Comp + Coffee

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.

In this episode of Comp & Coffee, Ruth Thomas discusses the upcoming WorldatWork Total Reward 2024 Conference. She is joined by Lexi Clarke, Chief People Officer at Payscale, and James Atkinson, VP of Data Products. They talk about the sessions they will be leading at the conference, including topics such as equipping people managers for effective pay conversations and the impact of AI on compensation. They also discuss the importance of continuous learning and networking at events like WorldatWork.

In this episode of Comp & Coffee, hosted by Ruth Thomas, Chief Evangelist at Payscale, the podcast dives into the findings of Payscale’s 2024 Compensation Best Practice Report (CBPR). Guests Amy Stewart, Associate Director of Content Marketing and author of the CBPR, alongside Lulu Seikaly, Payscale’s Senior Corporate Attorney, share their insights on the evolving landscape of compensation management. Key topics discussed include the significant increase in organizations practicing pay transparency, the impact of artificial intelligence on compensation decisions, and the implications of minimum wage changes on compensation strategy. The episode also touches on the importance of pay communications, trends in pay equity, and the role of AI in reducing unfulfilling work. The discussions emphasize the importance of strategic compensation management to attract and retain talents, navigate legal landscapes, and foster employee trust and engagement.

In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Ruth Thomas and her Payscale colleagues, Brooke Grimes, James Atkinson, and Brittany Innes, discuss the latest innovations at Payscale in response to market demands and key compensation trends. They cover how Payscale is leveraging AI to enhance product and data offerings, particularly in job description management, and the role of AI in improving efficiency and fairness in HR practices based on insights from the Compensation Best Practice Report 2024. The team also delves into Payscale's efforts to simplify workflows for both managers and administrators in compensation planning, along with the introduction of new features like Explore Payscale Tiles and Single Sign-On for Payscale Connect. Additionally, they highlight the importance of robust data sources for accurate benchmarking, and the development of new datasets to meet customer demands. The podcast also mentions resources like the Payscale certifications program, partnerships for enhanced data offerings, and upcoming events where listeners can engage with Payscale directly.

We are again discussing Gender Pay Gaps and the findings from our recently released GPGR. In our last episode, we introduced you to this year’s report and the overall outcomes. Today we are going to build on that and delve into more of the reports insights and discuss some of the potential drivers of pay gaps.

Picking up from our last episode, we'll take a deeper dive into the Payscale Gender Pay Gap Report. 

We'll start with a quick summary of report findings, then explore how age affects the pay gap. Additionally host Ruth Thomas together with guests Amy Stewart and Kelly Campana will also discuss how changing views of women's work can influence how we measure the gap itself. 

Most importantly, we'll focus on practical tips for closing the gap by highlighting what employees bring to the company. Listen and explore actionable ways to create a more equitable workplace!

Key Takeaways:

• Quick summary of Payscale’s gender pay gap report
• Why does age affect the gender pay gap?
• The idea behind how to measure the pay gap and how historical ideas around women’s contribution to the world are changing
• It is important to remind employees about where is their best contribution lies and happen
• Women who work from home have a wider pay gap than those who work in offices

Resources:

• Payscale Website: www.payscale.com 
• Email: [email protected]