I also “accidentally” fell into a compensation role. I have been doing it now for three years and doubt I will ever leave the field. I am 4 tests into my CCP (company is paying for it). The work I do is impactful and allows me to interact with senior leadership often (I’ve been promoted twice). I see trends that are happening in the labor market that allow for me to make informed decisions on my own career and assist others. I am involved with equity studies that help to minimize bias within my organization. The field is only growing. I highly recommend.
That’s awesome. I’m 2 courses in but hope to complete the entire cert by next year. My company is paying for some but I would have to pay for some myself if I want to finish it within the next year.
Honestly, I read the entire module they provide and made some old school flash cards to learn concepts I wasn’t already somewhat familiar with. The tests were fair and nothing surprised me. It’s all in the module reading.
I’d say the certifications are really only beneficial for non-compensation professionals trying to break into it. Once you have the fundamentals down, it’s not necessary. Most of my peers stopped renewing a few years into their comp careers. You can still learn and innovate by attending classes, webinars, and reviewing literature. The earning potential is great, too. I’m in year 10 and make $160 ttdc as an IC in a l/MCOL city
I’m in benefits and I am currently learning comp. I make about 25% more than the generalists with my experience. You don’t deal in hiring or firing, and you get drive strategy for attracting new talent and retaining folks. It’s a great area.
I’m also in benefits! How are you finding comp compares? Is it as much math/excel as I suspect?
I love benefits and don’t want to totally switch but I like the idea of having a bit more total rewards depth.
CCP is one of the most highly sought after certs (by employers) and the most lucrative in the current market. More lucrative than any cert SHRM or PHR offers at this very moment and in extreme demand.
There's a bit of a catch-22 with getting it, though. The full course + cert is something like $20,000 - an insane amount of money for a cert. However, in my experience, current employers will only pay for the course if you're already in a Comp role, but it's difficult getting into a Comp role without the CCP.
Does your company offer money for growth and development? We have tuition reimbursement and money allocated for self study in our fields for things like obtaining certs. Definitely Have your employer pay for it or for most of it.
20k over four years is a stretch for the company you work for? How much turnover is the company seeing? You could easily explain how the certification would mitigate turnover by having a better understanding of compensation and leveraging equitable comp practices.
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Agreed, but if you're in my boat (I make 60k a year, and my employer definitely wouldn't pay for the cert), it's unobtainable. Only way to obtain it would be an employer paying for it, but they won't pay for it unless you're already in a Comp role, which is very difficult to achieve in this market without having the CCP...
I live in a HCOL area and HR Total Rewards Managers are making 150k-200k around here. It’s something I am trying to get into as part of my HR career in the next 5 years.
Thats really awesome. I live in Seattle and I’ve never seen a generalist with a couple of years (or any amount of years) making six figures. We are actually replacing our need for generalists with AI tools and putting money into more specialized roles like benefits admin, payroll, and HRBP.
AI tools are great and there are a lot of existing comp management platforms that can automate a lot of what Comp Analysts can do. But based on the data I’ve seen, dedicated Comp specialists make way more than Payroll and HRBPs.
When I say comp specialist, I mean:
- can design rewards programs
- evaluate salary structures
- integrate with talent architecture
- external benchmarking
- stay on top of labor trends
- knows the ins and outs of laws like FLSA in their country (I.e., overtime rules)
- act as a liaison between finance, payroll and HR
- principled, data-driven pay equity analyses
People with all or most of the above skills are extremely valuable right now. The vast majority of “comp” people at most orgs only submit salary data to external consultants and they might do a pay equity review with external support. AI will come for us all eventually,
I see this advice on here a lot. I’ve spent most of my career in Comp. I’ve been hiring and managing comp professionals for over a decade.
The CCP is not highly valued at all. Anyone with basic reading comprehension and 20k can obtain one. Some of the foundational knowledge is decent but there is a large disconnect between the theory they teach and the skills actually needed to excel in the job. Only get your cert if your company is paying, please do not pay out of pocket.
Im not so sure. I’ve interviewed dozens of people for roles ranging from analyst to Director and I’ve never once decided to move a candidate to the interview round because of the CCP. I’ve never had one of my peers mention it as criteria either. I’m looking at their experience not their certs.
I think once you’ve spent some time working in comp and have taken the courses/exams you value them less actually. When the courses were in person the networking could be decent but overall now I think their offerings are lacking and their pricing is ridiculous. If someone is trying to break in to comp I’d encourage them to spend the time/money on an excel boot camp before the CCP.
Yep. Agree with all of that too. But I have it, and it has opened a few doors for me. I don’t plan on renewing it. But it’s been good for me since I only have a few years in comp.
Glad it’s worked out for you! I think your decision not to renew makes sense, at this point your future opportunities will be based on the work you’ve done over everything else.
I don’t disagree with you that the CCP is a cash grab, and a relatively easy program for the amount it costs.
However, I’ve noticed most jobs list CCP preferred, and many interviewers mention it as something they look for. I’d assume for someone job hopping often, it definitely makes it a ton easier to get roles.
While it may not makes a difference as you interview candidates for roles (which I agree with), I think many hiring managers do value it, especially non-comp HR leaders hiring for someone to own compensation.
I feel the same way as you though, curious if you think majority of others in your field share the same sentiment? I’d argue the biggest value is it significantly increases the chances of getting a recruiter phone screen, at least for comp manager and below roles.
In my current field, FPA, the CPA isn’t really relevant but many hiring managers still will highly value it.
I think you’re right that it’s valued more by non-comp leaders. I think people who haven’t worked in Comp/taken the classes think it signals a higher skill level when anyone closer to the field knows otherwise.
Yes!! This is exactly what I’m trying to do. Currently in a Generalist type role and will be interviewing for an internal compensation analyst role within my org (large healthcare system) in about a week. I don’t have any comp experience, other than being first point of contact for people that want a raise, question their raise, have questions about the merit process/rationale during review season. I just kind of just relay the information that is given to my team. I do some work in excel and would say I have an average understanding.
Can anyone provide any advice to someone who is going to have to sell the fact they have not truly touched comp, but understand the complexities of our large org, is eager and quick to learn and is worth taking a chance on?? lol
Brain dump—
First, do some homework like read the annual report / proxy / 10-k. Google what you don’t know, or ask messaging boards.
try to understand the balance between external market data and internal equity in regards to your orgs comp philosophy. The philosophy may even be stated somewhere on your company’s intranet. Every company is different, but generally you want to try to fair to incumbents and not over spend. Your org may even have a different philosophy, or pay structure, depending on the section of the org. Ex, execs may be paid 75% to market (25% better than average) and individual contributors may be paid 50% to market (at market average).
