In this episode, we welcome back Sean Luitjens, VP of Product Strategy and Partnerships at Salary.com. Drawing from his recent conversations with over 20 WorldatWork affiliates, Sean shares his insights on the most pressing challenges and consistent messages from compensation practitioners on the front lines. He also unpacks the “mass confusion” caused by data overload and new compliance demands, the strategic allocation of limited budgets, and future of merit increases.  [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Sean! Today’s Topic: The Consistent Messages from WorldatWork [5:07] What are the most consistent messages you've heard from WorldatWork affiliates? Practitioners are facing “mass confusion” from the sheer volume of data, technology options, and compliance requirements.  Despite increased demands, compensation budgets and headcount have not grown.  [17:47] Where are compensation departments focusing their time and budgets? Technology now allows for more sophisticated segmentation and pay philosophy execution than was possible with Excel.  The role of the compensation professional has expanded to include communications, as transparency makes it critical to explain the “why” behind pay decisions.  [28:17] Are merit increases going away? The effectiveness of traditional merit increases vs. paying for the role and offering performance-based bonuses that are not added to base pay.  The practical challenges of any model, whether it’s merit-based or role-based, often come down to inconsistent management and lack of buy-in.  [34:36] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “We don’t always put ourselves in the seats of the [compensation] practitioner . . . There’s so much information coming at them from data, and the one thing that seems to not have changed in the comp budget.”