Many of you will be wondering what is happening regarding the Benchmarking Survey, which BAJR is involved in as an advisory role.
Well as ever things take longer than we all expect, and there have been some excellent and complicated discussions. However, state of play is as follows ( from my perspective as BAJR rep ).
Currently we have chosen a number of post types mapped against both CIfA Grades and BAJR Levels of Responsibility. These posts within the advertised roles are chosen to cover the broadest selection of roles that can be easiest mapped against a number of external professions, including Construction related posts and
As a group, we have discussed the need for a more comprehensive survey of archaeologists and agreed that this would be a significant step towards understanding the current state of the profession. However, a comprehensive ‘State of the profession’ report needs proper planning and resourcing and that is likely to be a recommendation from the current work: that the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) works with the Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers (FAME) to collaborate on this project.
BAJR has advocated for this level of detailed understanding of the issues facing archaeologists, particularly in light of the April 24 EGM and it’s continued support will ensure grass-roots representation in the future. This partnership, combining resources and expertise would better yield a survey that reflects the diverse perspectives within the field.
The recognition of the survey’s importance in shaping the future of archaeology is commendable, and it is hoped that this effort will occur as soon as practicable, providing insights into the profession. It is important – as was stressed that the voices of the early career archaeologists are heard and listened to.
Until then however, we are pushing forward with the initial scope, looking at advertised roles and matching them against comparable roles the in profession mentioned above.
To be clear, we are cleansing outliers (where companies are paying less than acceptable) and also using the base level of every salary grade – as most of you will be aware, this usually the level of pay that most people are offered, regardless of the progression potential.
This initial Benchmarking correlation is happening as I type, and we hope to have the basic data analysis out in the coming weeks. This is only the start of the process, so its important to get it right, to adapt, and to create a template for regular updates.
Remember, its not that that nothing is happening, its more about too much is happening – with nothing to say yet.
Benchmarking is a powerful tool for improvement – in more than just salaries – however, sticking to the brief of the EGM resolution, the first step is to view our financial status when measured against others. We may have to acknowledge that others are doing far better than us, and so we may need to adapt and apply those lessons to our sector. Learn and Act!
David Connolly