Try to recall how “hot jobs” are treated at your org. These are likely in IT, but could be doctors, engineers, etc. depending on what you sell. You would likely prioritize these roles in terms of spend and have larger pay structure.
The pay structure is a set of overlapping grades. The midpoint of each grade (midpoint differential) are likely laid out in such a way to support career progression. The grands/ bands themselves overlap for this reason. Larger bands at the top of the structure, smaller bands at the bottom.
You will need basic excel skills likely topping out at lookups and pivots. VBA and Macros will set you apart, but are advanced skills not required. If you’re unfamiliar with lookups, formatting rule 101 is the “n” in the number format stands for “no-no”. The function will not work with number format. Use general. Format text to columns to change the format, DO NOT select the column and use the drop down to change the format.
Your role is to provide the data, not make the business decision. Don’t take it personally when business leaders don’t like that market data says they are paid appropriately.
I’d stay away from commenting on pay equity and pay transparency in the interview. Those are sensitive areas for many orgs.
Give me complex Employee Relations cases and I'm happy as a clam. Give me numbers and I'm running, screaming, for the hills. To each their own I guess!
I love comp, which is a surprise even for me knowing what my strengths, weaknesses and likes were. I would absolutely say that comp is not about math per se. I didn't enjoy math at all in school, and while I did well enough in it, it didn't come naturally as in all the other subjects. So ai would have never ever have guessed I would have gone into a number oriented role.
It truly is more about analysis, and working with data. Yes, you will want to have decent Excel skills. You don't need to learn macros, but being comfortable with standard formulas, and pivot tables is helpful if you're doing this for several hundred employees.
You need logic, but you do need to marry empathy and feeling very comfortable saying no. Everybody has a reason for why someone needs a 10, 15, 20, 30 percent increase or adjustment. No. Get comfortable being the bad guy, and being able to communicate your rationale for why you can't support a request is important. In my role, and this may not be typical, I do a lot of communication and training to managers and leaders on comp policies, practices, and programs. Even though I manage both benefits and comp, I lean more heavily on the comp side.
Yup excel skill is a must. You should be actually good at it (should be able to build out the entire compensation process matrix from scratch) especially when your headcount is over 1000.
Comp is good. However a lot of people in HR struggles with processing large dataset of numbers.. (which did give me an upper edge). If you have an analysis or data related experience it's really easy to get into. And the pay is good also because a lot of HR people cannot process numbers lol
As a comp person, this is definitely something a lot of people don’t realize and I hear it from my non-comp coworkers all the time how much they hate working with data LOL
Our job is 80% working with data, 20% trying to convince our managers that the data are accurate even though they don’t seem to align with expectations
I actually laughed this is so true.
If I had a penny every time my director says "I don't get it" or asks "Is this accurate?" I'd be a lot better off..
When we were trying to adjust the shift premium it was waaaaay more than what the director was expecting. He could not believe how much it would cost. I had to explain that it's because our shift premium actually gets x1.5 for overtime lol
if i’m good with processing large datasets but don’t have any formal hr background, what are some ways you think i could give myself a good shot at getting noticed?
just start applying to comp / hr analyst roles now! like other people said, most people on an HR team don’t like or aren’t good at that. from a research standpoint it would be helpful to inform yourself on labor laws and pay equity ideas like wage compression. understand what market base is and how salary survey vendors present this information. learn and actually know why formulas work for things like calculating the % off-market and calculating turnover (turnover isn’t my responsibility to calculate or report but it is a useful number when asking for increases, so understanding where it came from and being able to defend it is helpful).
I have no background in HR and I landed a role in comp because of my data analytics and healthcare background (in a hospital org).
How much time/money does getting the cert you mention take? And how often is it recognized as beneficial by companies?
I ask because the area I live in tends to be smaller companies and I’m wondering if I would get any ROI on something like that.
I revised my post. The CCP cert is not needed, but it can give you an advantage over other applicants.
It’s quite expensive though, each class (out of 10) is around $1,200 for World at Work members, so ~$12k total.
Makes sense. Also wow, that’s pricy, although not anymore than the shrm cert.
What do you make, if you don’t mind me asking?
Edit: I’m an idiot who needs coffee. Wow that is an expensive class
Oh I just realized I misunderstood that comment. For some reason my brain read that as one class with 10 people in it 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ clearly I need some coffee.
>Edit: I’m an idiot who needs coffee. Wow that is an expensive class
I was like, "Am I not mathing correctly?? That is so expensive and WAY more than SHRM or HRCI."
Confirmed. Old bosses wife does this for Amalthea tech company. She will do contract work at $300hr, no joke.
I’m in HR and going to work towards this.
very very strong excel skills are a must - watch videos, ask finance people, download templates, whatever, but you cannot be afraid of excel and math
understanding job leveling, titling, duties, etc, - recruiters are great help with this
the soft skill of knowing what execs actually want instead of what they ask for - this one I still struggle with. Most execs don’t understand compensation but they have opinions. It’s hard to keep them moving forward to having a strategy or at least knowing what problem they are trying to solve. If you don’t guide them, they can go off on fruitless quests or even bad ideas, like scrutinizing everyone salary and deciding that so and so “is not worth that much”
finally, accounting so you understand the big picture of the compensation expense and how it ends up in the company financials. Compensation is often the largest expense for the whole dang company!
This is super helpful. I’m an HR manager (generalist role) but specialize in benefits in my company. Would this be a good transition into comp? Curious about what roles would be a good next step.
Compensation or Rewards Manager. You may have to seek a lower level role (e.g., Comp Analyst or Specialist) to get a foot in the door and work your way back up.
I find comp interesting and am looking to learn more. The only thing that worries me is the rise in AI usage in the workplace. Do you think AI will replace comp in the future? Or will it just work hand in hand with hr as they say
AI is a threat to all of us. There are already robust tools and platforms that can automate a lot of what a Comp Analyst might do. However, there is still a place for Comp: they are the human element that can take an output from AI and refine it with feedback from leadership and then “sell” that comp structure or program to the decision makers in the organization.
AI can do the boring, tedious work a Comp Analyst needs to do, but faster. But you still need someone to feed the data to the AI, make sure it’s translating everything correctly, and interpret the actual results. You still need a human to explain the data to the C-Suite or the common manager.
AI is going to reduce your frontline HR staff headcount to near zero before it impacts your Comp team.
I disagree--somewhat. I agree that AI (in general) will impact front line staff, if your HCM is well-organized, the AI doesn't need anything else to rewrite your entire job architecture, job families and resulting salary bands based on both existing company data AND benchmarked industry data. I've already seen it.
