Author: Payscale

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7 signs of micromanagement in the workplace

Identify key Signs of Micromanagement in the Workplace and learn how to address them. Discover strategies to foster trust, autonomy, and a healthy work environment.
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6 communication barriers: How to spot and overcome them

Communication fosters alignment and increases team performance and goal achievement. Learn why overcoming communication barriers in the workplace is key.
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Agile Leadership Guide: Transforming Business & Management

Learn how adaptability, collaboration, and customer-centric approaches drive success, innovation, and enhanced team dynamics in your organization.
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Is remote work more effective? 7 key benefits for companies

Learn the benefits of remote work for your organization and prepare for challenges. Guide on the benefits of remote work for businesses.
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18 manager types and styles: Who are you?

Learn all about different management styles and their importance to increase compatibility with your employees, lead others, and achieve your goals.
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Externship: What it is and how it differs from an internship

Explore the advantages of externships for individuals and businesses alike. Gain valuable career insights, forge connections, and discover new opportunities.
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Different employment types: A guide for HR professionals

Learn about diverse employment types to maximize productivity and build strong teams. A guide for professionals seeking to create a diverse and thriving workforce.
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6 best time management techniques for effective leadership

Master time management techniques to boost productivity, prioritize tasks, and lead teams successfully. Essential for managers seeking efficient time utilization.
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Unlocking Excellence: Payscale’s G2 Quarterly Awards

In the dynamic world of software and services, platforms like G2 are essential for buyers and providers alike.
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The legislative lowdown: December 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in December
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What is software automation and ways to optimize your workflow

Automation software and tools optimize workflows by reducing manual input in repetitive tasks. Learn the best automation strategies to increase efficiency.
eBooks

Communicating with employees about compensation

Effective communication is essential to every part of an organization’s success. When communicating with employees about compensation in particular, extra care is required.  

Biden Plans 5.2% Pay Raise for Federal Employees

Payscale’s In-House Employment Counsel Weighs in on Pay Transparency

Here’s How Much Workers Are Demanding for a New Job

1 in 5 Companies Plan to Lower Salary Increase Budgets Next Year

The ‘new normal’ for pay raises comes into focus as companies plan for 2024

Employers plan to raise pay next year as inflation and salary transparency lead to higher compensation expectations

Warning: Jobs advertised as ‘remote’ don’t always stay that way

The gender wage gap is now the smallest it’s been since it started being tracked in 1979

A college degree can boost your pay — but so can your alma mater. Here are top colleges for income.

Most Employers Support Raising Federal Minimum Wage

Payscale: Most US employers support a federal minimum wage hike

Salary increase projections for 2024: What the numbers say

Payscale: Most companies plan 3.8% employee raises for 2024

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The legislative lowdown: November 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in November
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Thriving in 3rd-shift hours: Tips and strategies for success

Working 3rd-shift hours? Discover pro ways to thrive, maintain energy, and balance your life both on and off the clock.
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The legislative lowdown: October 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in October
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How to write a powerful recommendation letter

Learn how to write a recommendation letter with our guide. Discover key elements, structure, and tips to make your endorsement impactful and genuine.
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What is per diem pay? A complete guide for employers

Learn the meaning, types, tax implications, and benefits of per diem pay and how Payscale can help your company navigate payroll complexities.
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Building pay equity into your business in 2023

Pay equity is equal pay for work of equal value while still taking into account factors like experience, performance, and tenure.
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Unlocking Excellence: Payscale’s G2 Quarterly Awards October

In the dynamic world of software and services, platforms like G2 are essential for buyers and providers alike.
Articles

The legislative lowdown: September 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in September
Articles

Business abbreviations: The ultimate professional cheat sheet

Discover the most common abbreviations and acronyms used in the workplace. Improve your business lingo with our ultimate cheat sheet!
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8 interview invitation email tips and templates to stand out

Learn how to craft standout invitation emails with essential elements and effective techniques, saving time and energy with these eight templates.
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Maximizing shareholders’ equity: Definition and calculation

Learn about shareholders' equity and its significance for investors and companies to make valuable and informed investment decisions.
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Salary DOE: Meaning, advantages, and tips for HR professionals

Discover the meaning of salary DOE and how it impacts job compensation. Learn how to negotiate salary by leveraging candidates' skills and experience.
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What are direct reports? Tips to effectively manage them

Learn how to manage your direct reports effectively with our expert tips and strategies. Boost productivity and create a positive workplace culture.

Compensation Communication Promotion

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What is a PEO? Benefits and drawbacks for your business

A PEO provides HR services, such as payroll and benefits, to small and medium-sized businesses. Learn how PEOs can help reduce costs and stay compliant.
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Short-term goals for professional success: 9 examples

Short-term goals are achievements you want to attain in the near future. Discover how to set short-term professional goals to build progress and obtain results.
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How to record payroll journal entries: Types and examples

A payroll journal entry is an accounting method to control gross wages and compensation expenses. Discover best practices to manage and record your payroll!
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HR-Reported Data as Dynamic as the Market: Introducing Peer Trends Report

There’s a lot for HR and compensation teams to consider these days around pay. The economy is changing rapidly and competition for labor is tight.
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Reasons for retracting a job offer: How to do it professionally

Employers can retract a job offer until the moment it is accepted by the candidate. Learn tips to professionally and legally rescind employment offers.
Articles

The legislative lowdown: August 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in August
Articles

What is the HRIS system? Uses, benefits, and implementation

Discover what an HRIS is and how it can transform HR and businesses. Learn what IT can do to simplify processes, drive efficiency and enhance employee experience.
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A how-to guide on compensation planning for HR success

Explore the benefits of compensation planning while learning how to create a compensation strategy to attract and retain employees and drive growth.
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Navigating collective bargaining agreements: A complete guide

Learn about the key components of a collective bargaining agreement and discover the benefits and challenges of implementing them in your workplace.
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Remote work tax considerations: How and where to pay

Learn about the tax implications for remote workers and employers and how it works, including ways to save on taxes and where to pay them.
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10 useful tips for implementing employee retention strategies

High employee retention keeps an organization strong. Learn how to encourage your employees with these 10 valuable tips for employee retention.
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18 key steps and skills to effective problem-solving

Learn how to effectively apply problem-solving to generate solutions and implement strategies in the workplace to drive impact  and organizational success.
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Compensation and benefits manager: A complete guide

Unlock the secrets of being a compensation and benefits manager with this comprehensive guide. Learn to attract, retain, and reward top talent.
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Understanding unlimited PTO: How it works, and the pros and cons

Discover the pros and cons of unlimited PTO, learn how you can team up with Payscale to manage PTO compensation and make decisions that impact your business.
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Paid in arrears: Definition, how it works and tips from the experts

Paid in arrears can be challenging. Learn everything you need to know about managing payment in arrears correctly and efficiently to avoid financial stress.
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Workforce planning: Process and steps for effective planning

Explore the significance of workforce planning in driving organizational success and learn how to align talent strategies with your business objectives.
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What is a hybrid job? Benefits and downsides for companies

Hybrid jobs let employees work when, where, and how they're the most productive. Explore the pros and cons and learn more about the future of work.
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Compensation Planning for 2024

Learn how resource leveling can help HR and compensation teams to ensure fair and equitable distribution of workloads across the organization.
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The legislative lowdown: July 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in July
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G2 award-winning solutions for effective compensation management

Payscale received 14 G2 badges for Summer 2023. Customer reviews note the importance of tailored compensation management solutions based on unique needs.
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Resource leveling 101: What it is and why it matters

Learn how resource leveling can help HR and compensation teams to ensure fair and equitable distribution of workloads across the organization.
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What is back pay: The full guide for HR managers

Learn what back pay is and adequately manage your employees' salaries and benefits while keeping your organization's finances on track.
Articles

