Your  Effective Compensation Plans assignment is due next week. Take a moment to  familiarize yourself with the assignment instructions and scoring guide. Make  sure you understand the instructions and how you will be evaluated on the  assignment. Ask your faculty member about any questions you have. 

This  assignment is a research-based paper. You will need to conduct independent  research on what constitutes effective compensation plans, ones that attract,  retain, and motivate employees. Here is some helpful information to help you get  started on your research: 

Access Basic Search: Strayer  University Online Library or iCampus  University Library Research.  You  may also use Google Scholar or government websites, such as the U.S. Small  Business Administration.  Wikipedia  and personal blogs do not quality as quality resources. You  may find these resources helpful for your research: PayScale.  Salary.com.  

Be  sure to check out the Data and Learn tabs. U.S. Small Business  Administration.  Click  on Manage Your Business.  Click  on Hire and Manage Employees. 

Virtual  Writing Center (VWC) You  may find the information in Strayer’s Virtual Writing Center (VWC), a valuable  resource that can help you to avoid plagiarism by showing you how to properly  integrate and cite sources in your assignment. 

To  access the VWC:  Click  on Library in the left-hand panel of the course.  Click  on the Virtual Writing Center tab at the top of the page. The  VWC offers handouts and short videos on a range of topics that might help you  with writing your research paper, such as:  Avoiding  Plagiarism.  What  It Is and How to Avoid It. Summarizing,  Paraphrasing, and Quoting from Sources.  Summarizing,  Paraphrasing, and Quoting.  Incorporating  Sources into Your Writing. Strayer  Writing Standards (SWS) 

This  course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). If you have any  concerns about how to use these standards in your research paper, consult the  Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course.  You  may also want to check out the Strayer Writing Standards Support Videos.  This  channel contains nearly 20 videos on such topics as: how to write clearly, when  to cite sources, and how to create a source list page.  Most  videos are less than three minutes. The longest is 10:39.  

 In  this assignment, you will use your textbook and the independent research you  conduct to determine the components of an effective compensation plan, one that  includes more than just base salary. 

Specifically, you will write a 4–6 page  paper in which you: Research  the components of an effective compensation plan.  Determine  the most beneficial ratio of internally consistent and market consistent  compensation systems.  

Be  sure your narrative is in your own words. Research  the methods companies use to assess employee satisfaction with their pay  structure.  Outline  how companies determine whether their employer-sponsored retirement plans and  health insurance programs are competitive.  Recommend  two high value discretionary benefits to employees. 

 Be  sure to include your rationale for selecting these high value discretionary  benefits as opposed to others. Integrate  at least three quality resources using in-text citations and a reference page in  your assignment.

Note: Wikipedia  and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources.  The  previous week’s assignment preparation activity provides some suggested  resources to help you begin your research. It also provides resources on  avoiding plagiarism, appropriately integrating sources into your assignment, and  using the Strayer Writing Standards. Format  your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:  

This  course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). For assistance and  information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand  menu of your course.  The  preferred method is for your paper to be typed, double-spaced, using Times New  Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.  Include  a cover page containing the assignment title, your name, your professor’s name,  the course title, and the date. 

The cover page is not included in the required  page length.  Include  a source list page. Citations and references must follow SWS format. The source  list page is not included in the required page length. 

The  specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is: Determine  the components of an effective compensation plan, including discretionary  benefits