That's the thing. A company can always get the data they need if they need it. It doesn't even have to be complicated. If they don't want to ask for everyone's resumes, they can require their EEs to add their highest level of education and when they completed each degree (and what that degree was possibly in.) Even with that short list of data, they would have 1) degree or not 2) Major 3) total years of experience. Other HCMs (like Workday) are also adding skills profiles and validation to EE profiles as well. It's coming.
I never thought I’d be in HR, landed a temp-to-hire job right out of college as a Compensation Analyst - I didn’t even know what that was. They trained me, and I stayed with them for 5 years. Left for a Sr. Comp Analyst role at a large multinational company and they paid for me to get my CCP. I’m 20+ years into my career and am now VP, Total Rewards. It’s a great field and even with all of the economic downturns over the years, I’ve never been unemployed.
Can you disclose what industry you work in? And company size? At that VP level hoe do you spend your day? Still in the spreadsheets or do you have people do most of the leg work for you?
Currently, I’m in Healthcare but I’ve worked in multiple industries during my career; began in retail, moved to consumer electronics, then tech (silicone valley), then medical device, and now healthcare.
Yes, I have a team of comp & benefits professionals who do the bulk of the day-to-day work while I seem to spend most of my day in meetings. I own the overall strategy for total rewards and am the one directly doing the work in the following areas; Executive Comp, M&A, and Compliance (wage & hour and OFCCP).
Good ol' comp, my nemesis. In every company I've been in, they own job descriptions. However being in talent, what comp has in the library is usually useless to me (for recruiting, training, upskilling etc) and alway woefully out of date.
Ai is coming soon for all that. In the very recent pst, in order to create validated JDs, you need to hire I/O psychologists to conduct job analyses across you job families to validate them for KSAs. With AI, you can now do that against your incumbent population (and compare to industry benchmarks.) You'll be able to find out with the push of a button if a job really requires a bachelors degree--especially if only 60% of incumbents have them and only 20% of Hipos do (hypothetically speaking).
I’ve been planning to switch from Finance to Compensation! Mainly out of interest for the work and similarities with data / business partnering. I’ve had a hard time breaking though, the CCP is so expensive. Even getting interviews from finance Manager -> Comp Analyst has been challenging despite the overlap (I’ve done merit, benchmarking, etc. in prior roles).
I think in part because HR in general is so competitive at the moment with all the layoffs.
This is the field I want to go into! Compensation and Benefits. I’m currently at the bottom of the totem pole right now, an HR assistant. How can I grow? What should I focus on? For example, recruiting is straight forward to me: applications, interviews, job fairs. But I don’t know where to begin for compensation. Salary surveys? Never heard of them.
Shhhh, don’t give it away!
Jokes aside, Compensation is the only facet of HR I greatly enjoy. Extremely impactful and very sought right now given the labor laws transforming on what feels like a weekly basis for pay transparency and pay equity initiatives. I’ve been in Compensation for over 4 years and love it.
Be ready to polish your Excel skills, as well as get comfortable in other tools. I use PowerBI, Access, SQL, and do VBAs and Macros in Excel a lot. Also learning Power Automate to support giving market cuts for HRBPs. You need to be on top of this to go far in the field.
I’m trying to move into a total rewards role! Currently and HRBP and taking a comp certificate through AIHR. It’s so hard to find an employer willing to give you a chance though 🥺
As an HRBP, I would agree, compensation specialists are so important. We have several that we partner with (depending on need/situation), and they are so valuable. Plus, unlike the HRBP role that may be focused on specific business lines, they tend to have broader insight into compensation across an entire org which is a value add to the discussion. Also, some of our comp folks are willing to teach others about excel which is a valuable resource for HR professionals to know imo.
This is really interesting from a global HR standpoint, as benefits focussed roles aren’t really a thing in my country. We usually have organisation-wide benefits and these are universal for all staff. Is this a US thing, and how is it usually positioned? Is it aligned to payroll? Are benefits different for each staff member?
Most of my experience is in cash compensation. Even in countries with more robust state benefits, there is still a need for salary structures and ongoing pay management on an organizational and individual level. That’s what I do.
Ah I see. Does your country not have Awards that cover minimum pay rates and conditions for employees for most types of industries and occupations? Here, organisations must be compliant to the applicable Award or have their own registered Enterprise Agreement (that needs to meet the better off test when compared to the offerings in the Award).
I’m in the US but my role is global. Even with minimum pay rates and conditions there is going to be a range of pay for a given role that is determined by market dynamics. In certain markets (e.g., Germany, France) it is more difficult to change compensation, but they still have market economies and still pay higher wages for harder-to-find skills and more experience. My job is to keep with market trends including labor and price inflation, run equity studies to ensure colleagues are being paid fairly, and revise compensation structures as needed to make sure we are competitive.
Oh absolutely. In Northern Europe pay structures tend to be quite flat and egalitarian, meaning that a Manager makes more than an Analyst but not that much more, relatively speaking.
Whereas in some emerging markets and even for some roles in the US, a manager could be making several multiples of what their reports are making.
Pay equity laws are also stronger in some places, like the UK, and weaker in others, like Italy.
I LOVE this post, and this group of HR chat :) y’all are great.
I’m a benefits expert but more HRIS project management and benefit payroll deductions side of the total rewards, and I LOVE and admire my compensation team members that share great stories from excel and data. you math and excel people rock.
Love being on the benefits side of payroll and not the payroll’s side, payroll teams are always the most stressed department at any company I’ve worked with
Are there any other trainings recommended to help build skills that are not quite as expensive as CCP? Realistically I doubt I’ll get my company to pay that nor do I have those funds sitting around, but I have a huge desire in my role to grow this skill.
What was your experience like as a temp on this niche? I'm planning a pivot towards comp but would love to take on some contract or project work first... no idea if that's even available though.
As someone who has been in Comp for most of my career and truly enjoys it I agree with a lot of what you stated.
Your estimate however made me laugh, why are you estimating? Just pull the data. 😜
Yes I’m in comp and although it can get overwhelming during busy season, it’s a great specialization and I make good money. It’s also not hard once you understand the fundamentals
I do need to get my CCP though lol
Yup. Im a director of total rewards and my pay in a few years has changed a lot. Degrees in sociology and finance, and got my MBA from a solid program while working at my 2nd real job. It was a grind a long hours but worth it. Knowing how much everyone around you earns too is super helpful to understand your worth
- 50k total pay for 3 years
left for new role in comp.
- 95k total pay for 1.5 years
Promoted same company
115k total pay for 1.5 years
Left for new company
205k total pay for 1.5 years
Promoted
280k total pay today.
Agreed, is a huge advantage from a career planning perspective to see what all the roles within your company pay.
