Reconsidering Pay Strategy in the Wake of Inflation

Say goodbye to the Goldilocks economy, where moderate growth and low inflation sustained us for years. Our global economy and social norms have careened from crisis to crisis over the last 24 months. The world has faced down a pandemic, unprecedented restriction of interpersonal interactions, and disruption of worldwide supply chains. And yet the world economy is booming.

Opinions vary about the reality, root cause, and associated solutions for inflation and low unemployment. But what’s critical is that the growing expectation of future inflation is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that it stresses the systems for retaining and motivating employees.

Inflation simply is another type of disruption, albeit one that impacts companies and employees at nearly every level. Higher input costs lead to lower corporate margins. Higher costs of goods lead to lower individual savings rates (i.e., margins).

People costs are rising, too. Thinking about people cost as in investment allows strategic discussion about maximizing return. The good thing about people investments relative to say, commodity costs, is that cost levers are largely in corporate control and the tradeoffs can be managed. We view it as an imperative to consider changing pay strategy to reflect the reality of a world where the dollar does not go as far.

Companies and boards should think about how well pay strategy addresses four needs:

Need 1: Is our pay/reward strategy about more than dollars and cents?
Employees have far more choices for employment at this time and can command dollars from multiple places and roles. It is worthwhile to think hard about culture — what makes your culture unique, what people value in their roles, and what might be missing — and then build incentives and reward systems that support those activities in balance with financial performance.

Need 2: Does the pay strategy create the right balance of stability and risk?
Adapting pay programs to be more “risk-off” in the face of a highly uncertain external environment may be appropriate. Think about employees as managing to a “total risk” equation. When the expectation was that corporate growth was close to a given, then the risk meter could accommodate taking more risks to earn potentially more money.

Need 3: Are we making the best possible bets on our top talent?
Paradoxically, it might be a time to take more talent risk by digging deep to find your best people and providing them with differentiated rewards, visibility and responsibility. This is the heart of performance management, and it can always improve. The increased risk comes from investing more in fewer people. What if the assessment turns out to be incorrect or if someone leaves? Managing this risk versus avoiding it is the path to success.

Need 4: How are we sure performance in the face of a more volatile outside world is being rewarded?
This is the most “structural” of the needs. Elements to consider would include:

  • Higher merit budgets
  • More modest annual incentive upside and downside
  • Incorporation of relative measurement into incentive programs
  • Rationalization of equity participation and limitations to a smaller group as needed
  • Designation of equity awards based on overall dilution or shares awarded versus dollar amounts

Each of these needs has material tactical considerations that require much discussion about implementing, communicating and managing change. But unlike other major costs, rising people costs present an investment opportunity for increased returns rather than just a hit to the bottom line.

Saving Money as Part of Due Diligence


due-diligence-8-18-15.pngAs acquisitions continue to play a major role in financial institutions’ strategic growth plans, management teams and boards are under increasing pressure to deliver results—with minimal surprises. Though due diligence often is seen as a necessary evil to completing a transaction, it can help identify opportunities to drive profitability and assess integration hurdles so an acquirer effectively can plan for and mitigate the risk of an unsuccessful integration.

Cost savings often are touted as a primary driver of acquisitions in banking. Many public filings show that estimated cost savings of a target’s expense structure run north of 25 percent. Preliminary cost estimates that are provided by management or investment advisers often are based on high level analysis prior to a letter of intent (LOI) being signed. Once an LOI is signed, due diligence should be performed to verify the extent, timing, and operational effects of the proposed cost savings as these are critical to recognizing the value in many acquisitions. Cost saving estimates should be continually adjusted throughout the due diligence process as new facts come to light.

Following are three areas of significant cost saving estimates and examples of how thinking through integration objectives throughout the due diligence process will help eliminate surprises.

  1. Back Office Consolidation
    Significant cost savings can be realized through back office consolidation. Consolidating back office operations can get delayed, however, due to vendor backlogs for conversion or de-conversion of data. Product mapping issues also might delay moving from one core processor to another. Such delays can have significant impact on the returns analysis as the savings are delayed and two operating structures remain for extended periods of time. While it might not be possible to fully address all factors that can potentially affect the integration, reviewing product mapping and starting the system conversion timeline discussions during due diligence will provide insights into timing and possible roadblocks.
  2. Branch Rationalization
    Eliminating branch overlap or consolidating unprofitable locations can be a source of cost savings. A branch profitability analysis can identify the product usage, transaction activity, and relationship value and should be performed during due diligence. However, the costs associated with exiting facilities as well as operational drag must be considered. Acquisition accounting requires recognizing the assets and liabilities at fair value upon the change in control, and operational costs to exit or restructure a bank generally are represented through the acquirer’s income statement post-combination.
  3. Vendor Management
    While combining core processing systems are a given for cost savings, comprehensive vendor management cost savings often are overlooked in the initial transaction value proposition. Again, considering integration while performing due diligence can help executive teams concentrate vendors across the combined organization. Thinking in terms of pricing power, service level expectations, integration support, and breadth of service, acquisitions often set the stage for new conversations with vendors. Taking the time during due diligence to analyze the future stable of vendors to eliminate overlap or consolidate platforms can be a significant value driver. Analyzing vendors early on allows acquirers to execute formal vendor selection processes shortly after the transaction announcement and realize cost savings soon after legal closing.

Best Practices to Follow
Here are best practice recommendations for achieving targeted cost savings:

  • Each cost savings assumption should be championed or assigned to a cost savings owner.
  • The cost savings owner should help establish the initial savings estimate and timeline to recognize cost savings during due diligence.
  • The cost savings owner should be able to affect the integration plan to achieve the cost savings objective.
  • The integration vision should be defined during due diligence to accomplish the cost savings.
  • Cost savings estimates should be revisited throughout the due diligence process to adjust for one time costs identified and for revisions to the plan.

This article originally appeared in Bank Director digital magazine’s Growth issue. Download the digital magazine app here.