2023 was another turbulent year in the hiring market. Staff turnover remained high across the board, with some industries facing an unfortunate need to implement cuts. Meanwhile, most employees felt the effects of rampant inflation, which outpaced 2023’s record salary increases.

I’ll never forget the first time I got a Total Rewards statement. I remember looking at it and thinking, “The benefits I get from these people are worth HOW MUCH?!” At the time, I was just beginning my HR career, still working to understand the difference between an FSA and an HSA, so seeing all of these benefits at once blew my mind. Looking back on that moment with years of HR experience, I know that this was not a good thing. Let me tell you why.

August 26th is Women's Equality Day, which is an excellent time to reflect on the progress we've made on issues like the Gender Wage Gap.

Employees generally expect their company’s salary structure to curve upwards: senior team members have higher salaries than their junior colleagues, while managers earn more than their direct reports.

In decades past, people didn’t always discuss salaries with their colleagues.

I’ve consulted with a lot of organizations on issues around employee salaries, and I’ve learned one important thing.