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Totally Rewarding Chats

WRKdefined Podcast Network

The Totally Rewarding Chats Series is brought to you by co-hosts Sean Luitjens, VP of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at WorldatWork, and Paul Reiman, Founder & Managing Partner of Novo Insights. They will be jamming on all things total rewards and compensation technology with category thought leaders.

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Avg 42 min
English

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S3 · E7
Today · 36 min
AI Adoption in HR Without Losing Control
HR and compensation leaders get a practical look at bringing AI into their organizations without creating new risks. HR consultant Jodi Brandstetter joins Sean and Paul to cover where AI works best in HR, why governance has to come first, and how to decide between the AI already built into your HR tools and building your own. They also share real examples of AI adoption going wrong, from employees pasting company data into free chatbots to an intern pulling data from several systems without anyone approving it. You will leave knowing how to start small, test AI on work your team already knows well, and set guardrails so employees can experiment safely. Chapters 09:24 – Where HR sees the most success with AI 10:51 – What organizations need before adopting AI 12:27 – Why to start AI on work you already understand 14:11 – Vendor AI versus building your own AI tools 16:22 – How to choose the right AI tool for your company 17:37 – Job matching, leveling, and embedded AI in compensation 20:45 – Why HR still needs basic AI knowledge 21:47 – Common ways AI adoption goes wrong in HR 28:08 – Using AI to rewrite a pay philosophy for different audiences 32:57 – How HR can become part of the AI conversation
S3 · E6
October 8 · 50 min
Rising Healthcare Costs and Employee Benefits Strategy
Healthcare costs keep rising, and employers have to decide who pays for it and what gets cut. This conversation looks at what is driving benefits costs right now, including specialty medications and GLP-1s. It covers how cost sharing affects the value of merit increases and why employees have trouble comparing benefits with salary. It also covers why total rewards statements can backfire when pay transparency is in place, and what employers can do to control spending without losing value. You will hear practical ideas: review underused benefits every year, use payroll data to see what employees actually use, and set different contribution levels for spouses and dependents. The episode also explains how lifestyle spending accounts work and why benchmarking is the best place to start a program review. Chapters 08:03 – Top benefits trends driven by rising healthcare costs 10:16 – Why the GLP-1 coverage debate is different now 13:16 – Employer versus employee cost sharing and merit increases 15:23 – Why employees struggle to connect benefits and pay 18:21 – Total rewards statements and pay transparency fairness 25:02 – Using company culture to explain benefit cost sharing 29:38 – Practical steps to control benefits costs 33:25 – Spouse coverage, wellness incentives, and cost caps 37:12 – How lifestyle spending accounts work 40:16 – Where to start when reviewing a benefits program
S3 · E5
October 1 · 49 min
Lessons Learned From Changing Lanes
Sean and Paul bring in Jessica Pontious, a compensation leader who spent a decade inside one company. Jess explains what actually changed when she started advising organizations across industries, sizes, and countries. The conversation covers why she left a large in-house rewards role, the fears that kept her from making the move sooner, which of those fears turned out to be unfounded, and what she wishes she had known about how much of comp knowledge transfers between industries. It also gets practical about how an outside advisor starts a new engagement, how to work with the person who built the program you were hired to examine, and why company size is a poor predictor of how well resourced a comp team is. Useful if you are weighing a move from in-house to advisory work, or if you are trying to understand how consultants approach a comp problem. Chapters 02:17 – How a compensation career starts by accident 10:55 – Why leave a stable in-house rewards role 12:36 – The fears that come with switching to advisory work 14:00 – Handling imposter syndrome after one industry 16:01 – Why different backgrounds produce better advice 18:25 – What stays the same about comp everywhere 21:06 – Where to start with a brand new client 24:18 – Diagnosing the problem instead of selling a method 29:40 – The part of in-house work that does not transfer 33:42 – Why comp team size does not track company size 45:04 – One thing worth fixing about how HR shows up
S3 · E4
September 24 · 45 min
Is Merit Dead?
