overall implementation plans. They were very punctual, responsive, and provided a valuable service in our project.
    Darin Myers 
    Ellis County, County Administrator & Fire Chief
  • We have had a good experience with the services provided by The Arnold Group’s C3 Team! Phil and Heather helped diagnose personnel issues such as wage compression, proposed solutions, and assisted with implementation. […] They obtained local market values for our positions […] to attract the interest of a greater pool of potential employees. We whole-heartedly recommend TAG C3.
    Mark Watkins
    Labette Community College, President
  • We have been privileged to work with the TAG C3 team on many different projects from placement services to a compensation study. The C3 team has been a great resource for questions and solutions to problems that each HR team faces. They have been able to help the transitions in practices feel smooth, and the assistance in navigating the challenges that come with change has been valuable.
    Helen Foster
    Director of Human Resources, Reno County
  • I can’t say enough great things about working with The Arnold Group’s C3 Team. They are responsive, professional, and absolute experts in the HR field. As a new HR Manager I have come to rely on their team for everything from job classifications to policy development. The Arnold Group’s C3 is always there and always ready to help.
    Matt Morgan
    Human Resources Manager, Riley County Police Department
  • We were extremely pleased with the process and support we received from Phil and Heather during our recent compensation study. They took the time to understand the unique nuances of our organization and tailored their recommendations specifically to us. […] The tools made it easy to administer the new plan and forecast future salary increases for budgeting purposes. Their personalized approach gave us confidence moving forward. We highly recommend their services!
    Chasity Page
    Director of Human Resources, City of Andover
  • Working with the [C3] team has been a lovely experience. You have been accommodating and responsive to my needs and have listened so well! […] Their commitment to me as a customer has been excellent. I have emailed countless questions and asked for small and large adjustments to our product and they never once ailed to meet expectations. I am beyond pleased with our partnership with The Arnold Group’s C3 Team and look forward to working with you in the future.
    Jo Lynne Herron
    Director of Human Resources, City of Emporia
  • I have participated in three market studies conducted by The Arnold Group’s C3 Team. In each instance C3 went above and beyond expectations to ensure they provided the best communication possible. […] Overall morale has significantly improved, and we continue working with TAG to ensure we stay competitive with the market so we never again need a large amount to invest for “catching up” to the market. Our employees are our largest investment, and TAG C3 helped us acknowledge and recognize that.
    Cyrstal Malchose
    Human Resources Director/Special Projects, Geary County

Ready to take a test drive?

Don’t let pay planning stress you out! Book your free demo to see how the C3 Compensation Blueprint can help:

Fill open roles faster with competitive salary planning.

Build trust with fair pay for cities and counties.

Save time and money with tailored, simple, and strategic compensation solutions.

Let’s create a government pay strategy that makes your team and community thrive. Book your pay strategy demo today!

Book Your Free Demo