In this episode of Comp & Coffee, hosts Ruth Thomas and Amy Stewart dive into Payscale's 2024 Year-End Report, highlighting the state of the job market as we approach 2025. Amy Stewart, Payscale's Principal Content Strategist, shares her insights on the year’s labor market trends, hot jobs, and the significance of wage growth. The episode also explores the challenges and opportunities in recruiting and retaining top talent in an evolving economic landscape. Tune in for vital takeaways to inform your compensation strategies for the coming year.

• Analysis of 2024 labor market trends and the return to normalcy post-pandemic.

• Discussion on the impacts of inflation and interest rates on the economy.

• Examination of the top jobs lists including fastest wage growth, quit rates, and recruitment challenges.

• Insights on pay transparency and its influence on organizational performance.

• Overview of Payscale's pivotal research reports and predictions for 2025.

• "The labor market is starting to return to a state of normal." – Amy Stewart

• "Customer service team leader is seeing a 20% wage growth year over year." – Amy Stewart

• "The perception of fair pay impacts whether employees stay or leave." – Amy Stewart

In this episode of Comp & Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by first-time guests Morgan Love, Tina Yu, and Olivia Crowley as they explore Payscale's exciting Q4 advancements and the role of AI in compensation. The discussion centers on managing salary surveys, leveraging dynamic data, and incorporating AI to ease and enhance compensation processes. Tune in to learn how these innovations empower compensation professionals to focus on strategic decision-making.

Key Highlights:

• Introduction of Payscale's updated survey experience designed to streamline survey management.
• The growing importance of utilizing dynamic data for compensation strategies.
• How Payscale's AI-driven solutions are transforming compensation tasks into strategic opportunities.
• Details on Payscale’s peer dataset and its expansion to include trending job roles.
• Insight into Payscale's efforts to improve transparency and data accuracy for better pay decisions.

Quotes:

• "Dynamic data sources are often much more timely, more transparent, and way more robust." – Morgan Love
• "AI won't replace HR and comp roles, but it will handle the tedious tasks." – Tina Yu
• "Compensation is an art, and you can't replace an art with technology." – Olivia Crowley

What a brilliant time we had at Compference24! In this episode of Comp & Coffee Ruth Thomas is joined by Marc Mullis of Payformance Partners and Elena Van Kirk of Exude Human Capital to review and discuss all things Compf24. They share their own experiences of Payscale's annual flagship conference, as well as dig into the exciting intersection of compensation strategy, equity, and future workforce considerations.

Whether you are looking to understand the future of pay transparency or seeking fresh ideas in compensation management, this episode offers valuable insights for all.

Key Highlights:

• Exploration of diverse perspectives and the importance of industry-wide collaboration at Compference24.

• The significance of balancing tactical compensation practices with innovative strategies.

• Discussion on the evolving importance of skills-based pay systems in modern compensation frameworks.

• Insights on how Gen Z's expectations are reshaping workplace cultures and compensation strategies.

• The critical role of managers in influencing employee salary growth and career progression.

Quotes:

• "Comp geeks are not just number crunchers; we tell stories with data." – Marc Mullis

• "Managers have more influence on equitable salary growth than they may realize." – Elena Van Kirk

• "Gen Z's impact on workplace culture and compensation is just beginning." – Marc Mullis

References:

• Link to register to view Compference24 sessions on-demand: www.payscale.com/compference
• Link to Payformance Partners: https://payformancepartners.com/
• Link to Exude Human Capital: https://exudehc.com/

In this engaging episode of Comp & Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Payscale colleagues Katie Harmon and Sara Hillenmeyer to discuss their insights and experiences from the recent HR Tech conference in Las Vegas. The trio dives into the electrifying energy at the event, highlighting how AI and skills-based talent management are transforming HR practices. With firsthand observations from the conference floor, they unpack the implications of these technologies on compensation, diversity, and inclusion—offering listeners a promising glimpse into the future of HR.

• AI Transformation: Discussing real-world applications and impact of agentic AI systems in HR, moving beyond hype.
• HR's AI-Driven Future: Strategies for HR professionals to prepare for AI integration and transformation in their roles.
• Skills-Based Talent Management: Exploring how this approach can support diversity and drive fair compensation practices.
• Trends and Innovations: Highlights of standout vendors and new features seen in HR tech, including AI-driven training and analytics.
• Conference Insights: Capturing the unique and lively atmosphere of the HR Tech conference.

• "Agentic AI can transform HR practices by performing actual user tasks, not just suggesting actions." – Sara Hillenmeyer
• "The future of HR is about making humans a better resource, not replacing them with AI." – Katie Harmon

In this special centenary episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas celebrates 100 insightful episodes of discussions on compensation. Joined by Heather Kruger, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing, and Zach Jamieson, HR Manager at Payscale, this episode reflects on past episodes' themes and their evolution in today's workplace. From the historical journey of pay structures to remote work dynamics, this episode offers a comprehensive reflection and future outlook on compensation management.