Nontaxable vs. taxable income: Types and examples

Take control of finances by learning about the types of nontaxable income and how to use them to your benefit, maximizing tax-free items to relieve finances.
Articles

How to write a problem statement: 9 steps plus examples

A well-crafted problem is essential to driving progress. Discover how to create effective problem statements for your organization or project.
Articles

Lean methodology explained: Principles, benefits, and examples

Uncover the benefits of lean methodology for organizations, its applications in diverse industries, and how you can implement it effectively in your organization.
Articles

Writing a rejection letter: 2 ways to inform candidates compliantly

Dive into the significance of rejection letters in the hiring process, and learn how to craft impactful ones to make a positive long-lasting impression.
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The legislative lowdown: June 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in June
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Profit-sharing plan: What is it, types and how to get its benefits

Discover what a profit sharing plan is and how to design an effective plan that meets your company's needs, while benefiting both employees and employers.
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Employee empowerment: What it is, benefits, and best practices

Discover the impact of employee empowerment and the benefits of having self-reliant employees working collaboratively on behalf of the company.
Articles

How to fire an employee the right way: A 10-step guide

Firing an employee can be difficult and challenging. Learn to be concise but not hasty and to do it with empathy, considering legal instances to do it right.
Articles

Talent acquisition: The ultimate guide for an effective strategy

Talent acquisition is a strategy for finding and hiring the best talent in any industry. Find out how to succeed long-term and retain talented employees in your organization.
Articles

10 effective recruitment strategies to set your business apart

Learn the essential components of an effective recruitment strategy that aligns with your organization's goals and attracts top talent.
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AI for recruiting: What is it? Benefits, challenges, and tools to use

Discover how AI technology is changing recruitment processes. Learn to use it for recruitment to attract, screen, and match top talent for your organization.
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Understanding HR KPIs and how to use them

Learn about HR KPIs and how to measure effectiveness to enhance the performance of your business, setting the right goals and tracking progress over time.
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Fringe benefits: Everything you need to know

Discover what fringe benefits are and how they can impact your job satisfaction and financial well-being. Learn about common types of fringe benefits and their pros and cons.
Articles

Managing contingent workforce: What is it, pros, cons and tips

Gain insight into the benefits and challenges posed by contingent workforce, its impact on businesses, and best practices in freelance and contractor management.
Articles

Shift work schedule: A complete guide to business efficiency

Learn what a shift schedule is, and discover how a well-designed schedule can improve efficiency and effectiveness to get the most out of tasks and businesses.
Articles

Understanding retroactive pay: What it is and how to handle it

Retroactive pay is a way to reward employees and promote pay equity and fairness within a company. Learn how it works and its importance for employees and employers.
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Diving into HR analytics: Definitions, types, and benefits

Uncover HR analytics and elevate your company’s human resource management to a new level by improving employee retention, workforce planning, and workplace diversity.
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British Columbia, the Canadian province with the widest gender pay gap, passes pay transparency legislation

On May 11, 2023, British Columbia’s Bill 13-2023: Pay Transparency Act received Royal Assent, becoming law with an effective date of November 1, 2023.
Articles

The legislative lowdown: May 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in May
Articles

How to request a mental health leave of absence from work

Learn how to request a mental health leave of absence from work and prioritize your well-being.
Articles

Diversity recruiting: 5 Tips to improve your strategy

Diversity recruiting is a way to foster inclusivity and equity in the workplace. Learn how to build top-talent teams from different backgrounds and identities.
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What are the main roles and responsibilities of a team leader?

Team leaders provide guidance, motivate team performance, and strategize tasks toward goal achievement. Learn why team leadership is essential in the workplace.
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What is a pay stub? Everything you need to include

Pay stubs outline employee salary details for specific pay periods, including deductions, gross and net pay. Learn how to keep updated payroll records with pay stubs!
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Illinois becomes sixth state to pass pay transparency legislation

Life moves pretty fast, so you may have missed that on May 17, 2023, the Illinois Legislature passed pay transparency legislation.
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Hawaii says “Aloha” to pay transparency legislation, joining six other states

While Hawaii was the 50th state to join the United States in 1959, it recently became the fifth state to pass pay transparency legislation
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Supervisor vs. Manager: Key differences in leadership roles

While supervisors administrate internal tasks, managers focus on external strategic initiatives. Learn the main differences between these leadership roles.
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The key to employee productivity: Calculating and improving the workforce

Employee productivity measures the amount of work delivered within specific time periods. Learn the best tips to boost workers’ productivity and efficiency.
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What is employee vetting: How to run the process successfully

Vetting processes consist of conducting background checks on candidates before offering employment. Learn how to filter potential employees and hire top talent.
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How to write and format a professional business letter

A professional business letter is used to formally address another person, company, or organization. Here's everything you should know to write and format one.
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Implementing new types of work models: A full guide

Work models shape how tasks, processes, and functions work within an organization. Discover tips to choose the right work model to implement for your business!
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How to make payroll reports: What to include + types

Compensation is the largest expense for an organization, and the ramifications of your payroll affect every component of your business.
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The legislative lowdown: April 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in April
Whitepapers

Compensation Strategy: Responding to Rising Inflation & Cost of Labor – Paid Search

Our latest whitepaper offers compensation strategy insights on responding to rising inflation and the cost of labor.
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Payscale earns 22 new G2 badges for spring 2023

In the world of technology, G2 is providing Payscale and other software providers with reports about how we’re doing
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Pareto analysis explained: How to use the 80/20 rule

The Pareto analysis is a tool to identify and target top-priority problems in businesses & organizations. Discover how to boost efficiency with the 80/20 rule!
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Stipend pay: What is it, types, and how does it work

A stipend is a fixed amount paid by companies and organizations to cover specific expenses. Discover how stipends can benefit professionals and company culture.
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Shift differential pay: What is it and how to calculate it

Shift differential is extra compensation for employees who work less desirable shifts. Learn how to use shift differential pay to increase business productivity.
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The legislative lowdown: March 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in March
Infographics

Payscale’s Salary Data Portfolio Guide

Our diverse and dynamic approach to compensation and survey data ensures a view of salaries through a variety of data methodologies and validation processes.
Research Reports

2023 Compensation Best Practices Report – Paid Search

Payscale’s 14th annual Compensation Best Practices Report (CBPR) distills data and insights from the largest known survey on compensation management best practices.
Articles

How to use skills to price jobs

As your business grows, so does the need for hiring and retaining talent. With the diverse ways in which we get work done today (remotely, in-person, or a hybrid of the two), and the skills that have become in-demand in recent years—your organization needs near real-time skills and location data to get...
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The legislative lowdown: February 2023

Pay transparency legislation does not seem to be slowing down as 2023 continues. Below is a round-up of recent legislative updates that took place in February.
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EU commission agrees on pay transparency rules

While Europe and the UK have required gender pay gap reporting for quite some time, there have not been any rules forcing employers to be quite as forthcoming as the pay transparency laws in the U.S. do.
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G2 Awards highlight faster ROI of Payscale solutions

In the world of technology, G2 is providing Payscale and other software providers with reports about how we’re doing
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Accelerating the future of pay equality

When examining the labor market today, it’s hard not to talk in terms of pre- and post-pandemic when the human cost of the crisis was so significant.
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7 common compensation management mistakes to avoid

When it comes to compensation planning, let’s look at seven common mistakes organizations make, followed by advice for assessing your planning.
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The legislative lowdown: January 2023

To kick off 2023, we’ve decided to start bringing you monthly posts outlining pay legislation that has been recently proposed or passed along with a description of how each might affect your organization.
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5 areas in your compensation program for your rewards team to focus on

