The Expanding Landscape of Compensation Committees
Jan 13, 2021
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Join Terry Adamson as he chats with Robin Ferracone about the expanding role of compensation committees, including incorporating stakeholder measures into incentive plans, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and adapting to the evolving workplace dynamics in 2021.
Compensation committees are expanding roles to include human capital philosophy and culture.
Incentive plans can now incorporate stakeholder measures for short and long term goals.
Deep dives
Expanded Role of Compensation Committees
Compensation committees are evolving to address more than just traditional compensation matters. Various names like Compensation and Human Capital Committee or Talent Management and Compensation Committee are being adopted to reflect this broader focus. Companies like Trupanion are maintaining the traditional name of the committee to emphasize that human capital issues are everyone's responsibility, not just the committee's. This shift highlights that compensation committees now handle diverse areas beyond mere compensation.
Distinctive Culture and Human Capital Philosophy at Trupanion
Trupanion stands out for its unique culture and human capital philosophy, focusing on employee well-being and equity. The company promotes individuality and values employee ownership, offering perks like a daycare center, sabbaticals, and employee shareholding since its inception. With a strong ethos of meritocracy, Trupanion's innovative approach extends to operations, such as instant insurance claim payments for pet owners, embodying its core values and distinctive work culture.
Stakeholder Incentives and Global Variances
Stakeholder measures in incentive plans are gaining prominence, with diverse approaches across different regions and industries. Companies like utilities prioritize stakeholder measures, while consumer discretionary companies lag. The prevalence of stakeholder incentives varies globally, with Australia leading in adoption. Companies face challenges aligning stakeholder measures with incentives, revealing a significant shift towards integrating stakeholder interests in performance evaluation and compensation structures.
Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Companies are increasingly prioritizing DEI initiatives, tackling diversity, equity, and inclusion as integral components of corporate governance. Compensation committees play a vital role in overseeing DEI efforts, addressing issues like fair pay, promotions, and inclusion. Companies like Trupanion and others are reevaluating recruitment processes and implementing diversity measures as key criteria in incentive plans. The emphasis on DEI underscores a concerted effort to drive cultural transformations and ensure equitable treatment across all levels of the organization.
Join BDO's Terry Adamson as he sits down with Robin Ferracone to discuss the expanding responsibilities that compensation committees are taking on. Robin is the founder and CEO of Farient Advisors and Chair of the Compensation Committee at Trupanion, Inc., (NASDQ: TRUP).
Key Takeaways
The role of the compensation committee is continuing to expand requiring oversight needs to clearly define and incorporate broader responsibilities - including, for example, human capital philosophy and culture.
With the move toward greater corporate social responsibility, it is possible to incorporate stakeholder measures into incentive plans – both short and long term.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are all separate but interrelated opportunities that need to be thoughtfully assigned within the board to a committee(s) that can obtain a baseline, understand the gaps, and consider solutions to close those gaps throughout the organization and be reflected in human capital and compensation practices moving forward.
Looking forward to 2021, boards should expect continued evolution of the workplace that will require a renewed awareness of stakeholder concerns and discussions of their impact on incentive plans.
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