How Platy.cz works?

Methodology behind salary survey Platy.cz

Platy.cz is a website where it is possible to get a salary comparison for more than 700 job positions. The list of positions reflects the job market and it is being constantly updated.

The salary survey was created in 2007 by the company Alma Career Czechia, s.r.o. The same method of collecting and processing data through salary portals has since been launched in the Czech Republic (Platy.cz) and in Hungary (Fizetesek.hu), as well as in other 20 more countries and on the international portal Paylab.com.

The target group of the portal are people on the job market who want to compare their salaries, and companies that care for fair salaries of their employees.

 Input data

People in the job market are able to get a comparison of their salaries with other employees in the same position and in the same region. Everyone who answers in the questionnaire that s/he has been working in the selected position for a certain period of time, becomes a respondent and will receive an average salary comparison sample for free. This sample is created by other respondents according to the completed position and region. If the respondent states that s/he has not been working in the selected position, then s/he is not a respondent.

Each respondent's data is valid for one year and there is categorically no interference with the entered information. All data in the salary survey is anonymous. The procedure of collecting and processing the data fully respects and adheres to the GDPR directive on the processing of personal data.

The salary survey collects data in gross. The survey doesn't contain any bonuses for self-employed or other forms of working, such as part-time. 

Regression Model

The salary survey calculates total and basic wages using quantile regression. This takes into account the links between positions, regions, company sizes, education, experience, and age. This proven method makes it possible to estimate the salary even with a small number of respondents in the required sample.

The regression model calculates salary values at the position level if there are at least 50 respondents in the dataset. By default, the number of respondents in a position over the last 12 months is measured, but if it is lower, data for the last 24 or 36 months after taking into account the development of wages over time is also taken into account.

Outputs resulting from the regressive model distinguish the following levels of company size:

• small (up to 50 employees)
• middle (51 - 249 employees)
• large (250 and more employees)

For levels of education the regression model distinguishes:

• lower than high school graduation - where respondents who finished middle school or training school are included
• high school graduation - which includes employees who have graduated from secondary school 
• university education - for all employees with a university degree.

Work experience in the regressive model has three levels:

• junior (up to 2 years of work experience)
• middle (3 - 5 years of work experience)
• senior (more than 6 years of work experience) 

Estimation model

Paylab has developed a special way of estimating salaries where it is not possible to use a regression model. Therefore, if there is not enough data for a regression model, the salary data is estimated by the estimation model. This model allows for a qualified estimate of the salary range for a position, while real data obtained from respondents make these estimates even more accurate. As with the regression model, the financial and non-financial benefits are calculated by classical statistics from the data collected.

When it is not possible to display the results 

In spite of applying the regressive and estimation models, it can sometimes occur that it is not possible to display the information about the salary on a specific position. This happens especially with new job positions. 

When comparing the salary in such cases, the user is offered a document in which we give him/her advice and tips on how to negotiate salaries. The user also has the option to request that a link to the salary comparison be sent automatically by email once a salary estimate is possible.  

Outputs for people

The basic information from the Platy.cz portal is the salary range in the country for the position. After completing the salary comparison questionnaire, the user is taken to a free comparison of the total gross salary - whether expected or actual. The outputs are displayed directly on the website. In this case, the comparison reflects the specified position and position.

The output also contains an overview of salaries by experience and education, showing the relative provision of non-financial benefits in a given position, taking into account the region. Information on non-financial benefits will be displayed for at least 15 respondents in the last 12 months in the selected sample.

The output for people is also advice and tips on how to negotiate salary, preparation for an employee SWOT analysis, etc. This output is suitable for those who are going to a job interview or a meeting with a manager where they would like to discuss a salary increase.

Outputs for companies

Outputs for corporate clients are offered by the Salary Tool. It is possible to purchase a salary report for 1 position, or access to 20 (Salary Tool 20) or all positions (Salary Tool Unlimited) available in the Salary Tool.

In addition to the position and region, the output also takes into account the requirements for experience and the size of the company, education and summarizes a basic overview of remuneration for the selected position. It shows both basic and total salary, and in addition to the average value, the salary distribution can be seen by expressing the basic percentiles:

• 1st decile - 10% of employees earn less than the stated value
• 1st quartile - 25% of employees earn less than the given value
• median - half of employees earn less/more than the given value
• 3rd quartle - 25% of employees earn more than the stated value
• 9th decile - 10% of employees earn more than the stated value

The graph shows the distribution of employees in wage bands for a given position, from which it is possible to derive the current situation on the labour market.

The Pro salary report also contains basic percentiles of total salary according to individual indicators:

• according to practice,
• education
• region
• company size
• age

always taking into account other established criteria.

All of the above data in the report are based on a regression or estimation model. Another output in the Salary Tool is an overview of non-financial benefits, which can be displayed if there are at least 15 respondents in the sample for the position.

In the case of financial benefits, it is evaluated what proportion of respondents receive a given salary component: the variable salary component and the 13th salary, or annual bonuses, and what is the median amount of these salary components. These values can be displayed if there are at least 15 respondents in the sample, taking into account the selected position, region, experience, education and size of the company.

How to order a payroll report or payroll tool

The salary report for 1 position can be purchased online when paying by card via Stripe or by invoice. When making an online payment, the output is displayed immediately on the page in the user's newly created account (if the client already has an account on the Platy.cz, the report is ordered directly from it), at the same time an e-mail is sent with a confirmation of the payment, which also includes a PDF with the purchased report and the creation of the account.  If the client states that they want to purchase the report on invoice, the payment is processed first, and after the payment is credited, the client gets the report to their account, and the whole process can take up to two working days.

As already mentioned, by ordering the Salary Report, the client automatically creates an account in the Salary Tool. Access data is sent by e-mail. Through the Salary Tool, the client has access to all purchased Salary Reports.

The salary tool for 20 positions or all positions can be ordered online or via email [email protected].

From the Salary Tool, it is also possible to purchase a Salary Report for a country that is not subscribed as a whole. It is also possible to purchase access to salary data for several countries.

Salary analyses tailored to the company

The salary survey allows Platy.sk to export data based on various criteria, which is often used for media needs. The collected data and the flexibility of the system give companies the opportunity to provide companies with various and non-standard analyses tailored to the company. For information on these analyses, please contact [email protected].

The high number of visitors to the website Platy.cz and our data collection methodology also uses market research analysis for various topics with the possibility of targeting specific target groups. Advertisers have the opportunity to look at their business through the eyes of other people and gain valuable information in a short time, which is necessary for strategic decisions. For more information, visit Paylab data research.