Employers responded to and reviewed legacy compensation programs that no longer aligned with the modern workforce.
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5 Key Steps Towards Sustainable Pay Equity

Pay equity matters more than ever and must be managed continuously. Gone are the days where pay equity was an annual project to measure pay gaps between employees.
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5 Tips to Buying Compensation Management Software

Financial incentives help organizations attract and retain employees, but as an HR, rewards, or compensation professional, you want to feel confident that you’re rewarding your best people and that your pay for performance strategy aligns with business results.
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Market Dynamics Influencing Compensation Planning

Inflation is at its highest annual rate in over 40 years. The rising cost of living layered with an increase in competition for labor has created extraordinary challenges for organizations to pay fairly and competitively.
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New hire checklist: How to onboard your new employee

Besides the logistic necessities like completing new hire forms, issuing ID badges (if applicable) and giving them a tour of the facility (if non-remote position) is a great time to clearly set your expectations for their performance.
Articles

A Guide to Writing a Warning Letter to Employees

Having stellar employees makes any company perform better as a whole. But what happens if an employee is underperforming or, worse, behaving in a blatantly inappropriate or unprofessional manner? This is where warnings come into play.
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How to Write Employee Evaluations In 2022

Employee evaluations, also called performance reviews, are periodic assessments of how an individual is performing in his or her job.
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Employee Incentives to Implement for 2022

The most effective incentive programs leverage human behavior by linking activities with goals that tie to company objectives.
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How to Calculate Overtime Pay

Overtime pay is the additional monies paid to certain employees when those employees work more than their agreed number of hours
Whitepapers

Connect Event Insights: Pharma and Life Sciences – Whitepaper

Articles

Parental Leave Policy Samples

The FLMA entitles individuals who work for covered organizations up to 12 weeks of paid leave within a 12-month period starting on the first date of leave.
Articles

I-9 Employment Requirements, Documents and How to Comply

I9 requires employers to verify both the identify and employment eligibility of all individuals they recruit, refer for a fee, or hire in the United States, regardless of whether that individual is a U.S. citizen or not.
Articles

How to Hire An Employee

No matter how big or how small your company is, or what industry you’re in, hiring the right people is critical to business survival.
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Compensation Package: Definition and Guide

In recent years, the labor pool has tightened, causing employers of all sizes to ramp up their efforts to attract and retain the right talent.
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Competitive Compensation: What It Is and Why It’s Important

In a talent market as tight as what we’re experiencing today, top candidates could have multiple offers from different companies come in at the same time.
Articles

Performance Management Training In 2022

Performance management training is a comprehensive employee development initiative that starts when the employee is hired and continues throughout his or her time with the company.
Articles

Understanding A Non-Compete Agreement

A non-compete agreement, or a covenant not to compete, is a contract that legally prevents employees from competing with their current or former employer.
Articles

Family Leave Act: What Changed In 2022?

No matter how diligent and dedicated an employee may be, sometimes, life gets in the way of “business as usual.”
Articles

A guide to the employee onboarding process

A successful onboarding process helps your new employees adjust to the social and performance aspects of their job as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Articles

Annual Salary Calculator

You may know how much to expect in your paycheck each period, but how does that number translate into annual pay?
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Annual Salary Increases: Industry Averages & Key Factors

Escalating inflation coupled with an increasingly competitive labor market have made retaining employees more critical than ever.
Articles

Top 15 Interview Questions to Ask Candidates

A new employee can bring fresh perspective, skills and energy to your team, if you hire the right person. But, how can you make sure that a promising candidate is the right choice?
Articles

A Guide to Bereavement Leave Policy in 2022

Bereavement leave is temporary, paid time off granted to employees after the death of an immediate family member, so they can deal with the memorial, finances and legal manners, and most importantly, have time to grieve.
Articles

What Is the Employee Retention Credit For 2022?

The Employee Retention Tax Credit is a refundable payroll tax credit, designed to encourage employers whose companies were disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions to retain employees, and keep them on the payroll and collecting paychecks through the downturn in business.
Articles

Let’s talk about fair pay

Pay conversations are a vital driving force in creating fair pay for everyone, however, both employee and employer still struggle to have these conversations confidently. Organizations need data and technology to take the steps needed to establish effective pay strategies and structures while building in pay transparency and fair pay initiatives. Taking...
Articles

Payscale customers share their compensation best practices and results

Anyone who has navigated from manual compensation planning to specialist technology knows that it involves some change management, leadership support and a little finesse—but the outcomes are well worth the effort. So, how do you make the move from where you are now to where you want to be? We asked three...
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Discussing pay with employees: Tips for training managers

Although compensation has always been key to attracting and retaining top talent, how that compensation was determined was a mystery to most. Managers were simply messengers, charged with telling their employees what their new salary was, all without knowing how those numbers were actually reached. They couldn’t answer employee questions, much less...
Articles

The time is now to uplevel your compensation strategy

Your compensation strategy is critical to attracting and retaining the best talent. But, no matter how well that strategy is working today, it’s important to remember that it’s not a “once and done” function. To be relevant and effective, your approach to compensation has to evolve over time, as your company grows...
Articles

4 predictions on the future of compensation

As anyone in compensation knows: the times are rapidly changing. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of the remote workforce, and a highly competitive hiring environment are prompting organizations to re-evaluate their compensation strategies today, and plan their approach for the future. What will that future look like? We asked...
Articles

6 key steps in analyzing job descriptions for the future of work

Job descriptions are essential to organizations and are foundational elements of critical functions, including talent management, compensation strategy, and fair pay practices.
Articles

How organizations are shifting to sustainable pay equity programs

Companies are now proactively monitoring more sustainable compensation practices to guard against racial and gender pay gaps.
Articles

New hire forms to include

Whether you are hiring a single employee , or an entire department of staffers, presenting a branded and well-organized hiring packet can make your business shine. Hiring packet information, written into a comprehensive onboarding program or orientation program, provides an introduction to the company culture and makes for a more streamlined onboarding experience....
Articles

Temporary employee laws: A guide to hiring contract roles

The labor market is a strange place right now. A shift towards unconventional work lives means that many employers and companies are in the midst of a total overhaul when it comes to thinking about their workforce. That said, temporary employment or a contract role may be a good fit for individuals...
Articles

What to include in a termination letter: Template and examples

Handling involuntary termination is a likely occurrence for human resources managers and employers throughout the span of their career. While the termination process may be uncomfortable, it is an essential part of ensuring employees are provided with the information, tools, and clarity they need to move forward beyond their time at your organization.  ...
Articles

Employee termination: How to properly release an employee

Just like in the hiring process, it’s essential that a company follows an employee termination process so terminated employees are provided the correct information, tools, and clarity they need to move forward beyond their time at your organization. In this article we’ll outline the core steps to follow when beginning a termination...
Articles

What is incentive pay?

Incentive pay is a form of compensation employers choose to offer employees as a way to motivate high performance. In other words, incentive pay is separate from base salary in that it is designed to encourage—it is not a mandatory form of payment by the employer nor is it a given bonus for the employee.  Differentiating bonus...
Articles

Pay-for-performance compensation: What is it and how it works

Pay-for-performance is a compensation model set by the employer. This payment structure is often utilized as an incentive. Incentivizing with performance-based pay is an effective tool to reach revenue goals, company growth metrics, and attract and maintain high-performing employees, although there are important considerations before implementing that can make or break its...
Articles

What are the laws of holiday pay?

Managing holidays can be a complex matter when figuring out paid time off, determining which holidays are included as vacation time, and how much focused work time you can expect around those key dates. Having a better understanding of holiday laws can help bring clarity and direction to your holiday pay plan....
Articles

Non-exempt vs. exempt employees: What’s the main difference?