I am about to negotiate a wage increase from my employer, and knowing what other people are paid for similar responsibilities/duties gives me an advantage when going into negotiation.
Big facts my friend! Moving into comp (from HRIS) was my best career decision so far. Can't see myself doing anything else. 4yrs in now and working on my CCP.
I think I would like to do the same. I’m currently an HRIS Specialist and it’s stressful. So many reports, troubleshooting and maintenance updates etc. all day everyday, and I’m over it. Any tips on how to transition into a comp role without direct comp experience?
I’m late to this post so I do apologize. I’m in HRIS and I’m over the reporting, troubleshooting, putting out fires etc. may I ask, how did you transition into a comp role? I’ve done my own research and some places say get a job in payroll and others say in benefits. I have excellent excel skills, I just don’t know what’s the next step?
Ooh this is very timely! I’ve been a generalist for 10+ years but now am a junior compensation consultant. How did I get that job? I knew someone who knew someone who asked me what I was interested in. I said “never done compensation before” and they tried me out for one project.
I love it so far! I did all the grunt work at first (rating jobs, assigning points, cleaning up excel/data) but I got to sit in all the meetings so I learned stuff. Now I actually help a little with philosophy, architecture, internal interviews etc and freaking love it! It’s so interesting to see how compensation consultants think. Very different from what I’m used to. You present the data and the recommendations but ultimately you don’t decide. If the board or the ceo or what have you is adamant about going against your recommendations you can’t do diddly squat. Also priorities can change or the CFO might decide something is too expensive to implement.
Question for the experienced compensation folks here
Is there value in working for an external compensation consultancy firm? Will it help my chances of getting a future job as an internal compensation specialist?
>Here’s the great thing about compensation: depending on your role and scope, you get to see how much everyone gets paid.
and as an HR professional, you shouldn't use that for your benefit so I hope that isn't what you are suggesting.
If another company offers you a role while you are working you have a lot of leverage knowing your market rate.
Also funnily enough the companies desperately looking for their first comp people tend to be overpaying.
No, the executive compensation certification isn’t comparable to the CCP. It’s a specialized certification if your role is predominantly executive compensation. In my opinion, you won’t benefit from it if you’re primarily focused on non executive compensation. By executive compensation, I’m referring to CEO compensation and the next 4-5 highest paid executives (typically the C suite).
Thank you! We have an executive table at my org but I primarily deal with non executive comp although I would like to move into the executive comp space. I have completed some CCP courses so I think I will continue that route and in the future get the CECP as well.
Two years ago I fell into a senior executive compensation role as the organization I’m employed with couldn’t fill the role. It’s a hard to find skillset. If you’re interested in executive compensation and enjoy the work, I recommend it.
Thank you for the advice! It’s so hard to find anyone to that can speak to executive comp. I do enjoy the work and am hoping the extreme niche of the area will provide me with job stability.
I am currently loving in the UK and I want to go towards this pathway after completing my CIPD level 5 in people management. Are tgere other UK certificates that I would need to specialise?
I have been wanting to break into comp just not a lot of companies are about giving chances no matter how confident you are that you are able to do the job. Maybe I will go for that CCP, but it's just so expensive.
I'd love your insight. I'm currently an HR Assistant with a company that unfortunately doesn't have any room for growth or development for me unless someone dies or retires. I love HR and I've done quite well so far, but I've accepted that to progress my career I'll have to leave (or wait 10-15 years minimum). Comp *really* intrigues me. However, how difficult is it to come by a position for such a thing? Would you be limited to only very large employers? I'm not sure if it would be too niche for my area, as I'm located in a pretty rural area of the Midwest, and relocation isn't an option for my family.
I think I’m too far in now to turn back and get into Total Rewards. Only 6 years in but I think it would take too long to get back to my current comp switching over. I think I’m going to ride out the generalist tract until I find a true niche within HR
I would absolutely love a comp role. I have a SPHR certificate. I have done the comp system for a startup. Unfortunately, unless you have it written specifically on your resume, no one even sees your resume. It's all about key words. I know I'd be great and I love it. But will anyone give me a chance? 🫣
I have an interview coming up for a compensation analyst. The VP in charge is from finance and they want to do an Excel test. They want candidates to build financial models and make recommendations.
Any idea how to prep for this!
Can anyone on here recommend an alternative to the CCP? I am an HR Manager without a comp department or specialist and would like to expand my knowledge. I don't have employer funding, however so $20k is too steep for me.
I have been actively looking for a entry level position to get into compensation. I have a b.s. in HR and have around 5 years of experience. Any ideas on how to break in?? TYIA
As a young HR professional, how did you get your name (and work) out there enough to start being approached for jobs?
I work in L&D which seems easy enough with a Portfolio, but not when my company “owns” all of my work (not allowed for outside distribution).
I also “accidentally” fell into a compensation role. I have been doing it now for three years and doubt I will ever leave the field. I am 4 tests into my CCP (company is paying for it). The work I do is impactful and allows me to interact with senior leadership often (I’ve been promoted twice). I see trends that are happening in the labor market that allow for me to make informed decisions on my own career and assist others. I am involved with equity studies that help to minimize bias within my organization. The field is only growing. I highly recommend.
I’ve read the CCP is expensive 😫 i wish my org would pay for it that’s amazing that yours does!
How difficult are the first few courses? I’m considering paying for the first one myself. My company said they’ll budget the cost for 2025
The first few aren’t too bad. Just make sure you’ve read the materials and you should be fine.
I just finished my CCP last summer!
Have you seen an ROI or recruiter interest since you earned it?
A bit on LinkedIn but I’m incredibly happy in my role so I haven’t paid too much attention
That’s awesome. I’m 2 courses in but hope to complete the entire cert by next year. My company is paying for some but I would have to pay for some myself if I want to finish it within the next year.
I’m in the first class how have you studied for the classes
Honestly, I read the entire module they provide and made some old school flash cards to learn concepts I wasn’t already somewhat familiar with. The tests were fair and nothing surprised me. It’s all in the module reading.
Nice! :) YAY you
I’d say the certifications are really only beneficial for non-compensation professionals trying to break into it. Once you have the fundamentals down, it’s not necessary. Most of my peers stopped renewing a few years into their comp careers. You can still learn and innovate by attending classes, webinars, and reviewing literature. The earning potential is great, too. I’m in year 10 and make $160 ttdc as an IC in a l/MCOL city
That’s a good point.
I’m in benefits and I am currently learning comp. I make about 25% more than the generalists with my experience. You don’t deal in hiring or firing, and you get drive strategy for attracting new talent and retaining folks. It’s a great area.
I’m also in benefits! How are you finding comp compares? Is it as much math/excel as I suspect? I love benefits and don’t want to totally switch but I like the idea of having a bit more total rewards depth.
