About a year ago, Abigail began her first day on a new job. She was a software engineer, new to the workforce, and eager to make a good impression on her colleagues. At the end of the day, she noticed a fine, jagged line on the floor of the office, stretching the length of the building. She examined it, puzzled. She was pretty sure she hadn’t noticed it earlier, and almost as sure that it hadn’t been there when she’d arrived. For a moment she considered asking someone about it, but she didn’t feel comfortable inquiring about structural integrity on her first day.

Employee Appreciation Day is March 4. Celebrate your team by showing your appreciation for their resilience, hard work, creativity, and determination to get the job done.

The De-SPAC process usually runs from 3-5 months. During this time both parties work to convince current and potential shareholders that the union will work. Regulatory bodies like the SEC also get involved and provide their opinions on the impending marriage. The companies involved may also look to…

As we attempt to grow our companies or rehire and recover from the last 18 months, it is apparent employers are all attempting to understand why some of our talented employees are looking for new opportunities. Sometimes, those opportunities don’t appear to be necessarily better as they are offering comparable pay or room for advancement. So why is our talent disappearing?

Employee burnout is something all organizations face regardless of industry, employee experience or position within the company. When that is coupled with the stress of the past 18 months, including COVID, political unrest, and other stressors in our lives, we find that people can begin buckling under that pressure. Keeping that in mind, as leaders, we need to figure out ways to not only retain our employees but, keep them from reaching the point where they burn out. We addressed retention in our last blog post and went into detail about ways to improve your culture and unearth underlying issues within your team.

It’s still too early to tell how great the “Great Resignation” will be. Or if it even lives up to that description. True, lots of employees are considering changing jobs, but there’s a world of difference between thinking about quitting and actively hunting for a new opportunity. There’s no doubt, though, that employees want more out of their work life. And they’re willing to fight for what they want or leave if they don’t get it.

What more do these unsatisfied employees want? That depends. Really, the best way to learn what your employees want is simply to ask them. We cannot stress this enough. Check-ins with managers are an ideal time for this if both managers and their direct reports are comfortable having such conversations. Anonymous surveys are another option. If nothing else, conduct exit interviews.

But while individual desires vary, they tend right now to fall into a few general themes: greater freedom and flexibility, a bigger say in the workplace, better compensation, and increased safety and security. Employers that can meet these demands have an advantage in today’s job market. Let’s look at each in turn.

New year brings new opportunities in compensation. In 2022, we will get our feet underneath us, gather our balance and leap forward into a new approach to pay that may provide a foundation for the next ten years. There is no reason to wait. The future of compensation is yours to create!

While the changes for each person were immediately noticeable, only one result was a true transformation. Transformations require time, commitment, and tenacity. This past year has proven to be transformational for many people and many businesses, but I have yet to hear much about transformations happening in total rewards. If there was ever a time to transform, this is it.

This is where many mid-stage high-growth companies find themselves on a regular basis. They have an innovative product and the core team for future success. The future is just beyond the horizon and the sunrise is just beginning to show. They have a business plan that requires a ton of new hires and a compensation philosophy or structure designed for the company they were a year ago.

The funny thing is getting that little cavity or other problem fixed quickly usually doesn’t hurt and lets you focus on better things down the road. Compensation programs can often be the same.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs) get a bad rap although they should be lauded in wonderment. The proof is in the number of different areas that claim full, or no, responsibility for these underutilized instruments. ESPPs are much like the old Saturday Night Live “commercial” for Shimmer (“It’s a Dessert Topping AND a Floor Wax”). Unlike Shimmer, the mythical SNL product, ESPPs are actually delicious, effective and available on your compensation store shelves today. If your company does not have an ESPP, or has not optimized the current plan, you should consider reading on.