Exempt means exempt from overtime pay. Exempt status is determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) if the employee meets the criteria.
Articles

An HR guide to employee performance reviews

An employee performance review is a formal check-in between employees and their managers or supervisors to evaluate an employee’s performance, including identifying their strengths and weaknesses, giving feedback, and setting future goals for the employee. While this meeting is intended to give the employee feedback and help them develop more as an...
Articles

7 Types of employee bonuses and how they work

Bonuses are a beautiful thing. Whether you’re sweetening a job offer, showing appreciation for meeting goals, or sharing company earnings, bonuses can play an important role in attracting and retaining quality employees. However, navigating the various types of bonuses and when to use them can get complicated. That’s why we’re here. We’re...
Research Reports

2021 State of Remote Work Report

New research from Payscale combines analysis of pay data with a survey of employers on how they are managing remote work and pay strategies to support more distributed workforces after the pandemic.
Articles

Base salary: what is it, how to calculate, what to offer

A base salary, also known as base pay, is the initial compensation amount or wage before taxes and other deductions.
Articles

What is Severance Pay?

Severance pay is compensation an employer may pay an employee after departing from the company. While severance pay is common and can establish good will among employees, it is not required by law. Severance packages are most commonly offered for layoffs, involuntary job elimination, retirement, or mutual agreement of departure between parties....
Articles

Gross Pay vs Net Pay: What’s the Difference?

Gross pay (also known as gross salary) is the amount of compensation a company or organization pays an employee before any required or voluntary deductions take effect, per payment period. Gross pay is the number listed at the top of each payroll statement. For example, if an employer says, “I’ll pay you...
Articles

Together at last: PayScale Insight Lab and UltiPro by UKG

PayScale is pleased to announce the latest release in our growing HRIS API lineup. As of September 23, 2020 PayScale Insight Lab offers an API connection to UltiPro by UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group). Announced as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™ Cloud Human Capital Management Suites Q2 Report this year and supporting more than 6,600 customers and 51 million people records, UltiPro by UKG is...
Articles

Why survey data (still) matters

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Mercer Reliable survey data is now more essential than ever Times of uncertainty naturally make us feel overwhelmed and anxious. We look at shrinking workforces and reduced budgets, wondering how we are going to manage through this challenging time. For HR managers being asked...
Articles

6 Simple cost-cutting strategies during a recession

With layoffs happening in record numbers, it’s a crucial time to strengthen the strategic value that HR brings to the business, which can including cost cutting strategies to help the organization survive a recession. Need some ideas? We have examples from past webinars with business leaders about how they adjusted their HR...
Articles

How to Encourage Ethical Behavior in the Workplace

WHAT IS ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE? Ethics in the workplace is defined as a set of rules that guide employees to act in line with the morals and values of the company as a whole. These principles should be implemented and followed by everyone within the organization to reinforce the importance of...
Articles

Definitions of Employee Classification

Employees usually are classified according to the hours worked and the expected duration of the job. Accordingly, they generally fall into three major categories: full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.
Articles

How to Calculate Employee Turnover Rate

Costs of Employee Turnover – In order to see the full picture of employee turnover, there are some unexpected twists and variables you should keep in mind. Here, we'll cover a few of the many variables that can affect your turnover rate and affect how you choose to interpret results of your...
Articles

Beyond the Office Walls: How to Nurture Human Connection Among Remote Employees

This piece is part of our series on sessions presented at Compference19. You can register or learn more about Compference20 here. Looking for data? View PayScale’s Research and Strategy Guide on How to Set Pay for Remote Workers The employee experience (EX) team at PayScale was established in 2017 to intentionally design...
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Compference19 Keynote Speaker: Bobbi McPherson

For Compference19, we’ve searched far and wide to assemble a variety of dynamic keynote speakers that will uplift, educate and challenge you to broaden your horizons. As such, we’re delighted to announce our final keynote speaker to round out our team of inspirational presenters for Compference19, Bobbi McPherson. With a background as...
Articles

Nonprofits: Special Concerns and Situations Require the Right Data

Getting pay right for key employees is important for any business. For nonprofit organizations, it’s crucial. Talented leadership can mean the difference between success and stagnation. Nonprofit organizations often have to operate with limited funds and resources. As an additional challenge, they must endure additional levels of scrutiny that commercial ventures do...
Articles

The Future of HR is Data-Driven: 6 Cutting-Edge HR Metrics to Measure

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. The following information is pulled from our new white paper, 6 Cutting-Edge HR Metrics to Measure. Download the full paper here.  We live in a world that is increasingly driven by data. How we collect and measure that data can be the difference...
Articles

Why Quality of Hire Is the Holy Grail of HR Metrics

This is part 2 of a 3 part series. The following information is pulled from our new white paper, 6 Cutting-Edge HR Metrics to Measure. Download the full paper here.  Many HR professionals believe quality of hire is the “holy grail” of people metrics. Since the beginning of the HR practice, businesses...
Articles

6 Cutting-Edge HR Metrics to Measure

This is part 1 of a 3 part series. The following is an excerpt of our new white paper, 6 Cutting-Edge HR Metrics to Measure. To download the full paper, click here.  The future of HR is data-driven. Need numbers to back that up? In one survey, more than 75 percent of...
Articles

Is Your Compensation Benchmark and Salary Structure Driven by Data?

Are your employees satisfied with their pay and their jobs? Do you have confidence in your current process for determining a compensation benchmark? If you cannot answer yes to these questions then read on. The following is the third excerpt from our white paper, How to Perform Compensation Benchmarking and Set Salary...
Articles

Compensation Benchmarking: Top Three Data Types

Today’s job market is an employees’ market, which comes as no surprise to any HR professional. We live in a world where prospective employees are well-equipped to negotiate salary based on their own research of market rates. But, how can you find the most accurate data available so you can create effective...
Articles

How to Select Jobs for Compensation Benchmarks

This is the first excerpt from our white paper, How to Perform Compensation Benchmarking and Set Salary Ranges. Create the best compensation benchmarks for your organization. Download the full whitepaper here.  After setting up your competitive set based upon your compensation strategy, identify the positions within your organization you wish to benchmark...

New Data Connector Syncs ADP Workforce Now to Insight Lab

We’re excited to let you know that we’ve just released a new data connector that automatically syncs data from ADP Workforce Now into PayScale Insight Lab. This release empowers ADP Workforce Now users to get a consistent view of their workforce in Insight Lab at all times. What’s in it for ADP...
Articles

How to Find the Right Competitive Set to Price Your Jobs

We hear some variation of this statement from clients every day: “We want to make sure we’re offering competitive pay in our market.” What does being “competitive” actually mean? Many HR and compensation professionals would say that being competitive means paying, on average, plus or minus 10 percent from the market average...
Articles

10 Ways To Better Job Descriptions

This post is written by Ashley Johnston – Marketing Director at HRTMS, the industry leader of job description management software. Their solutions include a full line of job description management products including MarketPay Jobs, the exclusive job description solution for PayScale MarketPay customers. Click here to learn more. Are your job descriptions...
Articles

Washington Passes Law Banning the Salary History Question: Are You Ready?

