Comp + Coffee

Payfactors

A podcast from Payfactors that talks through the art and science of compensation management.

  • 35 minutes 19 seconds
    Pay transparency again? What you actually need to know for 2026

    Another conversation about pay transparency? We know what you are thinking, haven’t we already covered this? 

    But the truth is, 2025 changed everything. From a wave of new state laws in the U.S. to Canada and the EU rewriting the playbook, pay transparency has moved from policy talk to daily reality. With 2026 around the corner, the stakes are only getting higher. 

    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Vicky Peakman, Director at Fair Pay Partners, and Lulu Seikaly, Senior Corporate Attorney at Payscale, to unpack the year’s biggest developments and what is coming next. 


    Episode resources:

    13 November 2025, 4:49 pm
  • 36 minutes 23 seconds
    AI overload? What HR Tech 2025 got right (and wrong)

    At HR Tech 2025, AI stole the spotlight, but not everyone was convinced. Amid the hype and bold claims, HR and compensation professionals were asking tougher questions: What’s actually working? What’s just marketing? And how can AI really make their jobs easier?


    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Peh Keong Teh, Chief Product Officer at Payscale, Olivia Sedler, Product Manager at Payscale, and Mark Feffer, contributing analyst at 3Sixty Insights and editor of WorkforceAI.News and HCM Technology Report. Together, they cut through the noise from HR Tech, unpack what vendors got right and wrong, and discuss where AI can and cannot move the needle for HR and comp leaders today.


    Episode Resources:

    7 November 2025, 3:54 pm
  • 36 minutes 35 seconds
    The most important pay conversations you're not having

    In a year of tight budgets and increasing expectations of pay transparency, pay conversations are more critical than ever. Skipping, delaying, or diluting these conversations can erode trust and leave employees disengaged. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Payscale leaders to explore the “compensation telephone game,” share how HR trains managers to deliver clear messages, and discuss strategies for keeping the right talent engaged in a volatile environment. 


    Guests:  

    • Lexi Clarke – Chief People Officer, Payscale 

    • Lauren Hein – Head of Total Rewards, Payscale 

    • Lauren Cole – Senior Director, Services & Customer Education

    Resources:  

    3 November 2025, 3:02 pm
  • 29 minutes 35 seconds
    Pay transparency in practice: Making pay a universal language

    Pay transparency laws are forcing the conversation—but alignment is what makes it stick. 

    When it comes to pay transparency, HR, Legal, and leadership often speak in different “dialects.” HR frames it around equity and structure, Legal around compliance and risk, and leadership around outcomes and cost. The challenge? These perspectives rarely align into a shared understanding that employees can trust. 

    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we’re bringing together three leading voices to explore how organizations can move beyond compliance and turn transparency into a universal language of trust and alignment: 

    • Ruth Thomas – Chief Compensation Strategist and pay equity thought leader and advisor, helping organizations build consistent, bias-free pay practices. 

    • Lulu Seikaly – Corporate attorney guiding employers through the legal realities of pay transparency laws. 

    • Elaina Van Kirk, PHR – Principal Consultant at Exude Human Capital, advising organizations on compensation, performance, and inclusive culture strategies. 

    Together, they’ll uncover how HR, Finance, and Legal can stop speaking past each other—and start building a pay narrative that employees not only understand but believe. 

    29 September 2025, 6:29 pm
  • 27 minutes 44 seconds
    Salary budgets are shifting — here’s how to stay ahead

    Salary budgets are tightening — but strategy doesn’t have to. 


    Payscale’s 10th Annual Salary Budget Survey reveals that planned pay increases for 2026 are dipping slightly from 2025, with economic uncertainty replacing competition for talent as the top driver of budget changes. But even in a cooling pay environment, HR and comp pros have a window to realign strategy before Q4 — if they have the right data in hand. 


    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas sits down with Amy Stewart, Payscale’s Principal of Research & Insights, and Kathryn Gombos, HR & Total Rewards Leader and Founder of Gombos Group. Together, they unpack the latest salary budget trends, explore what’s behind the shifts, and share how organizations can use these insights to plan smarter, communicate with confidence, and navigate survey season without burning out. 


