I am often asked how to go about a new plan design, or a total revamp of an existing one. How should one approach it ? Is there a methodology ? In my mind there are 7 basic steps to take in order to design a good plan in Compensation & Benefits. They apply whether…
How to use Text to Columns in Excel
September 18, 2011 by 2 Comments
The text to column function in Exel lets you “split” a column of organised data into multiple ones. Let’s take the example of participating to a compensation survey. You need to provide employee name, employee title and employee date of birth. The date of birth should be in format YY, ie only 2 digits for…
Career Corner – 11+3 reasons why you should network with other C&B pros
September 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Whether it is online or offline, networking with other C&B professionals should play an important role into your personal development and the pursuit of your career plans, whether within the same company, or outside of it. Here are some of the benefits of networking with other C&B professionals : Get feedback on your ideas and…
Reader Question – What to consider for salary planning ?
September 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today’s reader query is suggested by a question asked by a LinkedIn member, who wanted to know : “What indicators are important in your company planning (changing, reviewing) pay policy for next year ?”. Just like for any other year, I suggest going through a four-step approach : 1 – Is my pay policy still…
Why every word counts in Compensation & Benefits
September 11, 2011 by 4 Comments
Well, we work in HR. It’s a well-known fact that people in the Human Capital function need to be VERY careful with the words we use… in writing but also when speaking, whether in one-on-one or one-to-many circumstances. After all, we have access to a lot of confidential and sometimes private information. Employees and managers…
A reaction on raising pension contributions
September 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today’s post is a reaction to this GlobalPensions.com article commenting on employer contribution rates for retirement in some New York State agencies. My comment is mostly linked to the % of contributions. “The contribution rate for the Employee Retirement System (ERS) will increase from 16.3% of salaries to 18.9% in fiscal year 2012-13, while the…
Compensation surveys – the ultimate buyer checklist
September 6, 2011 by 2 Comments
Maybe you are expanding into a new country, or you need complementary information on top of the one you already possess in your markets. So you are considering participating to a compensation survey. Beyond the price and reputation of the provider of compensation data, here is a checklist, in no particular order, of what you…
