Being locked up at home for the past nine months has given me the time to watch some videos that wouldn’t have made the list in a normal year. The rabbit hole of streaming information recently brought me to a series of videos on triathlons. Watching a few of these events (appropriately sped up) reminded me of the power of a compensation philosophy.

World at Work defines Total Rewards as:

“All of the tools available to the employer that may be used to attract, motivate and retain employees. Total rewards include everything the employee perceives to be of value resulting from the employment relationship.”

We have invented more tools with corresponding rules, regulations, and variations. And our employees have become more diverse. Explaining the totality of Total Rewards has become increasingly difficult for many in and out of the world of compensation.

Editor's Note: There are a lot of reward terms out there and they aren't always universally understood. Leave it to Dan Walter to illuminate this challenge with his Classic humor!

We all wish we were better at communicating. We create presentations (decks) and plan summaries (SPDs). We carefully choose our words and have our colleagues review things before sending them. Our efforts need to be understood by people with wide ranges of experiences, education and levels of interest. But what if our best efforts were making things worse?

2020 provided many challenges never before experienced, and many employers are wondering how to motivate their teams for the long haul. Whether you are trying to keep your business afloat or have thrived during the pandemic period, the first step is to acknowledge the challenges and celebrate even the small wins.

The longer I am in Human Resources (HR), the longer I realize, no organization is perfect. Different companies have different cultures, and there are always imperfections, issues, and opportunities for growth. What makes one organization more successful than the others if none of us are ideal?

A recent study by LinkedIn cites that 60% of employees are waiting for the pandemic to be over before seeking a new position.

With Covid rates declining in many areas and vaccines becoming more widely available, we are starting to see signs of this becoming a reality. Businesses are quickly reopening, and people are beginning to feel more comfortable leaving their homes and travel once again.