Sean and Paul get together with Christina Watts, Consultant with Marsh, to debate whether the traditional annual pay increase cycle still earns its place, and what companies can do instead. You will hear the case that the yearly increase process is trying to solve too many problems at once, a counterargument that it serves real human needs no spreadsheet captures, and a practical middle ground that separates market movement, internal equity, and performance into different tools. If you are deciding whether to keep, shrink, or replace your yearly increase cycle, this conversation walks through the budget math, the risks of shifting dollars into bonuses, how to stay competitive for talent, and why adding job levels may solve more than tweaking percentages. Chapters 08:36 – The argument that the yearly increase cycle satisfies no one 09:50 – What an annual increase is actually designed to fix 10:30 – Why raises are the wrong tool for rising benefit costs 11:23 – The human counterargument for manager discretion 12:29 – Cash, growth, and mission as competing motivators 14:18 – Does pay really not matter to some employees 17:00 – Why the budget number is the real breaking point 20:09 – Base salary as the worth of the job, bonuses for results 21:31 – Whether bonus dollars can be trusted to actually show up 23:33 – Building a budget from benchmarking instead of a flat percentage 28:30 – Competing for talent when base pay is capped 32:03 – Step progressions and job levels as an alternative 42:43 – The one thing worth fixing across HR
S3 · E3
September 17 · 41 min
Building Job Architecture That Actually Works
Travicka Keaton, Senior Manager of Compensation with Monogram Foods, walks through what it actually takes to build a job architecture inside a company that grew fast without one. You will learn how long a real project takes, why salaried roles are usually sequenced before hourly and site-based roles, why manufacturing jobs are harder to level than software jobs, and how to keep executives informed without turning every week into a status meeting. The conversation also covers a practical, low-tech approach to pay equity that uses performance, company tenure, general experience, and time in grade, and why that approach matched what an expensive third-party tool produced later. If you are deciding whether to start a job architecture project, or trying to explain to leadership why it is not a pay increase exercise, this episode answers those questions directly. Chapters 02:46 – Falling into compensation without planning to 09:56 – Why job architecture comes before everything else 10:48 – How long a real job architecture project takes 12:39 – Why manufacturing roles resist standard leveling 14:44 – Sequencing salaried roles ahead of hourly and site roles 17:17 – The actual problem a job architecture project solves 19:23 – Keeping executives informed without over-reporting 22:15 – Running the project in spreadsheets with AI help 25:56 – A practical framework for reviewing pay equity 28:25 – Why managers push back on equity decisions 35:39 – Why the pay conversation matters more than the number
S3 · E2
September 10 · 49 min
A Look at the Larger HR Tech Space
This episode explains why the HR technology market feels chaotic right now and what that means for the people who buy and build it. George LaRocque of WorkTech describes the market as an hourglass: established platforms at the top with time and options, AI-native newcomers at the bottom with speed and low overhead, and a crowded middle where most vendors are getting squeezed. The conversation covers what actually protects a compensation technology company from being replaced by AI, why compliance stopped working as a sales message after the EU Pay Transparency Directive underdelivered, how buyers should assess whether a vendor will still exist in two years, and why a platform's track record integrating past acquisitions is becoming a real evaluation criterion. Timestamps 01:38 – A career path from staffing practitioner to market analyst 03:37 – Why HR leaders need to track funding and M&A activity 12:07 – The hourglass model of the HR technology market 16:03 – Why the squeezed middle is where vendors are failing 18:24 – Whether compensation technology can ever be a platform 19:34 – How HCM platforms are absorbing compensation capabilities 22:32 – Why technology alone stopped being a competitive moat 27:20 – Compliance versus ROI as the real driver of purchases 30:30 – What happened when pay transparency rules lost their teeth 33:29 – How to assess whether a vendor will survive 37:22 – Consolidation, zombie vendors, and the next 18 months 43:52 – Why acquisition integration is becoming a buying criterion
S3 · E1
September 3 · 27 min
Season 3 Kickoff with Sean and Paul
