The article examines the application of multicriteria decision-making methods in the wage and compensation system as an important tool for improving the effectiveness of managing social and labor relations at the enterprise level. Emphasis is placed on the fact that under modern economic conditions wages and compensation cease to be merely a cost component and acquire strategic importance as a key factor of employee motivation, social stability, and sustainable enterprise development. It is substantiated that traditional single-criterion approaches to managerial decision-making in the field of employee remuneration are insufficient in the context of growing social expectations of employees, increasing complexity of social and labor relations, and higher requirements for transparency in management processes.

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the main prerequisites for implementing a multicriteria approach in wage management, including the need to balance the economic and social interests of the parties to labor relations, enhance the validity of managerial decisions, reduce subjectivity in the selection of alternatives, and minimize social risks. The essence of wages as a multidimensional socio-economic category combining financial, motivational, and social functions is examined, and its role in shaping effective social and labor relations is determined.

The study systematizes economic and social criteria for evaluating managerial decisions in the field of wages and compensation, substantiates their relative importance, and proposes an approach to forming alternative managerial decisions. The application of multicriteria methods, including integrated approaches to alternative evaluation, made it possible to conduct a comprehensive assessment of different managerial options and to identify the most effective one from the standpoint of economic efficiency and social balance.

Special attention is paid to the analysis of managerial and social-labor effects resulting from the implementation of a comprehensive transformation of the wage system, including increased employee motivation, reduced staff turnover, strengthened social dialogue, and enhanced trust between employees and employers. It is shown that the use of multicriteria decision-making methods contributes to greater transparency in management, the development of socially responsible wage policies, and the reinforcement of labor collective stability.

The article concludes that multicriteria decision-making methods are an effective instrument for improving wage systems and regulating social and labor relations. It is substantiated that combining economic feasibility with social orientation in managerial decisions creates prerequisites for sustainable enterprise development and increases the efficiency of human capital utilization in contemporary socio-economic conditions.