    • 2025–2026 Payscale Salary Budget Survey - https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/salary-budget-survey-sbs

    18 September 2025, 6:59 pm
  • 36 minutes 9 seconds
    Fair pay means nothing if no one believes it

    Fair pay means nothing if no one believes it. That’s the wake-up call from Payscale’s latest Fair Pay Impact Report. Despite rising wages, transparency laws, and improved market conditions, employees don’t believe they’re being paid fairly—and it’s costing businesses their best people.


    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, host Ruth Thomas is joined by Lexi Clarke and Kate Peter—three women in the C-suite who are putting fair pay back at the top of the agenda. They unpack what the data tells us, what it feels like as leaders, and what needs to happen next.


    Episode Resources:


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    27 August 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 33 minutes 18 seconds
    Turning pay into a business driver: A CHRO + CFO conversation

    When the CFO asks why… will you panic or present your case with confidence? 

    In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we go behind the scenes with Lexi Clarke and Philip Watson to uncover how HR and Finance can stop speaking past each other—and start building stronger pay strategies together. Whether you're preparing for budget season or defending comp decisions in the boardroom, this episode gives you the language, data, and mindset you need to show that compensation isn’t just a line item—it’s a lever for business success. 

    8 August 2025, 2:58 pm
  • 37 minutes 57 seconds
    The pay crystal ball: predicting the future with Pearl Meyer + Payscale

    Compensation isn’t just an HR function—it’s a core business strategy. In this episode of Comp and Coffee, we look into the pay crystal ball with Rebecca Toman of Pearl Meyer, Ruth Thomas, Chief Compensation Strategist at Payscale, and Sara Hillenmeyer, Payscale’s Director of Data Science. Together, they explore how trusted data, AI, and a forward-thinking approach to comp strategy can help organizations not just keep up—but lead. If you care about performance, retention, equity, or executive pay, this episode is your blueprint for aligning comp strategy with long-term business success. 

    10 July 2025, 3:36 pm
  • 38 minutes 44 seconds
    Closing the Confidence Gap: Pay Strategy Challenges in 2025

    What happens when your pay strategy sparks more questions than confidence—and your best people start walking? In this episode, we bring in the experts to tackle the hard truths behind tough pay conversations and how to rebuild trust before it’s too late.


    Episode resources:

    20 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 53 minutes 56 seconds
    Compensation History: A Walk Through the Past and Future of Pay

    Compensation has come a long way—from handwritten ledgers and dusty binders to AI-powered insights and real-time salary data. But what does the past teach us about where we’re headed? Join us for a nostalgia-packed, future-forward journey through the history of comp, featuring expert reflections from WorldatWork, and predictions from the people shaping the next era of pay. 

    13 June 2025, 1:10 pm
  • 26 minutes 30 seconds
    113: Gender Pay Gap Report: Facts revealed

    What's the state of the gender pay gap in 2025? 

    In this episode Ruth Thomas discusses Payscale's 2025 Gender Pay Gap Report with Amy Stewart, Payscale's principal content strategist and author of the report. 

    Together, they explore the controlled and uncontrolled pay gaps, the impact of pay transparency, and the various systemic factors contributing to the gender pay gap. 

    Gain insights into why pay disparities persist and what organizations can do to address these inequalities.


    Key Highlights

    • Discussion on the difference between controlled and uncontrolled pay gaps and their current figures.
    • Examination of how pay transparency legislation is affecting gender pay gaps across different states in the U.S.
    • Insights into the systemic issues and historical context driving the gender pay gap, including the role of motherhood.
    • Analysis of specific data showing pay disparities for women of color and in various industries.
    • Recommendations for organizations on measures to close the gender pay gap.

    Quotes

    • "Pay transparency legislation is showing promise in closing pay gaps, though the impact is gradual." – Amy Stewart
    • "The gender pay gap remains at 83 cents on the dollar for women, highlighting persistent barriers in the workforce." – Ruth Thomas

    Resources

    1 May 2025, 11:43 am
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