Payscale

10 things that’ll send shivers down an HR pro’s spine 👻 1. The spreadsheet that somehow controls the entire comp plan. 2. “We’ll clean up the data later.” 3. The ghost of policies past - haunting a Google Drive near you. 4. "Can you just make the Handbook a bit more...fun?" 5. File ending with FINAL_FINAL_DO_NOT_DELETE.xlsx. 6. When you're promised a “seamless integration.” 7. Open enrollment portal crash…again. 8. The AI tool that ends up just being a fancy search bar. 9. "We're like family here." 10. Friday system updates.

How to scare a compensation leader: 👻 "We need to publish salary ranges by eod." 👻 Month-end + payroll + a corrupted VLOOKUP. 👻 "Can you re-run the entire cycle but include contractors?" 👻 An audit request for pay-equity data from five years ago. 👻 The CFO: "Convert salaries to local currencies for tax reporting across 30 countries." 👻 Legal: "Send promotion notes for the last 3 years." 👻 HRIS migration starts tomorrow. 👻 Recruiting hired 200 unbudgeted roles. 👻 "Can you price roles without job descriptions?" *Internal scream* What's your compensation horror story?

Hiring externally is important, but your best AI-enabled talent might already be on your payroll. 👀 Dr. Scott M. Mayott, Jr., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CSCP, Compensation Manager at KinderCare Learning Companies outlines how HR and compensation leaders can redeploy, re-skill, and empower employees to thrive in AI-enabled roles. Watch the full webinar on how you can future-proof your workforce in an AI-driven workplace → https://bit.ly/4hytnWo

Yes, we know. It’s your craziest time of year, and here we are at Payscale asking you to… fill out a survey. 😅 But hear me out: grab your favorite cup of coffee ☕, take a deep breath, and think of it as a mini stress-release ritual. Not only will it give you a moment to pause, but you’ll also contribute to our Compensation Best Practice Report, packed with insights that can help shape your 2026 strategy. A few minutes of your time now = a treasure trove of guidance later. Your future self (and your team) will thank you. 🙌 👉 Take the CBPR survey — https://lnkd.in/ePKR_zFQ

“I thought I’d get a bigger raise.” It’s a tough question, and one that can easily derail trust if managers aren’t ready for it. That’s why clear, consistent communication matters. Without it, even fair decisions can sound like mixed messages that start a game of compensation telephone. Help managers lead with transparency and empathy so every pay conversation, big or small, strengthens connection and confidence. Get the full guide ➡️ https://bit.ly/46StuqS

Payscale’s Pay Trends Report Reveals What Hot Jobs Are Fueling Wage Growth https://lnkd.in/dxAVbYmq #CHROFirst #CompensationandBenefits #compensationintelligence #jobmarket #News #PayTrends #Payscale #wagegrowth

Not all paychecks are flat in 2025. 💸 Overall wage growth is slowing, but some mission-critical roles are rising well above the average. These roles show where employers feel the most pressure to attract and retain talent. As Ruth Thomas Chief Compensation Strategist at Payscale, warns, “When wage growth slows, employers risk disengagement and turnover if pay isn’t keeping pace with employee expectations.” And no, you’re not seeing things, we blurred part of the chart 👀. Can you guess which industries and roles are driving wage growth this year? Get the full picture on all the insights → https://bit.ly/4oypX8o

💬 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? ❓ Not bad managers 😬 Not lack of snacks 🍪 Not hybrid policy debates 🏠💻 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 💸 When people don’t understand how comp works, they assume it’s unfair. and those assumptions spread faster than job alerts 📱💨 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄 ⚖️ It’s how you stop your top talent from “𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦” on a random Tuesday 👀💼 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵: People don’t quit for ping-pong tables 🏓 or pizza Fridays 🍕 They quit when they find out Chad makes more for doing the same job… and Chad spends half his day in “alignment meetings”...which is really just a pseudonym for golfing 🫠 So yeah, get your comp house in order 🧹🏡 🧾 Audit your pay bands 🔍 Check for equity gaps 💬 Be honest about how you pay people Because pay transparency isn’t a buzzword 💬✨ It’s a 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 🔒 And pay equity? That’s how you keep your A-players from becoming someone else’s 🌟 Stop treating comp like a secret recipe 🍲 Share the ingredients. Keep your people. Win 🏆 Don't know where to start? Payscale can help.

When the CFO asks why… will you panic or present your case with confidence? According to Lexi Clarke, Chief People Officer at Payscale, comp pros can’t afford to look at pay in isolation. Total rewards, including 401(k) match, healthcare, and rising benefits costs, have to be part of the story if you want Finance on your side. Why it matters: ✅ Employees are making career decisions based on total rewards, not just salary ✅ Rising costs mean your budgets may not stretch as far in 2026 ✅ Alignment with your benefits and finance teams can unlock smarter, more strategic planning In this episode of Comp and Coffee, Lexi Clarke, Ruth Thomas, and Philip Watson discuss how HR and Finance can stop speaking past each other and start proving that compensation isn’t just a line item, it’s a lever for business success. 🎧 Tune in here: https://bit.ly/45bLWvl