Key Highlights:

• The origins and evolution of the Comp and Coffee podcast.

• Reflections on episode 25's discussion on salary structures and the impact of pay transparency legislation.

• Insights on the journey towards pay transparency and equitable compensation practices.

• The transformation of remote work and its implication on organizational policies and employee engagement.

• Revisiting episode 75's debate on quiet quitting and its relation to employee engagement and workplace culture.

• A look at Payscale's upcoming annual virtual conference, Compference24.

Quotes:

• "Great compensation is not just about structures—it's about fostering simple, honest conversations over a cup of coffee." – Heather Kruger

• "Our culture isn't built by the walls of our office." – Paul Wolfe, as quoted by Ruth Thomas

• "It's really about knowing when enough is enough and when you're maybe pushing your employee just a little bit too much." – Zach Jamieson

In this episode of Comp & Coffee, host Ruth Thomas delves into the insights from Payscale’s newly released 2024 Salary Budget Survey Report. Joined by Amy Stewart, Principal of Research and Insights at Payscale, and Minde Stone, Senior Director of Rewards, HR Operations, and Talent Acquisition, the discussion covers critical findings from the survey, the macroeconomic factors influencing salary budgets, and practical tips for compensation professionals as they approach the budgeting season. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to compensation management, this episode offers actionable advice for planning your salary budget for 2025.

Key Highlights:

• Overview of the 2024 Salary Budget Survey and its importance for budget planning.

• Decline in salary budgets from the peak of the Great Resignation.

• Discussion on macroeconomic factors impacting salary budgets.

• Differences in salary budgeting trends across various industries.

• Practical tips for compensation professionals during the budgeting season.

• Importance of stakeholder engagement in the budgeting process.

In this episode of Comp & Coffee, Ruth Thomas hosts a lively discussion on favorite summer reads that offer both professional insights and personal growth. Joined by Jennifer Ferris, Principal Solutions Consultant at Payscale, and Liz Sheffield, Manager of Content Marketing, they dive into books that range from leadership strategies to pay equity.

The books they discuss include:

• "The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate" by Fran Hauser

• "Leading Without Authority: How the New Power of Co-Elevation Can Break Down Silos, Transform Teams, and Reinvent Collaboration" by Keith Ferrazzi and Noel Weyrich

• "Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders: A Guide to Building a Culture of Belonging" by Eddie Pate and Jonathan Stutz

• "Fair Pay" by David Buckmaster

Tune in for their expert takes on titles that can enrich your understanding of compensation and inclusive leadership.

Key Highlights:

• Ruth, Jen, and Liz share their summer book recommendations—perfect for both professional development and leisure reading.

• Jen Ferris discusses "The Myth of the Nice Girl" by Fran Hauser and "Leading Without Authority" by Keith Ferrazzi, highlighting the importance of genuine leadership.

• Liz Sheffield reviews "Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders" by Eddie Pate, emphasizing the significance of inclusive leadership in today’s workplace.

• Ruth Thomas recommends "Fair Pay" by David Buckmaster, focusing on practical approaches to achieving pay equity.

Quotes:

• "You can and you really should use your niceness as a strength." – Jen Ferris

• "This needs to be a company book that we all read because it is incredible." – Jen Ferris on "Leading Without Authority"

• "Every little thing that you’re doing is having a ripple effect." – Liz Sheffield

References:

• "The Myth of the Nice Girl" by Fran Hauser

• "Leading Without Authority" by Keith Ferrazzi

• "Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders" by Eddie Pate and Jonathan Stutz

• "Fair Pay" by David Buckmaster

This episode of Comp & Coffee, hosted by Ruth Thomas, covers Payscale's latest innovations and updates in compensation management. Key themes include surfacing actionable insights, growing data, and incorporating user-led feedback. The discussion features Brooke Grimes, Senior Director of Product Marketing, and Brittany Innes, Senior Director of Product Management. They highlight new features such as job family management, improvements in survey participation, and growth in peer data. The episode also introduces the upcoming "Payscale Innovation Unleashed" webinar and shares insights from a recent top performers report in compensation practices.

Join Ruth Thomas, Chief Evangelist at Payscale, on this episode of Comp and Coffee as she delves into the world of salary surveys with Gerard Smith, Amy Bredemus, and Matt Chalek. Learn about the importance of participation in third-party salary surveys, how Payscale integrates and manages multiple survey data sources, and the impact of AI in improving compensation management. Tune in to discover tips for navigating survey provider changes, understanding data trends, and enhancing your compensation strategies.

Join Ruth Thomas, Chief Evangelist at PayScale, and her co-host Liz Sheffield as they recap their experience at the WorldatWork Total Rewards 2024 conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. This episode features in-depth discussions on the latest trends in reward and compensation, key takeaways from various sessions on AI, pay transparency, and personal reflections from industry professionals. Gain valuable insights on how to stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of compensation management.