Compensation Plans Should Be As Strategic As They Are Attractive

Human capital is likely the most expensive resource a bank has, and we all know our people are important in a customer-facing business, so why not be strategic with it? Almost every business has a written strategic plan that states profitability goals, growth goals, three-year plans, etc. However, when it comes to compensation, fewer than four in 10 banks (38 percent of the 103 banks surveyed in our 2016 Compensation Trends Survey) have a formal, written compensation philosophy.

The Compensation Philosophy
Most organizations start the strategic compensation discussion with the development of a compensation philosophy. This document, often only a page or two, primarily identifies a few key items, including what the bank is trying to accomplish with its compensation programs; what compensation programs does the bank have available to our employees; who qualifies for these programs and why; and where does the bank want to position ourselves versus market? The compensation philosophy statement should be a living document that is reviewed annually and is adjusted as necessary to support business strategy changes.

Strategic Salary Planning
Banks that are strategic with compensation will also generally have a clearly defined salary grade structure, accurate and up-to-date job descriptions, utilize external market data for position benchmarking, and a salary increase matrix for annual adjustments. The annual salary increase process should be strategic, based on individual performance, foster internal equity, and fit within the overall budget of the organization. Many banks utilize a salary increase matrix to assist with determining annual raises. The matrix focuses on providing the largest increases to employees who are exceeding expectations and are positioned low in their salary grade. The days of giving everyone the same percent of salary raise are gone.

Performance-Based Incentives
Once you have the salary component figured out, the next step is incentive-based pay. This can take the form of annual cash incentives and/or equity-based incentives. The type of incentive a bank utilizes will often vary depending on the company structure—like whether it is public or private—and position level. As an example, executives may be eligible for a cash and equity incentive plan, but staff may only be eligible for cash incentives. The key to using strategic compensation is to make sure your incentive plans are based on performance and are motivating and rewarding key positions.

In today’s banking world, there is a lot of talk about incentive plans being “risky” and maybe even “evil” (example: Wells Fargo retail incentives). We disagree with this sentiment. Banks are still in the business of being profitable, and incentive plans have their place to help drive behaviors and reward performance. The key is to have a balanced approach between profitability and strategic goals.

Benefits and Perquisites
Benefits and perquisites are total compensation components that often apply primarily to executives. The broad-based benefit programs like 401(k) plans and health insurance programs have not experienced unique banking-focused changes in recent years. However, executive benefits such as salary continuation plans, change-in-control/severance plans, employment agreements and perquisites (auto allowances, country clubs, etc.) have seen reductions. These programs are still prevalent but there has been an increased focus on the business reasoning and validation behind such programs.

Executive benefits can provide some of the best retention vehicles in compensation if you have an executive leadership team you want to keep in place long-term. It is critical to ensure the benefit or perquisite is serving an appropriate business purpose.

The most successful banks are those who can appropriately balance their profitability needs with good culture, communication, and strategic compensation programs. Banks need to be financially successful to help the communities they serve. Ensuring that your compensation programs are strategically supporting the overall goals of your organization and linked to performance is essential. Make sure you are getting your “bang for the buck” with your compensation dollars being spent.