Evan Rodd, PayScale.com

During the 2012 election, voters in Colorado and Washington were faced with an interesting decision: Should recreational marijuana use be legal?

Many states continue to legalize medical marijuana, while others are considering similar measures for recreational use. Currently, 18 states have laws regarding the legal consumption of marijuana.

Laleh Hassibi, payscale.com

We want to gain a better understanding of what companies like yours are doing around salaries, compensation planning, the talent wars and even the changing world of work and technology. Each year, PayScale invites over 100,000 HR professionals and business leaders to participate in our Compensation Best Practices Survey to identify upcoming pay trends and help businesses stay ahead of the curve. This time around we're excited to have teamed up with Inc. Magazine to uncover important compensation trends for 2013.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, Blogging4Jobs

Have you ever worked at a place where you’ve had two job titles? Internally my title is Communication Department Lead III. Publically, I’m the Public Information Officer. What the heck? 

This scenario isn’t uncommon in the corporate world. Having both an external, public title along with an internal one is common. Yes, I know it’s completely crazy which is why you are reading this now.  Organizational charts and pay scales demand structure and consistency. We are rooted in processes and planning which for companies is a good thing. Marketing and branding outside of the organization have different requirements. The necessity of both often results in one employee having two titles.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, Blogging4Jobs

Compensation Outweighs Workplace Perks and Employee Benefits 

Studies show that while employee rewards programs are popular by employers, they are not as appealing to the employees for which they were created in the first place. Employee perks and healthcare benefits are popular lures among employees, but salary compensation still reigns supreme as the benefit of choice.  Money is (and probably always will be) the number one way to recruit, retain and hire qualified job seekers. But, that doesn’t mean rewards programs should go by the wayside. A comprehensive total rewards package is essential, but half the battle is letting the employees know the rewards are out there. Communication is the key.

A few years ago, I went to a presentation where the former President of SHRM, Sue Meisinger was speaking to a group of HR professionals. When it was time for questions, I asked, “What do you wish HR professionals would stop doing?” Her priceless response was, “Would you please stop asking for your seat at the table.” She went on to explain that people don't get to the executive table by asking. Either they show up and no one stops them, or they are needed there because their input is invaluable. She commented that HR needs to stop asking and start doing. Even better, HR needs to become so influential that their input as the expert on talent management strategy is also invaluable. So, why are so many people asking instead of doing? Because they don’t do anything that warrants being there. Every HR person I’ve ever met has plenty of work to do. The problem is not the volume of work being done but the prioritization of work.

Jessica Sanders, ResourceNation

In today’s business world, the temporary workforce is growing at a rapid pace. According to the American Staffing Annual Analysis, “In a 2011 McKinsey Global Institute U.S. Jobs Survey of 2,000 employers of all sizes and in all sectors, 34% said they expect their companies will use more temporary and contract workers over the next five years.”

Evan Rodd, PayScale

Halloween is over, and the end of 2012 draws closer. It seems the many doomsday predictions will never come to fruition, and hopefully, the possibility of a zombie apocalypse remains within the confines of a Romero Movie.

HR professionals know a thing or two about zombies that lurch around the office, hungry for the next opportunity to take down moral and feast upon your customer relationships. Maybe you were desperate for new talent, and brought in new hires without careful evaluation? Maybe a zombie employee has bitten co-workers, infecting them with the same disease that now prevents a once vibrant employee from utilizing their full potential? Before you know it, your entire team has become the Evil Dead, and you are forced to barricade yourself in your office to avoid joining their ranks.

Stacey Carroll, PayScale.com

Last week, PayScale presented a well-attended webinar entitled, “The Right Way to Give Pay Raises.” This time of year, we hear from many of our customers that they have a raise budget for next year, but need help understanding how to best allocate the funds. The overall budget for pay increases seems to be between three and four percent for most companies this year. At the same time, research suggests that to truly drive behavioral change the reward has to be significant (upwards of seven percent). So, how do you motivate your talented employees to stay and perform at their best with only a four percent raise to give? The best solution is to use a Merit Matrix to differentiate raises based on three factors: market changes, proficiency, and performance.

Dan Walter, Performensation

Executive Pay that Works for Shareholders and Companies

Like Milli Vanilli in 1990, Total Shareholder Return (TSR) is currently all the rage in executive compensation plans. And, like Milli Vanilli, as entertaining as TSR is to some, it may prove to be a less than stellar performer for most. Of course, unlike the disgraced pop-stars, TSR is unlikely to disappear from view any time soon.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, Blogging4Jobs

If you’re in the business of giving or receiving (or hoping to receive) an annual merit increase, it’s a good time to get familiar with pay bands. Pay bands — a term that is sometimes used to lump broader terms such as pay levels, ranges or grades — is a component of an organized salary compensation structure. For example, an administrative position at a software company might include receptionists, office assistants and executive assistants. Those jobs are categorized together and given a predetermined minimum and maximum (Pay Band 1 = $12-$18 per hour). 

Evan Rodd, PayScale.com

On the popular FOX TV series, “Arrested Development,” Michael Bluth (played by Jason Bateman) is forced to take over his family’s failing construction company, after his CEO father is placed in jail under accusations of treason. The show follows Bluth through a series of hilarious attempts to build a business out of a staff and family that are beyond ill equipped for the challenge.

Following the Bluth family from one misguided effort to the next leaves one to wonder, what kind of talent management systems are in place in their company? Also, in what world does Portia De Rossi pursue a relationship with David Cross? I suppose that is another story.

by Jessica Miller-Merrell, Blogging4Jobs

Scenario: Your team’s workload has increased and your team has implemented innovative systems. Your department is running like a well-oiled machine with increased productivity despite the occasional (ok – incessant) curveball. You’re putting in the long hours and delivering results. Leadership trusts you. 

Laleh Hassibi, payscale.com

Today PayScale released improved versions of our products, MarketRate and Insight. This release represents the first set of enhancements resulting from recent conversations between our development team and our customers. 

How Creating a Career Development Plan Can Retain Employees

A recent survey released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CareerJournal.com revealed that HR professionals and managers are gearing up for a mass exodus of employees they feel is inevitable when the job market begins to improve. When asked why they would look elsewhere for work, employees cited three main reasons: over 50% said they were looking for better compensation and benefits, 35% admitted they were dissatisfied with their current career path, and 32% said they needed a new experience with new challenges.

by Jessica Miller-Merrell, Blogging4Jobs

Do Work-From-Home Employees Deserve a Raise? 

Having the option to work from home provides many employees flexibility, empowers them personally and professionally and often increases engagement levels. Successful work-from-home professionals or employees with flexible work schedules must learn to manage the change of lifestyle. They often work off hours, and squeeze more work time into a typical day than at-the-office workmates. Studies show employees would make sacrifices such as taking a cut in pay to gain telecommuting or flexibility.    

By Dan Walter, Performensation

In the mighty kingdom of compensation, cash is king. Cash holds this majestic position through a family line that stretches back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Like any monarch, King Cash has a retinue of supporters, all with their own long histories and stories of power.

I will be providing a new series of posts on Payscale’s Compensation Today blog. These posts will be focused on explaining the King’s court as well as the strategies, tactics and technical aspects of how to best use these players in the game of chess that is total rewards.