Rewarding Intelligence

The new system collapses the General Schedule grades and steps into broad salary bands and splits intelligence employees into three occupational groups -- supervisor/manager, professional and technician/administrative support.

The new pay system also expands on the General Schedule, adding the monetary equivalent of two steps to provide more earning potential for high performers. For example, instead of hitting the top rung of GS grade 15, step 10, an intelligence employee can go as high as a step 12.

The bands also give technical employees an opportunity to earn as much as a supervisor, in contrast to the GS system, which encouraged technical experts to take a management position to get higher pay.

The new pay system also attempts to mitigate a common concern among federal employees -- that they are at risk of falling behind GS annual raises, which are set by Congress.

Employees who receive a job rating of successful or higher will receive a raise equal to the government-pay increase, a locality pay adjustment, plus raises and bonuses tied to their job performance rating. An employee rated unacceptable will not receive a pay increase or bonus, Sanders said.

"We said, in part to overcome some of the anxiety that is associated with this, we said at the outset that successful employees will get the GS and locality -- that means everyone successful and above will get it," Sanders said. "That reduces the amount available for performance payouts, but it also reduces the anxiety and uncertainty. So our conclusion was it was worth it.

"We want employees to accept this. We don't want them to fear it."

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.