When it comes to empathy at work, there are a hundred different ways to infuse empathy into your operations and systems - in real, practical, non-emotional ways. One of those ways is to look at compensation strategies and professional growth and development.

Today, Scott Trumpolt talks about empathy in compensation that leads to better employee engagement and more strategic growth. We discuss both the pitfalls of pay transparency leading to a dead end, but also the upside in how it catalyzes your company to reflect on and improve internal practices. He talks about how compensation is more than just salary, and the overlooked piece of career architecture - a concept that supports the Clarity pillar of empathetic leadership. Scott shares why programs fail, but culture shifts succeed, the #1 element to think about in determining competitive compensation structures, and why empathy is vital to ensure that compensation is about a one-on-one conversation and not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Scott also shares how HR leaders can strengthen credibility with business leaders and move the needle on company growth.

To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.

Listen in for…

• Driving solutions aimed at employee engagement.
• Why compensation is not a one-size-fits-all solution and needs to be tailored to your employees and organization.
• Balancing pay transparency and directing packages and compensation for the individuals.
• Why job titles and compensation matter.

"There's a reason why compensation is not in finance. Yes, I use a lot of numbers, but we do it in a completely different way, and we are impacting the individual directly." —  Scott Trumpolt

Episode References: 

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
• The Empathy Edge: Rhonda George-Denniston: Why Betting on Your People Leads to Market Domination

About Scott Trumpolt, Managing Director & Compensation Consultant:

Scott Trumpolt’s career is defined by a seamless evolution from corporate leadership to independent consultancy, reflecting over 30 years of expertise in compensation planning, HR leadership, and rewards strategies. For 18 years, Scott excelled in the corporate world, holding leadership roles in HR and Compensation across the United States and Germany. In 2012, he launched Trumpolt Compensation Design Solutions (TCDS) to provide bespoke solutions tailored to the unique needs of organizations worldwide.

Scott’s corporate experience provided a solid foundation for mastering market-based pay structures, sales incentive plans, and job classification systems. Transitioning into independent consultancy, Scott has spent the past 12 years leveraging this expertise to deliver innovative, client-focused strategies.

Scott’s global reach includes projects across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America/Caribbean, reflecting his adaptability to diverse work cultures. He is a Certified Global Remuneration Professional (GRP), holds a master’s degree in Human Resources Management, and has maintained an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, underscoring his commitment to excellence and client satisfaction.

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Connect with Scott:  

Trumpolt Compensation Design Solutions: hrcompensationconsulting.com 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-trumpolt-m-a-g-r-p-257a6b317 

BBB profile: bbb.org/south-east-florida/login/page/0/?li=1 

Scott's Book: The Defragmented Consultant: https://www.amazon.com/DEFRAGMENTED-CONSULTANT-Transition-Independent-Consultant/dp/B0G53SY2Y7 

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