The Culpepper eBulletin
2006 Articles & Surveys
December 2006
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Hot Skills: Compensation Strategies to
Recruit and Retain Technical Talent
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Pay Practices Subscribers
We report results from last month’s Pay Trends Survey on
compensation strategies for hot technical skills. We discuss how premiums
are paid, methods employers use to determine when skills heat up or cool
down, and provide a list of the hottest technical skills.
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Pay for Finance Jobs Rising Fast
We report on the ten operations jobs in the U.S. with the highest
market pay rate increases in 2006. The list includes positions in Finance,
Marketing, Human Resources, and Legal.
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401(k) Matching and Vesting: Keep
Your Retirement Plan Competitive
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We report results from a Culpepper Benefits Trends Survey on
401(k) matching and vesting, including typical employer contributions,
corporate performance contingencies, and vesting schedules. Eighty-two
percent of companies provide a contribution to their employees’ 401(k)
plans.
November 2006
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Fastest
Rising Technical Jobs
We report on the ten U.S. technical positions with the greatest increases
in average pay rates over the past year. Companies should watch for
retention and recruitment issues for employees in these roles.
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Salary
Structures: Common Design Approaches & Practices
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Pay Practices Subscribers
We report results from last month's Pay Trends Survey on salary
structures, as well as pay grades, salary range spreads, and planned
adjustments for the upcoming year. A market-based approach is the most
popular method to keep salary structures current and competitive.
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401(k) Plans:
Automatic Enrollment Gains in Popularity
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Automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans is becoming common, with almost half
of companies planning to implement them in 2007. We report results from a
Culpepper Benefits Trends Survey including age requirements,
waiting periods, and automatic enrollment policies.
October 2006
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Pay Rates Vary Widely by
Country: Germany High, India Low
When setting salaries for a global workforce, it is critical to incorporate
country-specific wage differences. We present market wage comparisons between 9
countries and 11 cities to highlight the notable differences in wages.
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Geographic Pay Differential
Practices
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We report on the results of last month's Culpepper Pay Trends Survey
on
geographic pay differential practices, as well as the methods and factors used
to establish them.
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Retirement Plans and Costs
Access Restricted to Benefits Subscribers
The most typical company-sponsored retirement plan offered is the 401(k),
with smaller companies most likely to provide the Roth 401(k) option. We report
on company costs in terms of percent of payroll and dollars per employee.
September
2006
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2007
Projected Base Salary Increases
Compensation professionals will need to keep a close eye on market wages
to keep their companies competitive during 2007. We report details on
projected base salary increases for employees of technology and life
sciences companies across 50+ countries.
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Pay Rates Vary Widely Across the U.S.
The California Bay Area continues to top the list in our annual analysis
of geographic pay rates for U.S. employees in the technology and life
sciences industries. We report on market wage differences for 23
geographic areas within the United States.
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Flexible Spending Accounts: Policies and Practices
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Flexible spending accounts continue to be a popular benefit offered by
technology and life sciences companies. Most companies offer accounts
focusing on dependent child care and unreimbursed medical expenses, with
grace periods to incur expenses commonly set at 2.5 months.
August
2006
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2006 Budgeted Base Salary Increases:
High in India, Low in Belgium
We highlight 2006 base salary increase budgets for technology company
employees across 24 countries. Most budgeted increases range from two to
seven percent with differences by employee type and country.
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Expenses Covered Under Health Plans
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We report on health care expenses covered by PPO, HMO, and POS health
plans within technology and life science companies. We also provide
information on stand-alone and supplementary health plans which cover
mental health, prescription drug, vision and dental expenses.
July 2006
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Board Member Annual
Retainers Up 20 Percent
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Pay Practices Subscribers
With annual retainers rising by 20 percent, cash is playing a bigger role in board of director compensation.
We report on the level of use and the amounts of annual retainers, meeting
fees, initial stock option grants, and annual stock option grants for
board members.