This season-opening conversation covers what is shifting in compensation and total rewards heading into 2027, and what practitioners should watch. Sean shares some exciting news and explains why a career move from building compensation software into association and community work made sense after three decades in the space, what professional communities need to do to actually deliver value to members, and why the methods that worked in comp for the last thirty years are unlikely to carry the next thirty. Sean and Paul also preview the topics coming up this season, including the state of HR technology, whether merit pay still works, workforce analytics and modeling, EU pay transparency, moving between practitioner and consulting roles, and where AI realistically fits in comp planning. Chapters 00:41 – Moving from building software into community work 02:45 – What members actually want from a professional association 03:53 – Changing careers after thirty years in one lane 06:10 – How a podcast survives a host's career change 08:19 – Finding unexpected common ground with a co-host 09:33 – What youth coaching teaches about team dynamics 12:14 – Setting goals based on what you can control 15:14 – Topics and themes coming this season 16:41 – The open debate over whether merit pay is dead 21:39 – Why the old compensation playbook is expiring 24:14 – Comp planning as the first real AI test
S2 · E50
August 27 · 52 min
End of Season 2
This episode explains why most compensation and HR teams are not getting real results from AI, and what to fix first. You will learn how to tell where your organization actually sits on the AI adoption curve, why inconsistent data fields like location and cost center quietly break AI analysis, how token-based pricing may change what HR software costs over the next few years, and what questions to ask a vendor before signing a multi-year deal. The conversation also covers how to choose a small set of data fields to clean instead of trying to fix everything, why a dashboard is not the same as an answer, and why data governance is becoming a job rather than a side task. Useful for compensation leaders, HR technology owners, and rewards teams of one who are being asked to do more with AI without a bigger budget. Chapters 00:00 – Milestone episode and what keeps a weekly show running 06:00 – Rapid fire questions with the producer and the guest 12:30 – A career path from pre-med to compensation systems 17:00 – Where companies actually sit on the AI adoption curve 21:00 – Why AI hype still outpaces real capability 25:00 – AI mandates and measuring AI use in incentive plans 29:00 – How token pricing works and who absorbs the cost 34:00 – Why messy HR data blocks AI results 39:00 – Choosing which data fields to fix first 44:00 – Dashboards versus metrics that drive action
August 20 · 44 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 49: Best Practices in HR and a New Age Employee
In this episode, Shayna Cooke from Dominion Payroll shares her journey from education to HR leadership, her approach to building effective programs, and how AI is transforming HR and payroll operations. Discover practical insights on change management, employee engagement, and leveraging technology for organizational growth. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 10:33 Best Practices in HR and Operations 19:01 Innovations in Employee Management 19:45 Embracing AI in the Workplace 24:11 Transforming Customer Support with Digital Employees 27:37 AI's Impact on Employee Roles and Responsibilities 30:48 Enhancing Performance Management with AI 36:25 Navigating Change Management in AI Adoption 41:02 The Future of AI and Human Collaboration
S2 · E48
August 13 · 47 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 48: Wisdom from a leadership and performance coach
Paul and Sean sit down with Holly Benner to explore what sustainable high performance looks like and how aligning your values with your work can lead to greater impact. Holly shares insights from her experience at Merck Pharmaceuticals and MettaPerformance, including the importance of understanding what truly matters, investing in personal growth, and developing as a leader without sacrificing long-term well-being. From career alignment to leadership development, this conversation offers practical advice for building success that lasts. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to MetaPerformance Coaching 03:03 Understanding A Plus Personalities 05:53 The Balance of Performance and Happiness 08:40 Navigating Personal Values and Goals 11:47 Gender Dynamics in Coaching 14:49 The Importance of Integration in Life and Work 21:43 Navigating Professional Identity and Personal Branding 22:59 Coaching for Career Success 25:32 The Journey of Self-Realization 28:00 Defining a Rich Life vs. Wealthy Life 30:55 Aligning Values with Career Goals 33:18 Creating Action Plans for Change 36:17 The Importance of Scheduling and Discipline 39:09 Understanding Personal Constraints and Growth 41:39 The Value of Seeking Support and Coaching 44:43 Rethinking Career Progression in Organizations
S2 · E47