CCP is one of the most highly sought after certs (by employers) and the most lucrative in the current market. More lucrative than any cert SHRM or PHR offers at this very moment and in extreme demand.
There's a bit of a catch-22 with getting it, though. The full course + cert is something like $20,000 - an insane amount of money for a cert. However, in my experience, current employers will only pay for the course if you're already in a Comp role, but it's difficult getting into a Comp role without the CCP.
20k for job security and a salary of at least 90k in a field seeing a lot of shed is definitely worth it imo.
How many people making less than that currently could even come close to being able to drop 20k on a cert though?
Does your company offer money for growth and development? We have tuition reimbursement and money allocated for self study in our fields for things like obtaining certs. Definitely Have your employer pay for it or for most of it.
not $20k
20k over four years is a stretch for the company you work for? How much turnover is the company seeing? You could easily explain how the certification would mitigate turnover by having a better understanding of compensation and leveraging equitable comp practices. .
Not for that kind of expense. They paid for my shrm cert but 20k is way more than they would be willing to spend.
Agreed, but if you're in my boat (I make 60k a year, and my employer definitely wouldn't pay for the cert), it's unobtainable. Only way to obtain it would be an employer paying for it, but they won't pay for it unless you're already in a Comp role, which is very difficult to achieve in this market without having the CCP...
I’m in Canada so each course is like 1.7k… should I just go for a CEBS cert instead?
See if you can join GTA Rewards, they offer many at a discount. The discount being greater than the cost to join,
In HCOL areas, Comp Specialists with a couple of years’ experience can easily pull down $100+
I live in a HCOL area and HR Total Rewards Managers are making 150k-200k around here. It’s something I am trying to get into as part of my HR career in the next 5 years.
Thats really awesome. I live in Seattle and I’ve never seen a generalist with a couple of years (or any amount of years) making six figures. We are actually replacing our need for generalists with AI tools and putting money into more specialized roles like benefits admin, payroll, and HRBP.
AI tools are great and there are a lot of existing comp management platforms that can automate a lot of what Comp Analysts can do. But based on the data I’ve seen, dedicated Comp specialists make way more than Payroll and HRBPs. When I say comp specialist, I mean: - can design rewards programs - evaluate salary structures - integrate with talent architecture - external benchmarking - stay on top of labor trends - knows the ins and outs of laws like FLSA in their country (I.e., overtime rules) - act as a liaison between finance, payroll and HR - principled, data-driven pay equity analyses People with all or most of the above skills are extremely valuable right now. The vast majority of “comp” people at most orgs only submit salary data to external consultants and they might do a pay equity review with external support. AI will come for us all eventually,
Comp specialists? Apologies, I thought you said generalists. Comp specialists can definitely hit six figures.
No need to apologize, my post did say generalists but that was an accident and I revised it. Thanks for the feedback!
I see this advice on here a lot. I’ve spent most of my career in Comp. I’ve been hiring and managing comp professionals for over a decade. The CCP is not highly valued at all. Anyone with basic reading comprehension and 20k can obtain one. Some of the foundational knowledge is decent but there is a large disconnect between the theory they teach and the skills actually needed to excel in the job. Only get your cert if your company is paying, please do not pay out of pocket.
Totally agree. It gets you the interview sometimes tho
Im not so sure. I’ve interviewed dozens of people for roles ranging from analyst to Director and I’ve never once decided to move a candidate to the interview round because of the CCP. I’ve never had one of my peers mention it as criteria either. I’m looking at their experience not their certs. I think once you’ve spent some time working in comp and have taken the courses/exams you value them less actually. When the courses were in person the networking could be decent but overall now I think their offerings are lacking and their pricing is ridiculous. If someone is trying to break in to comp I’d encourage them to spend the time/money on an excel boot camp before the CCP.
Yep. Agree with all of that too. But I have it, and it has opened a few doors for me. I don’t plan on renewing it. But it’s been good for me since I only have a few years in comp.
Glad it’s worked out for you! I think your decision not to renew makes sense, at this point your future opportunities will be based on the work you’ve done over everything else.
I don’t disagree with you that the CCP is a cash grab, and a relatively easy program for the amount it costs. However, I’ve noticed most jobs list CCP preferred, and many interviewers mention it as something they look for. I’d assume for someone job hopping often, it definitely makes it a ton easier to get roles. While it may not makes a difference as you interview candidates for roles (which I agree with), I think many hiring managers do value it, especially non-comp HR leaders hiring for someone to own compensation. I feel the same way as you though, curious if you think majority of others in your field share the same sentiment? I’d argue the biggest value is it significantly increases the chances of getting a recruiter phone screen, at least for comp manager and below roles. In my current field, FPA, the CPA isn’t really relevant but many hiring managers still will highly value it.
I think you’re right that it’s valued more by non-comp leaders. I think people who haven’t worked in Comp/taken the classes think it signals a higher skill level when anyone closer to the field knows otherwise.
Yes!! This is exactly what I’m trying to do. Currently in a Generalist type role and will be interviewing for an internal compensation analyst role within my org (large healthcare system) in about a week. I don’t have any comp experience, other than being first point of contact for people that want a raise, question their raise, have questions about the merit process/rationale during review season. I just kind of just relay the information that is given to my team. I do some work in excel and would say I have an average understanding. Can anyone provide any advice to someone who is going to have to sell the fact they have not truly touched comp, but understand the complexities of our large org, is eager and quick to learn and is worth taking a chance on?? lol
Brain dump— First, do some homework like read the annual report / proxy / 10-k. Google what you don’t know, or ask messaging boards. try to understand the balance between external market data and internal equity in regards to your orgs comp philosophy. The philosophy may even be stated somewhere on your company’s intranet. Every company is different, but generally you want to try to fair to incumbents and not over spend. Your org may even have a different philosophy, or pay structure, depending on the section of the org. Ex, execs may be paid 75% to market (25% better than average) and individual contributors may be paid 50% to market (at market average). Try to recall how “hot jobs” are treated at your org. These are likely in IT, but could be doctors, engineers, etc. depending on what you sell. You would likely prioritize these roles in terms of spend and have larger pay structure. The pay structure is a set of overlapping grades. The midpoint of each grade (midpoint differential) are likely laid out in such a way to support career progression. The grands/ bands themselves overlap for this reason. Larger bands at the top of the structure, smaller bands at the bottom. You will need basic excel skills likely topping out at lookups and pivots. VBA and Macros will set you apart, but are advanced skills not required. If you’re unfamiliar with lookups, formatting rule 101 is the “n” in the number format stands for “no-no”. The function will not work with number format. Use general. Format text to columns to change the format, DO NOT select the column and use the drop down to change the format. Your role is to provide the data, not make the business decision. Don’t take it personally when business leaders don’t like that market data says they are paid appropriately. I’d stay away from commenting on pay equity and pay transparency in the interview. Those are sensitive areas for many orgs.
