An Employer of Choice

An “Employer of Choice” is an organization recognized by both current and prospective employees as a desirable place to work. Based more than just on competitive pay and benefits, these employers prioritize work-life balance, professional development and employee well-being. 

Hired as the City Manager in Bartow in 2023, Mike Herr had a goal of establishing Bartow as an Employer of Choice since he came on board, working to ensure that City staff are fairly compensated and receive the support – including mentoring, training and the technology and other tools - they need to succeed at work. 

" I envision the City of Bartow being an Employer of Choice not only for prospective employees, but for our existing staff. I am hopeful that the path of some of our most tenured employees who have worked their way up the career ladder within the City becomes the norm, rather than the exception. "    

-Mike Herr Bartow City Manager

The City of Bartow Employer of Choice Initiative was built using three pillars: a Position Classification and Career Ladder System; a new Pay Grade Plan, and a completely revamped Human Resources Policies, Procedures and Guidelines Manual. 

Position Classification and Career Ladder System

After carefully evaluating the current systems in place, changes were put in place that accomplish the following objectives:
Establish minimum pay at $15 per hour for all positions and provide competitive market pay throughout the system.

• Develop and implement straightforward policies and practices that can be easily followed, monitored and understood by employees.
• Adopt a modern Human Resources philosophy that harnesses innovation and best practices.
• Create an efficient and effective holistic system that maximizes the use of technology for internal operations.

Pay Grade Plan

The City began its revamp of the pay grade plan by commissioning a Market Rate Study of nearby cities with comparable populations and scopes of services. As a result, Bartow’s comprehensive compensation structure was adjusted so that entry pay at every level is consistent with the market minimum. Market pay changes occurred throughout the system based on a formula that factored in several parameters to ensure fairness and equity throughout the organization. These were made not only to bring compensation more in line with neighboring jurisdictions but to resolve existing pay compression issues.

The City’s new Step Plan has 22 pay grades, each with 20 steps representing a 51% spread to provide a significant number of years before an employee maxes out of a grade. This is in contrast to the previous plan, which had 35 grades, each with only a 41% spread. Looking ahead, if employees meet expectations during their annual performance reviews, they will be eligible for a 2.75% increase in pay per year. (Employees who fail to meet expectations will be coached to improve their performance.) Assuming funding is available, the Pay Plan also will be adjusted with a 2.25% cost of living adjustment every third year. 

Human Resources Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

The new City of Bartow Human Resources Policies, Procedures and Guidelines were created using the City’s original manual as a base and then incorporating best practices from a number of other local governments. Where needed, new concepts were added to create a platform for innovative practices to be adopted within the City.

One such innovation is NeoGov, an integrated platform that supports every stage of the employee journey, from hiring and onboarding to growth, retention, and compliance. This HR management system will streamline recruiting, applicant tracking, payroll, time attendance, and performance evaluations.

The City of Bartow Employer of Choice program was rolled out to all staff in late summer 2025, after extensive evaluation, input and discussion from the City’s Leadership team. Herr has encouraged City employees at every level to take the time to learn more about the initiative and what it means to them and their colleagues.

The initiative, which cost slightly more than $2.9 million to implement, was included in the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 – 2026 budget, which was passed by the City Commission on Sept. 16, 2025.