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Compensation Can Be FUN!

As a longtime PayScale user and evangelist, I was beyond excited when the team asked me to present at Compference. I was expecting a bunch of buttoned-up, boring compensation discussions. I was wrong!

Compference is For All of Us

I’m a true hybrid: an HR generalist and an employment lawyer. My compensation perspective tends to be from a compliance mindset. I really expected most of the technical compensation discussions to be way over my head. Sure, there were some conversations that I had a hard time following, but I was heartened when I found people who weren’t sure what the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) is. Just as PayScale makes compensation accessible for the non-compensation practitioner, the panel discussions had something for all levels of expertise.

The PayScale Team Is Amazing 

I’ve worked with the PayScale Insight tool for three years, and I’ve seen the product evolve. One thing hasn’t changed: PayScale has maintained an incredible commitment to customer service.

As an entrepreneur, I go to more than my fair share of networking events. They usually start with a stuffy cocktail hour filled with drab small talk. You’re lucky the host makes time for you. You’ve hit the jackpot if you meet a couple of people in your area of interest.

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Imagine my surprise when I walked into the first reception, and was immediately greeted by PayScale team members! I immediately felt so welcome, and the team was great about answering my questions and introducing me to people I wanted to meet. Best of all, I met some really good people who quickly became dear friends.

Compensation Can Be Fun!

I was also honored to be a presenter during Compference. Usually preparing for a conference is a lot of work – and not much fun. In contrast, we had some lively conversations, and along the way we developed some really close friendships. I must admit that I used to stereotype compensation folks as being introverted and dry, but I won’t make that mistake again. Check out this picture of me and my co-presenter, Brooke Birdsong, getting ready for our FLSA presentation.

Liz DAloia and Brooke Songbird

Comptopia

Comptopia is PayScale’s way of adding a gamification element into Compference. We were able to complete challenges, win some cool prizes, message each other, and even view all of the presentation slides through the app. Best of all, Comptopia didn’t end when Compference wrapped up. We can still earn points and communicate with each other to keep that Compference feeling all year long. In the meantime, I’m relaxing with my hard-earned coffee prize and $25 Amazon gift card – and still trying to catch up to Criston Menz, Carla Williams, and Brooke Birdsong, who are still on the leaderboard.

 

Transparency

Transparency was a theme throughout Compference. As a lawyer, I understood the implications of the new EEOC reporting rules about pay, the NLRB’s ruling regarding employee pay discussions, and the OFCCP’s Advancing Equal Pay Enforcement actions and reporting requirements. It was refreshing to discover that Compference didn’t focus on the compliance aspects of these rules.  Instead, we had lengthy discussions about what level of pay transparency is right for your organization.

This was one of my favorite visual aids from Compference because it reminds me that there’s no right level of transparency for companies. It’s going to be a journey for all of us – and our cultures – as we determine what’s right for our organization, employees, and culture.

PayScale Pay Transparency Spectrum

The PayScale Platform is Still Evolving

Over the years I’ve seen improvements in the PayScale database, and the platform itself has gotten more robust and faster. It was exciting to hear about the new features and partnerships that PayScale is deploying, including APIs for the customers who use BambooHR. Here at HR Virtuoso, we’re already exploring ways to put a simple button on our mobile recruiting requisition system so our clients can immediately access a PayScale competitive pay report for new job openings.

The PayScale team listens closely to its customers, and I’m looking forward to working with them on both user experience feedback and on a few upcoming grading projects for manufacturing and distribution clients. Maybe we’ll even come up with a cool new feature that will be highlighted at next year’s Compference. See you then! 

Liz D'Aloia
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