This article is written by Jessica Nguyen, General Counsel of PayScale. As the General Counsel of PayScale, naturally, I pay close attention to laws intended to further pay equity. PayScale is based in Washington so I was excited to learn that on May 9, 2019, Washington became the ninth state to join...
Articles

PayScale Releases a Data Connector to Enable Seamless Data Syncing between BambooHR and Insight Lab

HR leaders at small and midsize organizations are orchestrators of many moving parts of a people strategy. They often feel like there isn’t enough time to get everything done. One major drain on HR professionals’ time is dealing with data from different systems in order to get usable data to make workforce...
Articles

The Three Percent Annual Raise Will Remain Status Quo in 2019

PayScale’s Compensation Best Practices Report (CBPR) reflects trends and attitudes about compensation, benefits, retention and employee engagement across more than 7,000 employers. Today, we released the latest edition.This year’s report reveals employers are more concerned than ever about retaining staff. Yet, HR and business leaders are reluctant to raise base pay in...
Whitepapers

Why You Need a More Agile Compensation Structure

In this whitepaper, learn about workforce trends that are putting pressure on the grade-based salary structure, and what it means to make your compensation plan more agile.
Articles

4 Ways You Can Support Mental Health in the Office

Editor’s note: This post was written by Jacquelyn Pica, a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. While workplaces are becoming more progressive, many companies still lack mental health initiatives. Offering discounted or free gym memberships and healthy snacks is great — but what about addressing mental wellness? Depression is one of “the top three workplace...
Articles

PayScale Index Q3 2018: Wages Remain Sluggish Despite a Robust Economy

Despite many positive economic indicators, nominal wages tick slightly down while real wages hold steady in Q3. [click_to_tweet tweet=”While GDP continues to grow, unemployment remains at historic lows and corporate profits are on an upward trajectory, these improvements have not translated to robust wage growth.” quote=”While GDP continues to grow, unemployment remains...
Articles

#Compference18 Day Two Wrap Up: Radical Candor, Coaching and More

Day two of #Compference18 kicked off with cold brew and plenty of discussions about feedback, Millennials, and radical candor. Whether you couldn’t make it to Compference18 this year or simply missed a session you wanted to attend, we’ve compiled some of the biggest takeaways from day two so you can learn about...
Articles

#Compference18 Day One Wrap Up: Pay Fairness, Transparency and Dear HBR.

Day one of Compference18 kicked off yesterday with over five hundred comp pros and HR leaders in Orlando, Florida. Whether you were here to participate in the discussions, or you’re interested in learning what you missed, here are some of the highlights from the first day of Compference. Reimagining Compensation – Mike...
Articles

PayScale Compensation Surveys: Know How Your Peers Approach Pay

Here at PayScale, we’re constantly innovating on behalf of our customers – organizations and individuals – to help them find the right pay for every position. One of the biggest pain points we hear from our customer base of comp professionals is how hard it is to find the right salary data...
Articles

PayScale Lets You Use Three (or More) Salary Data Sources Seamlessly

World at Work standards recommend using three sources of salary data to benchmark a job. With that in mind, it’s no coincidence that PayScale’s customers have access to three unique data offerings inside our compensation platform: Crowdsourced Data, Company-Sourced Data and Traditional Data. These three different sources of data complement each other...
Articles

Why You’re Only Attracting Job Candidates You Can’t Really Afford

Editor’s Note: This blog post is an excerpt from our upcoming ebook created with BambooHR “Your Talent Acquisition Ecosystem: Managing the Employee Lifecycle” If you find that your job postings tend to attract over-qualified, “shiny” candidates who have salary requirements that are way above what your comp budget called for, it may...
Articles

PayScale’s GDPR Commitments

The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) is almost here. We’d like to share an overview of what GDPR is, and what PayScale is doing to protect our customers. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be in effect this month and we are excited to share how we are deepening our...
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4 Tips For Creating an Incentive Pay Program That Works

The way you design your incentive pay program can make a big difference to multiple pieces of your business, so it shouldn’t be an afterthought. Organizations are using incentive pay programs to help them compete for talent, to combat turnover, and motivate all employees to higher levels of performance. But when you...
Articles

Variable Compensation: Who Gets It, What Types and Why?

Editor’s note: This blog post is an excerpt of our new whitepaper Variable Pay Playbook. In a tight talent market, where employees have choices about where they commit their time and talent, variable pay is frequently used as a retention, recruitment and motivation tool. PayScale’s 2021 Compensation Best Practices Report (CBPR) reports...
Articles

What To Expect From Compference 2018: Testimonials from Previous Attendees

PayScale’s annual event, Compference – the modern compensation event for comp professionals, HR professionals and business leaders, will be here before you know it. Our two-day conference is September 19-20, 2018 and it’s all happening at the beautiful Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Florida.   Still undecided?  Here’s what...
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PayScale Research Shows Women Who Leave the Workforce Incur Up to a 7 Percent Pay Penalty Upon Their Return

Note: This blog post is an excerpt from our newly released 2018 State of the Gender Pay Gap Report. Today, PayScale released the State of the Gender Pay Gap report, which shines a light on both pay and career opportunity disparity between men and women. As it turns out, into 2018, the...
Whitepapers

Compensation Benchmarking Whitepaper

This guide will show you how to choose relevant data sources for benchmarking compensation and how to create salary ranges that align with your talent strategy.
Articles

Compference18 Location and Hotel Revealed

With Compference17 on the horizon, we’re excited to officially announce the Compference venue location and hotel details for the world’s best compensation event. So ask yourself, what’s better than networking and nerding out with people who love compensation as much as you do? How about networking and nerding out about compensation on...
Articles

Compensation Best Practices: What Do Top Performers Do Differently?

In our latest Compensation Best Practices Report, which gathered responses from 7,100 respondents on their pay practices, we took a look at what really sets top performers apart. For this report, we defined top-performing organizations as those who are number one in their industry and who met or exceeded their revenue goals...
Articles

PayScale’s 2018 Compensation Best Practices Report Is Here!

Trust, or lack thereof, between HR and managers is the compelling theme in the 2018 Compensation Best Practices Report. A whopping 85 percent of managers have confidence in their ability to explain the rationale behind pay decisions to employees but only 37 percent of organizations share that confidence in their managers. However,...
Articles

Want More Engaged Employees? Do These 5 Things Today

This blog post is an excerpt from our e-book, Getting Real About Employee Engagement. Download your copy here. In a previous article, we showed why the lack of trust in an organization is the biggest culprit for why employees mentally check out. In this post, we’ll share five tips on how business...
Articles

3 Ways to Modernize Your Compensation Strategy

This blog post is an excerpt from our e-book, “The Exec’s Guide to Modern Compensation Software.” You can download the full guide here. The corporate world has changed, and how we approach compensation needs to change with it. Pay-for-performance, variable pay and the increased focus on transparency that comes with younger workers...
Articles

Why Relying on Referrals Could Hurt Your Efforts to Hire a Diverse Workforce

This blog post is an excerpt from our newest study, The Impact of Job Referrals on Employee Engagement and Workforce Diversity. Between April 24, 2017 and August 25, 2017, PayScale asked 53,000 workers if they had received a referral. Because respondents also provided demographic information and details on their current position, we...
Articles

6 Pointers for Linking Pay With Performance

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Evaluating and Rewarding Employee Performance at the Speed of Business.” Download the full guide here. You’d be hard-pressed to find a leader who doesn’t believe that pay and performance should be linked. In every corner of private industry— whether for-profit or not-for-profit—the...
Articles

Referred Employees Are More Engaged Employees, But Only If They Come From This Source

This blog post is an excerpt from our newest study, The Impact of Job Referrals on Employee Engagement and Workforce Diversity. Between April 24, 2017 and August 25, 2017, PayScale asked 53,000 workers if they had received a referral. Because respondents also provided demographic information and details on their current position, we...
Articles

Most Employees Don’t Trust Their Company, Boss or Colleagues

How do you create an organization that motivates all your employees to bring their A game every day? To answer the question, it’s helpful to know what might be causing employees who once cared about your organization to stop caring. In this post, we’ll shed some light on how and why even...
Articles

How and Why Your Best Employees Become Disengaged Over Time

How do you create an organization that motivates all your employees to bring their A game everyday? To answer the question, it’s helpful to know what might be causing employees who once cared about your organization to stop caring. In this post, we’ll shed some light on how and why even your...
Articles

