Straight talk on comp.

Practical perspectives on compensation strategy, pay equity, and building programs that work -- without the jargon.

August 18, 2026

Percentiles and Pay Positioning: What P50 Really Means

The 50th percentile is the median. To turn it into a pay strategy, you still need to define the market and choose where you want to compete.

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August 11, 2026

Market Pricing 101: Turning Survey Data Into a Number

Your boss wants the market rate for a job by Friday. Getting there takes survey data, a careful job match, aging, and enough judgment to know what the number can support.

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August 4, 2026

Reading a Range: Compa-Ratio and Range Penetration

Compa-ratio shows where pay sits against the midpoint. Range penetration shows how far it has moved through the band. You need both to read a salary.

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July 28, 2026

How Salary Structures Work

A salary structure groups jobs into grades, gives each grade a pay range, and puts some logic behind what employees earn and why.

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July 21, 2026

Anatomy of a Pay Package: Base, Incentive, and Equity

Base salary is one line in a pay package. Learn how incentives and equity change the value, the risk, and the number you should compare.

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July 11, 2026

Colorado Made Pay Transparency Real in 2021 — Is Your House in Order?

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act has been live for years. Here's what it actually requires of Colorado employers, where they slip, and how to get defensible before someone asks to see your ranges.

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July 11, 2026

What a $1,000 Market Pricing Engagement Actually Looks Like

A walkthrough of a real single-position engagement — one role, four days, $1,000 — so you can see exactly what happens and decide if it's what you need.

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May 7, 2026

Why Your Job Titles Are Costing You More Than You Think

Title inflation feels harmless until it shows up in your payroll, your salary surveys, and your ability to have an honest conversation about pay.

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