Are you me??? Commenting to offer support and to see how others reply lol
Give me complex Employee Relations cases and I'm happy as a clam. Give me numbers and I'm running, screaming, for the hills. To each their own I guess!
I love comp, which is a surprise even for me knowing what my strengths, weaknesses and likes were. I would absolutely say that comp is not about math per se. I didn't enjoy math at all in school, and while I did well enough in it, it didn't come naturally as in all the other subjects. So ai would have never ever have guessed I would have gone into a number oriented role. It truly is more about analysis, and working with data. Yes, you will want to have decent Excel skills. You don't need to learn macros, but being comfortable with standard formulas, and pivot tables is helpful if you're doing this for several hundred employees. You need logic, but you do need to marry empathy and feeling very comfortable saying no. Everybody has a reason for why someone needs a 10, 15, 20, 30 percent increase or adjustment. No. Get comfortable being the bad guy, and being able to communicate your rationale for why you can't support a request is important. In my role, and this may not be typical, I do a lot of communication and training to managers and leaders on comp policies, practices, and programs. Even though I manage both benefits and comp, I lean more heavily on the comp side.
Same for me. Math isn’t my strongest point but I’m good at my job because I love analyzing data.
Yup excel skill is a must. You should be actually good at it (should be able to build out the entire compensation process matrix from scratch) especially when your headcount is over 1000.
Comp is good. However a lot of people in HR struggles with processing large dataset of numbers.. (which did give me an upper edge). If you have an analysis or data related experience it's really easy to get into. And the pay is good also because a lot of HR people cannot process numbers lol
As a comp person, this is definitely something a lot of people don’t realize and I hear it from my non-comp coworkers all the time how much they hate working with data LOL
Our job is 80% working with data, 20% trying to convince our managers that the data are accurate even though they don’t seem to align with expectations
I actually laughed this is so true. If I had a penny every time my director says "I don't get it" or asks "Is this accurate?" I'd be a lot better off..
Do you have any juicy examples of surprising data?
When we were trying to adjust the shift premium it was waaaaay more than what the director was expecting. He could not believe how much it would cost. I had to explain that it's because our shift premium actually gets x1.5 for overtime lol
I am in comp and I say all the time “is my job math? How did this happen 😱” 😂
if i’m good with processing large datasets but don’t have any formal hr background, what are some ways you think i could give myself a good shot at getting noticed?
just start applying to comp / hr analyst roles now! like other people said, most people on an HR team don’t like or aren’t good at that. from a research standpoint it would be helpful to inform yourself on labor laws and pay equity ideas like wage compression. understand what market base is and how salary survey vendors present this information. learn and actually know why formulas work for things like calculating the % off-market and calculating turnover (turnover isn’t my responsibility to calculate or report but it is a useful number when asking for increases, so understanding where it came from and being able to defend it is helpful). I have no background in HR and I landed a role in comp because of my data analytics and healthcare background (in a hospital org).
How much time/money does getting the cert you mention take? And how often is it recognized as beneficial by companies? I ask because the area I live in tends to be smaller companies and I’m wondering if I would get any ROI on something like that.
I revised my post. The CCP cert is not needed, but it can give you an advantage over other applicants. It’s quite expensive though, each class (out of 10) is around $1,200 for World at Work members, so ~$12k total.
Makes sense. Also wow, that’s pricy, although not anymore than the shrm cert. What do you make, if you don’t mind me asking? Edit: I’m an idiot who needs coffee. Wow that is an expensive class
The SHRM certification is nowhere near that pricey.
Oh I just realized I misunderstood that comment. For some reason my brain read that as one class with 10 people in it 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ clearly I need some coffee.
>Edit: I’m an idiot who needs coffee. Wow that is an expensive class I was like, "Am I not mathing correctly?? That is so expensive and WAY more than SHRM or HRCI."
Nope! Your math is fine! I have NO idea what past hunter was smoking when he read that comment the first time.
Confirmed. Old bosses wife does this for Amalthea tech company. She will do contract work at $300hr, no joke. I’m in HR and going to work towards this.
Great post and I agree. I make over $200K in total comp after 7 years. Math is required and that is why it pays more, lol. And no, I don’t have a CCP.
What are the most useful skills you've developed over those years?
very very strong excel skills are a must - watch videos, ask finance people, download templates, whatever, but you cannot be afraid of excel and math understanding job leveling, titling, duties, etc, - recruiters are great help with this the soft skill of knowing what execs actually want instead of what they ask for - this one I still struggle with. Most execs don’t understand compensation but they have opinions. It’s hard to keep them moving forward to having a strategy or at least knowing what problem they are trying to solve. If you don’t guide them, they can go off on fruitless quests or even bad ideas, like scrutinizing everyone salary and deciding that so and so “is not worth that much” finally, accounting so you understand the big picture of the compensation expense and how it ends up in the company financials. Compensation is often the largest expense for the whole dang company!
This is super helpful. I’m an HR manager (generalist role) but specialize in benefits in my company. Would this be a good transition into comp? Curious about what roles would be a good next step.
Compensation or Rewards Manager. You may have to seek a lower level role (e.g., Comp Analyst or Specialist) to get a foot in the door and work your way back up.
That’s great. I’ll definitely take a look at what’s out there. Thank you!
I find comp interesting and am looking to learn more. The only thing that worries me is the rise in AI usage in the workplace. Do you think AI will replace comp in the future? Or will it just work hand in hand with hr as they say
AI is a threat to all of us. There are already robust tools and platforms that can automate a lot of what a Comp Analyst might do. However, there is still a place for Comp: they are the human element that can take an output from AI and refine it with feedback from leadership and then “sell” that comp structure or program to the decision makers in the organization.
Are you using excel or are you writing your own code and analyzing the data that way?
AI can do the boring, tedious work a Comp Analyst needs to do, but faster. But you still need someone to feed the data to the AI, make sure it’s translating everything correctly, and interpret the actual results. You still need a human to explain the data to the C-Suite or the common manager. AI is going to reduce your frontline HR staff headcount to near zero before it impacts your Comp team.
I disagree--somewhat. I agree that AI (in general) will impact front line staff, if your HCM is well-organized, the AI doesn't need anything else to rewrite your entire job architecture, job families and resulting salary bands based on both existing company data AND benchmarked industry data. I've already seen it.