PayScale Index Q4 2017: Real Wages Still Below Pre-Recession Levels,Transportation and Warehousing Up and More

The PayScale Index tracks quarterly and annual trends in compensation. The latest Index for Q4 2017 shows that the aftershocks of The Great Recession continue to be felt as workers are still earning far less in real terms than they did before the economic crisis. While nominal wage growth was 2.7 percent...
Articles

The Threat of Unwanted Turnover

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Evaluating and Rewarding Employee Performance at the Speed of Business.” Download the full guide here. How your compensation strategy compares to other employment options will help determine whether great employees will decide to join your organization, and how long they’ll stay. In...
Articles

The State of Modern Performance Management

Performance management is a continuous process of communication between a supervisor and employee. Some of the steps include setting expectations, defining objective and goals, reviewing results and providing feedback. An effective performance management system is crucial for attracting and retaining talent. When successfully implemented, it can also boost an organization’s overall performance....
Articles

PayScale Brings ROI With Compensation Management Software

To help businesses realize the full impact of better compensation management and communication, PayScale commissioned Forrester Consulting, an independent research firm, to conduct a study evaluating the total economic impact of PayScale. This blog post is an excerpt from the study. You can download the full study here.   In a previous...
Articles

How Compensation Management Software Can Provide an ROI of 249%

To help businesses realize the full impact of better compensation management and communication, PayScale commissioned Forrester Consulting, an independent research firm, to conduct a study evaluating the total economic impact of Payscale. This blog post is an excerpt from the study. You can download the full study here.   If you’re still...
Articles

Retain Your Best Employees By Intentionally Managing Culture

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Managing Employee Turnover.” Download the full guide here.   Turnover is a symptom, not the condition. As such, a focus on turnover alone and a simple assumption that low turnover means that all is well won’t serve your organization. What’s a better...
Articles

The Cost of Losing Employees

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Managing Employee Turnover.” Download the full guide here.   The formula for measuring employee turnover is:     According to SHRM, the cost of replacing an employee is somewhere between 90 percent and 200 percent of their annual salary; researchers at Columbia...
Articles

Managing Employee Turnover

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Managing Employee Turnover.” Download the full guide here.   We’re currently living and working in the most competitive business environment the world has ever seen. Improvements in technology and mass communication have reduced the amount of time an organization can take to...
Articles

Compensation 101: Keeping Your Plan Updated

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here.   Now that you’ve built and implemented your compensation plan, think about how you can keep it current year to year and between cycles.   One of the tricks of compensation...
Articles

Compensation 101: Implementing Your Plan

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here.   With your compensation plan in hand, it’s now time to take all your preparations and begin to utilize it.   Analyze Employee Pay   Start by comparing your employees’ pay...
Articles

The New Compensation Best Practices Report Survey Is Here

The CBPR is the largest industry survey of its kind and reveals the most in-depth insights into HR, compensation trends and best practices — have you taken this year’s survey yet?   Here at PayScale, we’re simultaneously wrapping up 2017 while gearing up for the annual report we all know and love:...
Articles

Compensation 101: Creating Pay Policies and Processes

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here. Now that you’ve planned ahead, identified your talent markets and data sources, completed benchmarking and established pay ranges, it’s time to create the policies and processes that help ensure that your...
Articles

Compensation 101: Setting Pay Guidelines or Ranges

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here. Pay ranges provide guidelines for how to apply market data to pay your employees. They also help smooth out daily or monthly market fluctuations and set upper and lower bounds of...
Articles

Compensation 101: Selecting Market Data Sources

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here. Since there are a variety of compensation data sources available to you, it’s crucial that you choose wisely. The two key things to consider when selecting your market data sources are:...
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Compensation 101: Deciding on Your Comp Strategy

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here. Your compensation strategy should answer these three key questions: What talent market(s) do you intend to use for comparison for your organization? How competitive do you plan to be relative to...
Articles

Compensation 101: Setting Your Comp Philosophy

This is an excerpt from our new ebook “Comp 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Compensation Management.” Download the full guide here. By now, it’s well-accepted that a comprehensive, up-to-date compensation plan is a must for successful business. A tight talent market means organizations are focusing more than ever on strategies to retain...

Employee Turnover: What’s the True Cost?

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Articles

How to Make Compensation Conversations a Culture-Builder

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Getting Smart About Compensation.” Download the full guide here. Conversations about comp don’t have to be negative, even when you don’t have budget for monetary adjustments. Managers and HR employees at every level can learn from the steps below to turn compensation...
Articles

Train Your Managers to Talk About Comp

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Getting Smart About Compensation.” Download the full guide here. Managers are on the front lines when it comes to communicating compensation with your employees, and they have far more comp conversations than anyone else in your organization. Despite this, they’re usually ill...
Articles

How Compensation Impacts Culture in Small Businesses

This is an excerpt from our 2017 Compensation Best Practices Report (CBPR): Small Business Edition. As we celebrate Small Business Saturday in the U.S. on November 25th, let’s take a look at compensation’s impact on company culture for small businesses. Get the full report here. Culture is where small businesses shine. Small...
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PayScale Now Has Privacy Shield Certification

We know data security is a top priority for you. It’s a top priority for us, too. To advance our mission of helping organizations succeed via modern compensation, PayScale customers must have confidence in the security of our products, and know that we’re continuously updating and refining our security measures. To that...
Articles

Getting Executive Buy-In for Your Compensation Strategy

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Getting Smart About Compensation.” Download the full guide here. When you’re working through the process of building a compensation strategy and you have a formal plan mapped out, make sure you clearly explain it to your executives. You’ll get easier buy-in from...
Articles

Why Getting Compensation Right Is So Important for Company Culture

This is an excerpt from our ebook collaboration with BambooHR “Getting Smart About Compensation.” Download the full guide here. As the HR leader at your organization, you’re an integral player in your company’s success. At a time when the gap between your competitors and you is smaller than ever, people are realizing...
Articles

Do Great Managers = Reduced Employee Turnover? (Plus More Findings on Intent to Leave)

During 2015 and 2016, we collected data related to employee experience from over half a million workers who took the PayScale Salary Survey. Our research revealed what matters most — and what doesn’t make much difference — for creating a great employee experience. This is a modified excerpt from the resulting report,...
Articles

Here`s What You Need to Get Right to Improve Employee Engagement

During 2015 and 2016, we collected data related to employee experience from over half a million workers who took the PayScale Salary Survey. Our research revealed what matters most — and what doesn’t make much difference — for creating a great employee experience. This is an excerpt from the resulting report, The...
Articles

The Formula for a Winning Company Culture (aka The Data You’ve Been Waiting for)

We are so excited today to release the whitepaper that many of you who attended Compference last month have been anxiously awaiting: The Formula for a Winning Company Culture! When PayScale Lead Data Analyst Chris Martin revealed the findings from our latest research on employee experience in his “Connecting Engagement and Outcomes...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Prepare Summary Budget Request, Part II

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. We’re continuing our discussion on preparing summary budget requests. We’ve covered your options for making range adjustments and market adjustments if needed, and today we’ll look at equity adjustments and pay-increase adjustments, as well as a sample summary...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Prepare Summary Budget Request, Part I

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. At this point, we have calculated our pay inequities at the organizational, job and individual levels. We’ve also calculated our increases and determined the actual amount we intend to give our employees. What we need to do now...
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Compensation budgeting how-to: Calculate raises

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. There are a few different methods to use for calculating raises, depending on what you decide to base your increases on. We’ll look specifically at two methods: market-based increases and performance– or proficiency-based increases. Market-Based Increases In market-based...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Decide What to Reward and Streamline Your Processes

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. When it comes time to calculate your increase amounts, there are a couple steps you’ll want to take well in advance. First, think about what you want to reward with your increase dollars. Also, take some time to...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Develop Solutions for Pay Inequities

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. At each level of the organization, and for each inequity you find, you’ll want to identify a resolution. A primary consideration, of course, is cost. How much will it cost to resolve the inequities you have identified? Are...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Identify Inequities at the Position or Individual Level

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. Today we’re continuing our discussion on identifying compensation inequities, this time at the position and individual levels. Position-Level Inequities At the position level, there is one primary question for investigation: Have some of our positions moved faster in...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Identify Inequities at the Org, Design or Department Level

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. There are a few different ways in which compensation inequities can exist in a company, from the organizational to the individual level. Today we’re covering inequities at the organizational, design and department level. Organizational- or Design-Level Inequities At...
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Compensation Budgeting How-To: Start With Design and Data

This is an excerpt from our budgeting how-to whitepaper. Download the full version here. Money is an uncomfortable subject to talk about, even in business. Still, it’s a necessary part of developing and maintaining a loyal workforce, making compensation budgeting one of the most important functions of finance and HR. Explaining to...
Articles

How Can You Tell if Your Rewards Initiatives Are Effective?

