Compensation

Our expertise is your opportunity.

O | Compensation Recruiting Verticals:

Compensation – is vital to an organization’s ability to attract, retain, and motivate talent while allocating financial resources. By creating strategies that align company objectives, market trends, and legal requirements, these experts guarantee that pay structures remain competitive and equitable.

Compensation teams develop and implement pay structures that motivate employees and support a firm’s longevity. These roles differ across industries and org. types—from publicly traded corporations and privately held businesses to financial services firms and commercial industries—but share the common goal of aligning pay practices with priorities and compliance standards.

Responsibilities:

  • Help shape the company’s approach to compensation by developing competitive pay structures and clear communication strategies for employees at all levels.
  • Work closely with business leaders and HR teams to advise on salary reviews, bonus planning, and equity grants while structuring compelling compensation packages, including base pay, incentives, and long-term rewards.
  • Analyze complex compensation data and distill key takeaways for senior leadership, ensuring decisions are backed by clear, data-driven insights.
  • Provide strategic recommendations on compensation matters, aligning pay strategies with broader business goals.
  • Guide and mentor junior team members, fostering growth and expertise within the compensation function.
  • Partner with Finance to project compensation costs and assess financial impacts.
  • Create reports, presentations, and analysis for executive discussions, with the ability to present findings when necessary.
  • Oversee the preparation and distribution of regular and ad hoc compensation reports.
  • Act as a trusted resource for managers and employees, addressing compensation-related questions and ensuring clarity around pay decisions.

 

Key Functions

Publicly Traded vs. Privately Held Companies:

  • Publicly Traded Companies: In publicly traded firms, compensation often revolves around equity-based incentives like stock options, RSUs, and performance-linked share plans. These structures are designed to align employees’ efforts with shareholder interests by tying rewards to stock performance. Employees gain directly from the company’s overall financial success, creating a strong incentive. Compensation teams in these organizations need to navigate regulatory complexities, including SEC requirements and shareholder expectations. This involves having transparency in executive pay, managing financial disclosures, and balancing compensation with corporate governance standards. Maining compliance with legal and financial regulations is crucial to avoiding complications and keeping the company’s credibility.
  • Privately Held Companies: Privately owned firms typically take a more flexible approach to compensation, focusing on cash incentives, profit-sharing, and retention bonuses rather than traditional equity. Some may implement models like phantom stock, which mimics equity benefits without issuing actual shares. Since these companies aren’t bound by the same regulatory and reporting obligations as public firms, they can customize compensation strategies to fit their business model, ownership structure, and stage of growth. This allows for more tailored and creative pay structures, helping attract and retain talent while balancing financial and ownership considerations.

 

 

Financial Services vs. Commercial Industries:

  • Financial Services: In the FS industry, compensation is largely performance-driven, with an emphasis on both individual and company achievements. Employees often receive  commissions, bonuses, or long-term incentives that directly reflect their own contributions. Deferred compensation is also a common practice, ensuring payouts are distributed over time. Given the regulated nature of the industry, firms must structure compensation plans to comply with regulatory bodies like FINRA while maintaining a competitive edge. Being able to strike the right balance between compliance and rewarding top talent is crucial, especially for specialized roles such as investment managers, traders, and analysts.
  • Commercial Industries: Industries like retail, manufacturing, medical device, and consumer goods take a slightly different approach, prioritizing scalability/consistency across a large workforce. Compensation in these companies often revolves around hourly wages, shift differentials, and incentives tied to productivity or operational efficiency. Employees may receive additional pay for hitting performance and/or production goals. Unlike financial services, stock-based compensation is not as common, with a greater emphasis on affordability and fairness. Teams must develop cost-effective pay structures that remain competitive while adhering to seperate labor laws and industry standards. Alongside base salaries, benefits such as healthcare, retirement plans, and safety incentives play a key role in attracting and retaining employees in competitive markets.

 

 

Supporting Other Teams:

Compensation teams need to collaborate with multiple departments in order to increase transparency and trust across the organization:

  • Human Resources (HR): They assist in crafting competitive job offers, developing career progression plans, and implementing retention strategies.
  • Finance: Close collaboration means that compensation budgets align with global financial objectives (internal equity, cost of living adjustments, relocation packages, etc.)
  • Leadership: Compensation professionals provide critical insights to guide executive decisions on workforce planning and pay strategies.
  • Legal and Compliance: They help mitigate risks by ensuring adherence to labor laws and addressing emerging regulatory changes.
  • Employee Relations: By conducting equity analyses and addressing pay-related concerns, compensation teams support a fair and engaging workplace culture.

 

 

Helpful Compensation Designations & Career Resources:

  1. Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
  2. SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
  3. Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP)

O | Representative Direct Hire Compensation Searches:

Compensation Analyst, Equity Compensation Manager, Total Rewards Specialist, Director of Compensation and Benefits, Senior Compensation Consultant, Global Compensation Lead, Incentive Design Analyst, Chief Compensation Officer, Total Rewards Manager, Executive Compensation Director

Confidentiality

Every search is kept extremely confidential. Period.

Over-Communication

There is no such thing as too much information in our book. We’ll keep you “in the know” at all times.

“Know your craft”

… is our #1 company motto for all recruiters. IE, you’ll be in very capable hands throughout any process.

Timing

Whether timing is ASAP or there is a timeline of 6-12 months; we’ll customize the appropriate search strategy.

Passive Searches

“Open to something great, but not actively looking” – lets discuss the definition of great & we’ll help you find it.

Integrity

Our word is our bond, simple as that.

7-Step Origin Staffing Candidate Process

Results are achieved by understanding the “why”. Details matter. Let’s partner up & get it done.
  • Introductory Call / Meeting
  • Resume Strategy
  • Determining search parameters
  • Origin Staffing will only show you opportunities within set parameters. We always present the whole story behind the openings – including describing the company’s business infrastructure / future growth plans, reason for opening, team structure, general compensation & benefits info, job description and most importantly any specific color on the opportunity directly from the hiring manager.
  • We NEVER send your resume to any companies until we receive your permission – “Green light with interest to pursue”
  • Every company has a different interview process – some just want to get to know you, some will grill you on a technical level, some expect you to know specifics about them, some have deal breaker parameters not shown on the job description. This is only on a company level. Then each interviewer has their own style.
  • We’ll prep you to help navigate this minefield, and make sure you make a great 1st, 2nd and sometimes 3rd impression.
  • On the other side – most interviews are very informational in nature – hence we’ll help you fine-tune the appropriate questions to ask (and sometimes most importantly to avoid) to get the information necessary to make the right decision @ the end of an interview process.
  • This happens early in the process, in the middle of interviewing, and at the “decision step”. Origin Staffing is incentivized to make sure you are excited about an offer package.
  • References, Giving Notice, Background Checks, taking time off in between positions, making the right 1st impression with the new company. All of these steps can be tricky to navigate – we’ll be there by your side offering support & guidance.
  • Over 80% of our business is from referrals – we’d love to stay in touch long term & be your “Go To” recruiting agency in Boston for the remainder of your career. Your professional interests will evolve over the years and we’ll be there to support you.
  • Additionally, as you progress your career and have direct reports to hire, we’ll be there to fill out your team with top talent.