August 6 · 46 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 47: Perspective of a new comp professional
Paul and Sean sit down with Dane Hickey to explore the evolving world of compensation and what it takes to build a successful career in the field. Dane shares lessons from his career journey, the value of resourcefulness and continuous learning, and why challenging traditional compensation practices can lead to better outcomes. From career growth to innovative thinking, this conversation offers practical insights for compensation and HR professionals looking to stay ahead. Chapters: 0:02 Welcome and playful introductions 0:57 Introducing Dayne Hickey 3:47 Dayne’s background and path into compensation 10:00 Speed round and personal preferences 14:34 What Dayne wishes he knew earlier 19:27 Challenging traditional comp practices 23:27 Career growth, company context, and agility 24:58 Manager discretion and calibration sessions 33:04 Compensation, business partnering, and the art vs. science of pay 38:40 Workday, systems, and scaling decisions 41:15 Biggest HR challenge and closing advice 43:33 Final wrap-up and appreciation
S2 · E46
July 30 · 47 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 46: Managing a large global program
Paul and Sean sit down with Evren Yildirim to explore what it takes to successfully manage and scale HR programs across global organizations. Evren shares insights from his experience leading initiatives across diverse regions, including the importance of flexibility, cultural understanding, and thoughtful implementation. From adapting programs to local needs to maintaining a consistent global strategy, this conversation offers practical guidance for HR leaders navigating international growth. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background of Evren Yildirim 10:02 Building Scalable Global Programs 19:54 Navigating Organizational Structures and Technology Implementation 22:59 Navigating Complexity in Global Payroll 27:13 Merit Management in Large Organizations 32:13 Flexibility vs. Agility in HR Processes 38:59 Understanding Local Contexts in Global Programs 44:16 The Future of HR: Storytelling and Automation
July 23 · 55 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 45: The TR Space from a Recruiters perspective
Paul and Sean sit down with Josh Mensinger to explore the current state of the HR and total rewards job market and what it takes to stand out in today's competitive hiring landscape. Josh shares insights on how remote work has reshaped recruiting, what employers are looking for in today's candidates, and practical strategies for both job seekers and hiring teams. From hiring trends to career advice, this conversation offers valuable takeaways for HR professionals navigating an evolving workforce. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dark Side of Recruitment 05:02 Josh Mensinger: The Recruiter’s Journey 09:57 The Shift in Recruitment Dynamics 13:19 Navigating the Total Rewards Market 19:57 The Future of Remote Work in Recruitment 20:35 Navigating Talent Acquisition Challenges 26:43 Evolving Skills in Total Rewards Leadership 33:43 Strategies for Job Seekers in Today's Market 45:31 Evaluating Recruiters and Job Opportunities
S2 · E44
July 16 · 40 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 44: UK Perspective on HR best Practices and EUPTD
Paul and Sean sit down with Kelly Light to explore how pay equity and pay transparency are evolving across the globe. Kelly shares insights into UK pay gap reporting, global pay equity legislation, and the growing importance of evaluating work of equal value. From navigating international compliance to building fair and transparent compensation programs, this conversation offers practical guidance for compensation and HR leaders managing a global workforce. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and International Guests 02:25 Kelly Light's Career Journey 09:27 Compensation Strategies and Business Alignment 18:23 Understanding the Gender Pay Gap 24:15 EU Pay Transparency Directive and Its Implications 24:55 Navigating Legislative Changes in Pay Equity 28:22 Strategic Approaches to Global Compliance 30:26 Understanding Employee Expectations and Communication 32:54 Defining Work of Equal Value 35:50 Addressing Strategic Alignment in HR
S2 · E43
July 9 · 42 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 43: Annual Incentive plans
Paul and Sean sit down with Susan Malinowski to explore what makes short-term incentive programs successful and why thoughtful design matters just as much as the payout. Susan shares best practices for building incentive plans that drive the right behaviors, communicating programs effectively, and measuring success over time. From the unique challenges facing mid-sized organizations to practical tips for improving incentive strategy, this conversation is full of actionable insights for compensation and HR leaders.