This is an excerpt from our new ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Your Total Rewards Questions: Answered.” The ebook is based on a panel discussion in which industry thought leaders offered their insights and tips on the biggest, most frequent concerns around total rewards. Get the full publication here. Beyond having a high...
Articles

What Can You Do to Make Employees Feel Valued and Appreciated?

This is an excerpt from our new ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Your Total Rewards Questions: Answered.” The ebook is based on a panel discussion in which industry thought leaders offered their insights and tips on the biggest, most frequent concerns around total rewards. Get the full publication here. We’ve touched on a...
Articles

What Extra Benefits Can You Offer to Create a Better Workplace?

This is an excerpt from our new ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Your Total Rewards Questions: Answered.” The ebook is based on a panel discussion in which industry thought leaders offered their insights and tips on the biggest, most frequent concerns around total rewards. Get the full publication here. From “paid, paid vacations”...
Articles

What’s the Most Effective Way to Reward Top Performers?

This is an excerpt from our new ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Your Total Rewards Questions: Answered.” The ebook is based on a panel discussion in which industry thought leaders offered their insights and tips on the biggest, most frequent concerns around total rewards. Get the full publication here. You always want to...
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How Do You Communicate a Total Rewards Package?

This is an excerpt from our new ebook collaboration with BambooHR, “Your Total Rewards Questions: Answered.” The ebook is based on a panel discussion in which industry thought leaders offered their insights and tips on the biggest, most frequent concerns around total rewards. Get the full publication here. Communicating compensation is a...
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Can’t-Miss Session at #Compference17: The Future Role of a Compensation Professional

Are you as excited for #Compference17 as we are? If you’d say you’re very — like, wow, very — excited, then maybe. There’s a lot to be pumped up about! The agenda is jam-packed with goodness: keynotes, sessions, panel discussions, networking opportunities … not to mention, we’ll be in always-fun Austin, Texas!...
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Variable Pay Is on the Rise: What the Data Show

This is an excerpt from PayScale’s 2017 Compensation Best Practices Report. Didn’t get your copy? Download it today. A rich compensation mix encompasses much more than just base pay alone. There are bonuses, incentives, benefits and much more. Together, these pay elements create the total rewards package for employees. Variable pay can...
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Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 7: Keeping It Updated

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve built and implemented your plan, think about how you can keep it current both from year to year and between cycles. One of the tricks of compensation planning...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 7: Keeping It Updated

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve built and implemented your plan, think about how you can keep it current both from year to year and between cycles. One of the tricks of compensation planning...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 6: Implementing Your Plan

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! With your compensation plan in hand, it’s now time to take all your preparations and begin to utilize your comp plan. Analyze Employee Pay Start by comparing your employees’ pay against...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 6: Implementing Your Plan

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! With your compensation plan in hand, it’s now time to take all your preparations and begin to utilize your comp plan. Analyze Employee Pay Start by comparing your employees’ pay against...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 5: Create Policies and Processes

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve planned ahead, identified your talent markets and data sources, completed benchmarking and established pay ranges, it’s time to create the policies and processes that help ensure that your...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 5: Create Policies and Processes

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve planned ahead, identified your talent markets and data sources, completed benchmarking and established pay ranges, it’s time to create the policies and processes that help ensure that your...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 4: Set Guidelines or Ranges

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Pay ranges provide guidelines for how to apply market data to pay your employees. They also help smooth out daily or monthly market fluctuations and set upper and lower bounds of...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 4: Set Guidelines or Ranges

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Pay ranges provide guidelines for how to apply market data to pay your employees. They also help smooth out daily or monthly market fluctuations and set upper and lower bounds of...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 3: Select Data Sources

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve spent some time thinking about the different parts of your workforce and where you compete for talent in each segment, you can apply that strategy when seeking out...
Articles

Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 3: Select Data Sources

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! Now that you’ve spent some time thinking about the different parts of your workforce and where you compete for talent in each segment, you can apply that strategy when seeking out...
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Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 2: Define Your Strategy

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! With your new compensation philosophy hot off the presses, it’s time to go to market to identify the value of your jobs. The next two lessons in building your compensation plan...
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Developing a Compensation Plan, Step 1: Set Pay Philosophy

This is a lesson from PayScale’s Modern Compensation Planning ecourse. Want access to all seven lessons? Sign up for the course! By now, it’s well-accepted that a comprehensive, up-to-date compensation plan is a must for successful business. A tight talent market means organizations are focusing more than ever on strategies to retain...
Articles

How to Use Compensation Analytics to Tell a Story

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on our previous post on how to dig into comp analytics for specific questions. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! You’ve done it! You spent some time...
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How to Use Compensation Analytics to Tell a Story

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on our previous post on how to dig into comp analytics for specific questions. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! You’ve done it! You spent some time...
Articles

How to Dig Into Compensation Analytics to Answer Specific Questions

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on our previous post on five comp analytics to track. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! In the last lesson, we overviewed five compensation analytics that help...
Articles

How to Dig Into Compensation Analytics to Answer Specific Questions

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on our previous post on five comp analytics to track. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! In the last lesson, we overviewed five compensation analytics that help...
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5 Compensation Analytics to Track That Answer Your Big Comp Questions

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on what we covered in the post on setting goals. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! It’s time to get technical. In this step, we introduce five...
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5 Compensation Analytics to Track That Answer Your Big Comp Questions

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics, and builds on what we covered in the post on setting goals. Be on the lookout for the course launch, which includes helpful examples and insightful exercises — coming soon! It’s time to get technical. In this step, we introduce five...
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Set Goals to Get the Most Out of Your Compensation Analytics

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics. Be on the lookout for the course launch — coming soon! One of the most important parts of tracking compensation analytics is making sure you have a goal in mind. Comp analytics align compensation to organizational objectives and provide the necessary...
Articles

Set Goals to Get the Most Out of Your Compensation Analytics

This is a lesson from our forthcoming ecourse on compensation analytics. Be on the lookout for the course launch — coming soon! One of the most important parts of tracking compensation analytics is making sure you have a goal in mind. Comp analytics align compensation to organizational objectives and provide the necessary...
Articles

How to Select the Best Salary Data Sources for Your Organization

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! When it comes time to determine the best source of data for your compensation needs, there are a few things to keep in mind to adequately evaluate sources: Breadth...
Articles

How to Select the Best Salary Data Sources for Your Organization

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! When it comes time to determine the best source of data for your compensation needs, there are a few things to keep in mind to adequately evaluate sources: Breadth...
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Pros and Cons of Each Salary Data Source for Employers