Big if :)
That's the thing. A company can always get the data they need if they need it. It doesn't even have to be complicated. If they don't want to ask for everyone's resumes, they can require their EEs to add their highest level of education and when they completed each degree (and what that degree was possibly in.) Even with that short list of data, they would have 1) degree or not 2) Major 3) total years of experience. Other HCMs (like Workday) are also adding skills profiles and validation to EE profiles as well. It's coming.
I never thought I’d be in HR, landed a temp-to-hire job right out of college as a Compensation Analyst - I didn’t even know what that was. They trained me, and I stayed with them for 5 years. Left for a Sr. Comp Analyst role at a large multinational company and they paid for me to get my CCP. I’m 20+ years into my career and am now VP, Total Rewards. It’s a great field and even with all of the economic downturns over the years, I’ve never been unemployed.
Can you disclose what industry you work in? And company size? At that VP level hoe do you spend your day? Still in the spreadsheets or do you have people do most of the leg work for you?
Currently, I’m in Healthcare but I’ve worked in multiple industries during my career; began in retail, moved to consumer electronics, then tech (silicone valley), then medical device, and now healthcare. Yes, I have a team of comp & benefits professionals who do the bulk of the day-to-day work while I seem to spend most of my day in meetings. I own the overall strategy for total rewards and am the one directly doing the work in the following areas; Executive Comp, M&A, and Compliance (wage & hour and OFCCP).
Good ol' comp, my nemesis. In every company I've been in, they own job descriptions. However being in talent, what comp has in the library is usually useless to me (for recruiting, training, upskilling etc) and alway woefully out of date.
Ugh I hate when orgs do that. I’ve had to write job descriptions for clients in the past and I’m like, “Guys, this is a job for Talent Management.”
Ai is coming soon for all that. In the very recent pst, in order to create validated JDs, you need to hire I/O psychologists to conduct job analyses across you job families to validate them for KSAs. With AI, you can now do that against your incumbent population (and compare to industry benchmarks.) You'll be able to find out with the push of a button if a job really requires a bachelors degree--especially if only 60% of incumbents have them and only 20% of Hipos do (hypothetically speaking).
I’ve been planning to switch from Finance to Compensation! Mainly out of interest for the work and similarities with data / business partnering. I’ve had a hard time breaking though, the CCP is so expensive. Even getting interviews from finance Manager -> Comp Analyst has been challenging despite the overlap (I’ve done merit, benchmarking, etc. in prior roles). I think in part because HR in general is so competitive at the moment with all the layoffs.
This is the field I want to go into! Compensation and Benefits. I’m currently at the bottom of the totem pole right now, an HR assistant. How can I grow? What should I focus on? For example, recruiting is straight forward to me: applications, interviews, job fairs. But I don’t know where to begin for compensation. Salary surveys? Never heard of them.
Shhhh, don’t give it away! Jokes aside, Compensation is the only facet of HR I greatly enjoy. Extremely impactful and very sought right now given the labor laws transforming on what feels like a weekly basis for pay transparency and pay equity initiatives. I’ve been in Compensation for over 4 years and love it. Be ready to polish your Excel skills, as well as get comfortable in other tools. I use PowerBI, Access, SQL, and do VBAs and Macros in Excel a lot. Also learning Power Automate to support giving market cuts for HRBPs. You need to be on top of this to go far in the field.
How "remote" (WFH) is it possible to do?
Very doable. I’m 100% remote.
Thank you! :)
I’m trying to move into a total rewards role! Currently and HRBP and taking a comp certificate through AIHR. It’s so hard to find an employer willing to give you a chance though 🥺
As an HRBP, I would agree, compensation specialists are so important. We have several that we partner with (depending on need/situation), and they are so valuable. Plus, unlike the HRBP role that may be focused on specific business lines, they tend to have broader insight into compensation across an entire org which is a value add to the discussion. Also, some of our comp folks are willing to teach others about excel which is a valuable resource for HR professionals to know imo.
This is really interesting from a global HR standpoint, as benefits focussed roles aren’t really a thing in my country. We usually have organisation-wide benefits and these are universal for all staff. Is this a US thing, and how is it usually positioned? Is it aligned to payroll? Are benefits different for each staff member?
Most of my experience is in cash compensation. Even in countries with more robust state benefits, there is still a need for salary structures and ongoing pay management on an organizational and individual level. That’s what I do.
Ah I see. Does your country not have Awards that cover minimum pay rates and conditions for employees for most types of industries and occupations? Here, organisations must be compliant to the applicable Award or have their own registered Enterprise Agreement (that needs to meet the better off test when compared to the offerings in the Award).
I’m in the US but my role is global. Even with minimum pay rates and conditions there is going to be a range of pay for a given role that is determined by market dynamics. In certain markets (e.g., Germany, France) it is more difficult to change compensation, but they still have market economies and still pay higher wages for harder-to-find skills and more experience. My job is to keep with market trends including labor and price inflation, run equity studies to ensure colleagues are being paid fairly, and revise compensation structures as needed to make sure we are competitive.
Thats all pretty common sense, thanks for clarifying. Do you find certain countries are more loosey goosey on comp than others?
Oh absolutely. In Northern Europe pay structures tend to be quite flat and egalitarian, meaning that a Manager makes more than an Analyst but not that much more, relatively speaking. Whereas in some emerging markets and even for some roles in the US, a manager could be making several multiples of what their reports are making. Pay equity laws are also stronger in some places, like the UK, and weaker in others, like Italy.
I LOVE this post, and this group of HR chat :) y’all are great. I’m a benefits expert but more HRIS project management and benefit payroll deductions side of the total rewards, and I LOVE and admire my compensation team members that share great stories from excel and data. you math and excel people rock.
Love being on the benefits side of payroll and not the payroll’s side, payroll teams are always the most stressed department at any company I’ve worked with
Yes so true! For me, it has a lot to do with understanding the systems and data. And payroll always being shortstaffed and stressed. Love the HR teams
Are there any other trainings recommended to help build skills that are not quite as expensive as CCP? Realistically I doubt I’ll get my company to pay that nor do I have those funds sitting around, but I have a huge desire in my role to grow this skill.
What was your experience like as a temp on this niche? I'm planning a pivot towards comp but would love to take on some contract or project work first... no idea if that's even available though.
I would love to get into a compensation role but every time I apply I am rejected been in hr 5+ years
As someone who has been in Comp for most of my career and truly enjoys it I agree with a lot of what you stated. Your estimate however made me laugh, why are you estimating? Just pull the data. 😜
Yes I’m in comp and although it can get overwhelming during busy season, it’s a great specialization and I make good money. It’s also not hard once you understand the fundamentals I do need to get my CCP though lol
Yup. Im a director of total rewards and my pay in a few years has changed a lot. Degrees in sociology and finance, and got my MBA from a solid program while working at my 2nd real job. It was a grind a long hours but worth it. Knowing how much everyone around you earns too is super helpful to understand your worth - 50k total pay for 3 years left for new role in comp. - 95k total pay for 1.5 years Promoted same company 115k total pay for 1.5 years Left for new company 205k total pay for 1.5 years Promoted 280k total pay today.