S2 · E42
July 2 · 42 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 42: Compensation best practices for small orgs
Paul and Sean sit down with Cassandra Vaughan to explore how small and mid-sized organizations can build effective HR and compensation programs without overcomplicating the process. Cassandra shares practical strategies for leveraging compensation data, technology, and smart HR practices to support business growth. From creating sustainable pay programs to making informed decisions with limited resources, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for HR professionals and business leaders alike.
June 25 · 46 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 41: Hanging with a technology anthropologist
Paul and Sean sit down with Lee Cage to explore how organizations can approach technology transformation with a clear understanding of their business needs, culture, and long-term goals. Lee shares lessons from leading large-scale HR technology initiatives, the importance of humility and continuous learning, and how leaders can make smarter technology decisions that drive real business impact. From organizational change to strategic tech selection, this conversation offers practical insights for HR and business leaders navigating transformation. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Backgrounds 02:59 Best Practices in Organizational Transformation 05:52 Cultural Fit and Technology Selection 08:49 Understanding Organizational Needs 11:49 Navigating HR Tech and Implementations 23:06 The Urgency of Technology Adoption 25:53 The Role of Sales and Relationships in Tech 30:21 Navigating Technology Complexity 32:50 The Importance of Thoughtful Decision-Making 36:30 The Need for Technological Proficiency in HR 39:43 The Value of Continuous Learning in HR
S2 · E40
June 18 · 42 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 40: Hacking HR and what is HR working on
Sean and Paul sit down to discuss the latest trends shaping AI, HR, and workforce management. Drawing from recent industry events, customer conversations, and real-world observations, they explore how organizations are approaching AI adoption, what to watch for in the evolving HR technology landscape, and how leaders can separate hype from practical value. From vendor strategies to emerging workforce trends, this conversation offers insights and takeaways for HR and compensation professionals looking to stay ahead of what's next. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 03:48 The Total Comp Tour Experience 07:34 Trends in Pay Transparency and AI 11:11 AI's Impact on Compensation Strategies 15:16 Understanding AI in Compensation Technology 18:55 Reflections on Digital Transformation and AI 21:28 Navigating AI Challenges and Opportunities 23:51 Cost Considerations in AI Implementation 26:52 Evaluating AI Vendor Value 28:49 Job Architecture and AI Efficiency 31:22 The Evolving Role of IT in AI 33:27 Building vs. Buying AI Solutions 35:44 The Future of AI in Organizations
June 9 · 39 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | HR and Payroll 2.0 Special Episode
In this special episode Paul and Sean sit down with HR and Payroll 2.0 hosts Pete Tiliakos and Julie Fernandez. It is a lively conversation from the floor at WorldatWork Total Rewards '26 where they chat all things total rewards, AI, work flexibility and the changing expectations shaping the workforce. Connect with Pete, Julie and their show: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0 X: @PeteTiliakos X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0 WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20
June 4 · 41 min
Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 38: The Debate over Geo Diffs
In this episode, Paul sits down with Laura Cashion to explore the challenges of geographic pay differentials in today’s evolving workforce. Laura shares how organizations define geographic labor markets, the complexities of applying location-based pay strategies, and how remote work continues to reshape compensation decisions. From balancing fairness and competitiveness to navigating employee expectations, this conversation dives into the realities of managing pay across different markets.

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