HRM 175 - Compensation Strategy and Design
Course Description
Compensation is one of the most visible and complex elements of total rewards. In this course, you will explore how key compensation decisions shape pay fairness, market competitiveness, and employee motivation. You will examine how organizations determine job value, position themselves in the market, and design pay programs that balance internal equity with external competitiveness.
Through applied scenarios and practical exercises, you will interpret data and make informed recommendations that align with broader total rewards and HR strategies. The course also introduces distinctions in executive compensation, helping you understand how leadership pay differs in structure, governance, and performance alignment.
By the end of the course, you will have the confidence and capability to contribute meaningfully to compensation discussions—supporting managers, HR partners, and senior leaders with clear, evidence-based insights.
Topics of Instruction
- Foundations of compensation management
- Job design, job analysis, and evaluation
- Market pricing and compensation data
- Wage and salary structures
- Pay-for-performance and incentive practices
- Compensation strategy and governance within the HR framework
- Executive compensation and pay fundamentals
Course Details
By completion of this course, successful learners will be able to:
- Explain key concepts and principles of compensation design and administration.
- Make pay structure decisions based on job value determinations to ensure internal equity.
- Interpret market data to support competitive pay decisions.
- Analyze how pay-for-performance and incentive practices link pay to individual and organizational performance.
- Distinguish executive compensation from other forms of employee compensation.
- Evaluate how overall compensation approaches support organizational goals, internal equity, external competitiveness, and the broader HR framework.