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! Much as the employee data landscape is rich, there are a lot of compensation data sources and types of sources available to employers. As you consider each, pay special...
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Pros and Cons of Each Salary Data Source for Employers

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! Much as the employee data landscape is rich, there are a lot of compensation data sources and types of sources available to employers. As you consider each, pay special...
Articles

A Rundown of All the Salary Data Sources Your Employees Are Looking At

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Salary Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! Employees have access to lots of compensation data online. Many a manager has been on the receiving end of a printed online report followed by, “I found this...
Articles

A Rundown of All the Salary Data Sources Your Employees Are Looking At

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming whitepaper entitled “The Compensation Data Landscape: A Review of Salary Data Sources, Plus How to Choose.” Enjoy! Employees have access to lots of compensation data online. Many a manager has been on the receiving end of a printed online report followed by, “I found this...
Articles

‘Managing’ Diversity for Your Organization: Inclusion, Employee Relations and More

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. When we talk about managing diversity, the reason we use the term “managing” is because it’s an active term — and diversity requires action. Diversity...
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‘Managing’ Diversity for Your Organization: Inclusion, Employee Relations and More

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. When we talk about managing diversity, the reason we use the term “managing” is because it’s an active term — and diversity requires action. Diversity...
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Diversity Considerations in Compensation: Part 2 – Workplace Currency, Manager Favoritism

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. In our first diversity and compensation post, we covered how to identify and resolve inequities within your current compensation practices, as well as the...
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Diversity Considerations in Compensation: Part 1

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. The big connection between diversity and compensation is fair pay. (Note: Fair pay and equal pay are not the same thing. Paying fairly involves...
Articles

Diversity Considerations in Compensation: Part 1

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. The big connection between diversity and compensation is fair pay. (Note: Fair pay and equal pay are not the same thing. Paying fairly involves...
Articles

Enabling Diversity of Skill in Your Organization

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. Often, skill is an easier type of diversity for people to understand, as it’s usually fairly clear that organizations need a variety of skills...
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Enabling Diversity of Opinion in Your Organization

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. Opinion is a lot harder than diversity of time, tenure or industry to monitor and measure — it’s actually really difficult — but it’s...
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Enabling Diversity of Experience in the Organization

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. We’ve previously covered the idea that by leveraging diversity within the makeup of our organizations, we create systems that are more resilient — systems...
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What ‘Diversity’ Really Means and Why It Matters for Your Organization

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled How to Turn Diversity Into a Major Asset for Your Organization. Download the full ebook here. Most of us suffer from functional fixedness — “the inability to realize that something known to have a particular use may also be used...
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How Managers Should Respond to ‘I Found a Salary Report Online’

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled Everything You Need to Know About Communicating Pay. Download the full ebook here. An employee brings a salary report to their manager and says, “According to this, I should be making $10K more.” How to proceed? A few things to...
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How Managers Should Respond to ‘I Found a Salary Report Online’

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled Everything You Need to Know About Communicating Pay. Download the full ebook here. An employee brings a salary report to their manager and says, “According to this, I should be making $10K more.” How to proceed? A few things to...
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How Employee Pay is Perceived and Why Perception Matters

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled Everything You Need to Know About Communicating Pay. Download the full ebook here. It’s only when we see pay in the context of the emotional landscape of an employee that we’re able to frame the compensation conversation in a way...
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How to Communicate Compensation Plans to Differing Generations

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled Everything You Need to Know About Communicating Pay. Download the full ebook here. Workforce demographics are changing, and preferred communication styles vary considerably among different employee groups. One helpful demographic to consider when crafting your compensation communication plans is generation....
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Communicating Compensation: Who Should Say What When

This is an excerpt from our recent ebook collaboration with BambooHR entitled Everything You Need to Know About Communicating Pay. Download the full ebook here. Responsibilities and Timing Everyone in the organization has a role in the compensation conversation, but the timing is different for each job function. HR’s role is to...
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Human Resources Pros: How Not to Get WalMarted out of a Job

A top news headline this week that retail giant Walmart plans to cut hundreds of jobs before the end of January–many in HR–may well have human resources professionals thinking, “Well, ‘Happy New Year’ to you too.” The fact that the retail giant also just signed on with Workday, an HR automation system,...
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Mission Transparency: Greater Sense of Job Meaning Reduces Turnover

A sense of meaning in the workplace may just be employers’ secret weapon in the war for talent. A new PayScale study asked employees if their workplace made the world a better place, those workers who responded “yes” had the highest median pay of all survey respondents, at $50,600, followed by those who...
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It’s Here! PayScale’s Newest Infographic Reveals the Truth about Employee Engagement

PayScaleFrom sticks and carrots, to gift cards, to extravagant perks and unlimited PTO—the face of employee engagement is ever-changing. A happy employee is likely to stay—and you’ll pull out all the stops to avoid turnover. Throw in all the fancy perks you want—lunchtime yoga, company chef, clothing fund, you name it—but, if...
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Myth Buster: Talking About Pay Could Incite an Employee Riot

PayScaleIf you aren’t talking with employees about pay, chances are they are talking to one another—creating their own story of your compensation philosophy. Not a good thing. PayScale surveyed more than 71,000 employees to study the relationship between pay and transparency.
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Myth Buster: People Don’t Leave Their Jobs Because of Pay

PayScaleBusted! In 2015, the number one reason most people left companies was compensation. The majority of respondents to the PayScale Compensation Best Practices Report cited “seeking higher pay elsewhere” as the primary reason for leaving a company. Moral of the story? Money CAN buy you love.
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Top 5 Insights from Last Year’s CBPR (plus take the new survey!)

Jade Makana, Director of Content Marketing, B2BFor those who don’t know, every year PayScale produces the Compensation Best Practices Report. This report is based on a survey administered to 100,000 human resources professionals and business executives, asking them their point of view on the biggest topics in human resources and compensation: everything...
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New Whitepaper: 7 Reasons You’re Not Too Small for Compensation Software

What’s business-critical, valued by your employees, and likely one of the biggest line items on your budget? That’s right, compensation! You’ve implemented software for other parts of your business, so why ignore comp?
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Calculating Employee Turnover

Employee Turnover Rates Employee turnover is driven by many factors including inadequate compensation, lack of employee engagement, poor job fit, etc. Whatever the cause, you can easily calculate your company's rate of turnover. This is a critical benchmark that can help you understand your relationship with your competition and with your employees. You should continually monitor this rate so...
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Performance vs. proficiency: Understanding key differences

Just Rewards For Your Employees Here at PayScale, we often talk about compensation philosophies answering 3 main questions: How do you define your market? How competitive do you want to be relative to the market? What do you want to reward? In working with clients, I find they know the answers to the first two questions within...
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Salaried Employees Work Hours: Laws from FLSA

Exempt Employees and Rules Requiring Specified Hours You probably are aware that exempt employees generally should be paid the same salary regardless of the number of hours they work or the quantity of work they produce. But, can you require them to work a certain schedule and track their hours?
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Rules on Notice & Pay After a Resignation

Do Voluntary Resignations Require Advance Notice? When you’re watching your labor costs, it is important to know how to handle an employee resignation, compensation-wise. If you require employees to provide two weeks’ notice of their resignation, you may have to pay them for that full period even if you release them earlier. ...
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Holiday Pay for Employees

Answers to 7 Holiday Pay Questions Do you have to provide paid holidays? What about for new employees? And do you have to pay overtime to employees who have to work a holiday? We’re officially heading into the holiday season with Thanksgiving coming up next week and Christmas and the New...
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Employee Retention Tips for Managers

Why Good People Quit and How to Keep Them: Employee Retention Tips for Managers Think about a job that you left where you were a rock star. Now think about one you left where you were simply, purely, competent.Why did you leave in each case?That question is especially important in today’s...