Employee compensation is really a pretty simple concept. Your organization has employees who perform work at your request. In return, these employees expect to be paid fairly and on time. If only it were really that simple.
If it were really this cut and dried, few companies would ever consider just how important structured compensation management practices are to prospective and existing employees. In fact, today’s job seekers are more selective than ever when committing to a new job, which means companies must use compensation as a key component of finding and attracting top talent.
And, compensation is far more than just wages paid for work performed. It includes benefits both tangible and intangible, bonuses, and rewards that don’t always correlate to dollar signs on a spreadsheet. Work environment, wellness perks, flexible schedules, and more are often factored as a part of compensation, which makes it even more difficult to administer to employees in an equitable manner.
Compensation and Why it Needs to be Managed
At its most basic, compensation is the paycheck issued, plus any benefits that come with the position. This simple formula is absolutely essential to finding and retaining great employees. The “compensation” part of attracting talent is irrefutably among the most important reasons to not just take a job, but to stay in a job and excel.
Making a strategic commitment to carefully manage employee compensation and benefits isn’t just a nice policy to have these days. Indeed, one of the most-used online job platforms for both job seekers and employers, says “building an attractive compensation strategy is a vital component to not only hiring the right people, but retaining them over time as well. Companies that pay attention to current salary conditions and market trends develop compensation strategies that align with budgets and attract talent.”
Bringing this concept home, consider the time and money that your HR team spends finding and recruiting just the right people to join your team. A large part of their ability to attract top talent relates to their ability to offer competitive salaries and benefits that are on par with market trends. If they aren’t able to extend compensation and benefits that are relevant, you’ll lose valuable talent to the competition.
How Compensation Management Software Can Help
The importance placed on compensation alone is enough to warrant compensation management software to help your HR team do their best work. Using software designed to guide decision-making helps ensure that your organization is offering salaries that are competitive without overpaying, which has a direct effect on your bottom line.
An engaged and productive workforce must be supported by effective and equitable compensation programs that are not influenced by personal or emotional dynamics. Well-defined performance metrics, ongoing measurement, and clear-cut reward systems based on measurable data keeps your company within bounds. Using software to facilitate effective and equitable compensation programs is directly correlated to maintaining fair and equitable compensation practices and leads to happy, long-term employees.
Compensation management software can also help track benefits and their impact. Adjusting benefits offerings to ensure they justify the dollars invested is just one of the pluses of implementing a configurable platform that adjusts to your company’s specific culture and business needs.
At CompLogix, we believe the best compensation management solution is one that makes your job easier. And we know that your success not only depends on an excellent product, but also on the people and service behind that product. Thankfully, we have both. If you’d like a complimentary demo or just have questions about compensation management, contact us.