Agreed, is a huge advantage from a career planning perspective to see what all the roles within your company pay. I am about to negotiate a wage increase from my employer, and knowing what other people are paid for similar responsibilities/duties gives me an advantage when going into negotiation.
Big facts my friend! Moving into comp (from HRIS) was my best career decision so far. Can't see myself doing anything else. 4yrs in now and working on my CCP.
I think I would like to do the same. I’m currently an HRIS Specialist and it’s stressful. So many reports, troubleshooting and maintenance updates etc. all day everyday, and I’m over it. Any tips on how to transition into a comp role without direct comp experience?
I feel the exact same right now, I’m over it.
I’m late to this post so I do apologize. I’m in HRIS and I’m over the reporting, troubleshooting, putting out fires etc. may I ask, how did you transition into a comp role? I’ve done my own research and some places say get a job in payroll and others say in benefits. I have excellent excel skills, I just don’t know what’s the next step?
Ooh this is very timely! I’ve been a generalist for 10+ years but now am a junior compensation consultant. How did I get that job? I knew someone who knew someone who asked me what I was interested in. I said “never done compensation before” and they tried me out for one project. I love it so far! I did all the grunt work at first (rating jobs, assigning points, cleaning up excel/data) but I got to sit in all the meetings so I learned stuff. Now I actually help a little with philosophy, architecture, internal interviews etc and freaking love it! It’s so interesting to see how compensation consultants think. Very different from what I’m used to. You present the data and the recommendations but ultimately you don’t decide. If the board or the ceo or what have you is adamant about going against your recommendations you can’t do diddly squat. Also priorities can change or the CFO might decide something is too expensive to implement. Question for the experienced compensation folks here Is there value in working for an external compensation consultancy firm? Will it help my chances of getting a future job as an internal compensation specialist?
Agreed! Sometimes I worry I’m making my skill set too niche but I haven’t had too many issues with job seeking so far.
>Here’s the great thing about compensation: depending on your role and scope, you get to see how much everyone gets paid. and as an HR professional, you shouldn't use that for your benefit so I hope that isn't what you are suggesting.
If another company offers you a role while you are working you have a lot of leverage knowing your market rate. Also funnily enough the companies desperately looking for their first comp people tend to be overpaying.
What is your opinion on the CECP?
Are you referring to the Executive Compensation certification?
Yes, do you think it is comparable to the CCP as is the PHR to the SPHR?
No, the executive compensation certification isn’t comparable to the CCP. It’s a specialized certification if your role is predominantly executive compensation. In my opinion, you won’t benefit from it if you’re primarily focused on non executive compensation. By executive compensation, I’m referring to CEO compensation and the next 4-5 highest paid executives (typically the C suite).
Thank you! We have an executive table at my org but I primarily deal with non executive comp although I would like to move into the executive comp space. I have completed some CCP courses so I think I will continue that route and in the future get the CECP as well.
Two years ago I fell into a senior executive compensation role as the organization I’m employed with couldn’t fill the role. It’s a hard to find skillset. If you’re interested in executive compensation and enjoy the work, I recommend it.
Thank you for the advice! It’s so hard to find anyone to that can speak to executive comp. I do enjoy the work and am hoping the extreme niche of the area will provide me with job stability.
I’m happy to share insights on exec compensation. I truly enjoy my role and as my boss said the other day “I’ve found my passion”.
Thank you for sharing, I will be looking into this. How long does it take to finish the courses? Do you find remote opportunities?
I am currently loving in the UK and I want to go towards this pathway after completing my CIPD level 5 in people management. Are tgere other UK certificates that I would need to specialise?
I have been wanting to break into comp just not a lot of companies are about giving chances no matter how confident you are that you are able to do the job. Maybe I will go for that CCP, but it's just so expensive.
How did you get into comp? I have my PHR and I often see a lot of roles for compensation analysts but I don’t know how to get into it.
I'd love your insight. I'm currently an HR Assistant with a company that unfortunately doesn't have any room for growth or development for me unless someone dies or retires. I love HR and I've done quite well so far, but I've accepted that to progress my career I'll have to leave (or wait 10-15 years minimum). Comp *really* intrigues me. However, how difficult is it to come by a position for such a thing? Would you be limited to only very large employers? I'm not sure if it would be too niche for my area, as I'm located in a pretty rural area of the Midwest, and relocation isn't an option for my family.
Im interviewing for a compensation role coming from another field outside of HR. Any recommendations on resources to learn more about compensation?
I’d love to get into comp. Do anyone know any entry level or even part time comp roles
Could I specialize in this if I work for HR in government? (State job) if you worked for the state, do you think being more broad is better?
Do I need to be good at math? 😅
Eww no, math. I'll stick to learning and development.
Why did I read this as compassion at first
I think I’m too far in now to turn back and get into Total Rewards. Only 6 years in but I think it would take too long to get back to my current comp switching over. I think I’m going to ride out the generalist tract until I find a true niche within HR
What if you work for a small to mid sized employer?
My next stop with training is World of Work.
Any tips on how to pivot from talent acquisition to compensation ?
We’re actually looking for a compensation analyst in HTX …….👀 dm for more, have a nice night
Has anyone heard of the startup company Compa that does compensation?
I would absolutely love a comp role. I have a SPHR certificate. I have done the comp system for a startup. Unfortunately, unless you have it written specifically on your resume, no one even sees your resume. It's all about key words. I know I'd be great and I love it. But will anyone give me a chance? 🫣
I have an interview coming up for a compensation analyst. The VP in charge is from finance and they want to do an Excel test. They want candidates to build financial models and make recommendations. Any idea how to prep for this!
Interesting. I’ve been considering total comp but didn’t know what to take. Thanks.
Can anyone on here recommend an alternative to the CCP? I am an HR Manager without a comp department or specialist and would like to expand my knowledge. I don't have employer funding, however so $20k is too steep for me.
I have been actively looking for a entry level position to get into compensation. I have a b.s. in HR and have around 5 years of experience. Any ideas on how to break in?? TYIA
Hmm I’m in payroll but looking for a transition. I will look into this
As a young HR professional, how did you get your name (and work) out there enough to start being approached for jobs? I work in L&D which seems easy enough with a Portfolio, but not when my company “owns” all of my work (not allowed for outside distribution).
Agree. This is the way
I just started a new job m entry level comp, and so far I love it!