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Health Costs Vary by Plan
Monthly premiums for HMO health plans run the lowest of the three most
commonly offered health plans for U.S. employees. We provide detailed
information on deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, lifetime limits and
co-payments for PPO, HMO, and POS health plans.
June 2006
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Incentive Pay Varies for Billable Consultants
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We present data for billable consultants in six countries, highlighting
differences in incentive plan eligibility and target amounts by country
and job level.
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Use of
HSA Qualified Health Plans Triples; PPOs
Remain Most Popular
Though most companies reported increases, approximately one-fourth
maintained or decreased their health care costs over the last year. We
report on the most popular health plans, use of HSA qualified
plans, and average monthly costs per employee.
May 2006
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Referral Bonuses: A
Popular Way to Bring in New Talent
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Benefits and/or Pay Practices Subscribers
Over 90 percent of
technology and life sciences companies use a referral bonus program to reward employees for referring new hires. We
report on eligibility, bonus amounts, payout timing, and changes in
referral bonus programs for the coming year.
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Hiring Bonuses Most Common
for Top Technical Talent and Executives
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Benefits and/or Pay Practices Subscribers
Half of companies use hiring bonuses to recruit key
talent. We present details on eligibility, bonus amounts, payout timing,
and changes in hiring bonus programs for the coming year.
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Use of Retention Bonuses
Rises for Technical Employees
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Benefits and/or Pay Practices Subscribers
About
one-third of companies use retention bonuses as a tool to retain key
employees. We provide information on
the primary purpose of retention programs, bonus eligibility and amounts,
and changes in retention bonus programs for the coming year.
April 2006
March 2006
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Sales Comp Mix Varies
Dramatically by Country
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Pay Practices Subscribers
Variable incentive pay for sales employees differs dramatically by country. We provide
detailed information on eight countries.
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Equity
Compensation Continues Shift Towards Restricted and Performance-Based
Stock
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Pay Practices Subscribers
Companies continue to adjust equity-based employee compensation plans
in response to expensing requirements now placed on these plans. We
provide information on trends in the use of options, restricted stock,
performance-based stock, and other equity compensation vehicles.
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Severance Pay Varies by Company
Size and Employee Level
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Benefits and/or Pay Practices Subscribers
Company size has a larger visible
impact on executive-level severance pay than lower employee levels. We
provide details on severance packages for executives, directors, managers
and professional-level employees.
February 2006
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Customize Your
Compensation Mix to Fit the Country
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When designing international pay plans, it is important to look at the mix
of base salary, targeted incentives, and short-term cash compensation.
We present data on the compensation mix used in eight different
countries for technical and operations employees.
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Paid Time-Off Policies: Annual Leave Model Gains Popularity
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While annual leave models continue to rise in popularity, traditional
models are still more common in 56 percent of companies. We report on
carry-forward/reimbursement policies, accrual schedules, and treatment
of unused PTO upon termination.
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Staffing Changes for 2006:
This three-part series covers staffing
changes by
technology and life science companies with regards to hiring, H1-B and L-1
visas, and outsourcing/offshoring.
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Double-Digit Headcount Growth
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Benefits and/or Pay Practices Subscribers
Double-digit headcount growth is anticipated for 2006, with
companies focusing on increasing headcount levels.
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Plans for Using H1-B and L-1 Visas
Plans for using non-immigrant visas remain close to levels seen last
year.
India continues to be a popular source for technical talent.
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Outsourcing and Offshoring
More companies plan to outsource business functions in 2006. However,
the percent of headcount replaced via outsourcing remains low.
January 2006
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Pay Rises
Faster in Accounting and HR than in Software Development
We highlight base salary and target total cash compensation changes for
four senior-level independent contributor positions.
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Shift Differentials
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We report differences in shift premiums for hourly and salaried
employees. We provide details on eligibility for shift differentials, pay amounts, and time-off
calculations for employees working outside of standard daytime shifts.
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Alternative Work Schedules
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Flexible
work hours and telecommuting top the list of alternative work schedules offered by technology companies. We report on employee
eligibility for participation, productivity, and telecommuting
tools/assistance offered to employees.
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