Compensation Trends & Hot Topics

Times listed in Central Time

9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Session 1

2026 Compensation Trends Survey Results

In this session, we'll explore the latest data from MRA’s Compensation Trends Survey, highlighting the shifts that will define pay strategies in 2026.

From navigating evolving pay transparency legislation and AI's impact on job valuation to the growing emphasis on skills-based pay and retention-focused rewards, we'll break down the key findings shaping how companies approach compensation.

Learn how organizations are tackling today's most pressing challenges—including:

• Pay equity audits
• Geographic pay differentials in a hybrid workforce
• Rising employee expectations around total rewards
• The use of real-time market data to stay ahead of the curve

We'll also address how tightening labor markets and economic uncertainty are pushing HR professionals to rethink incentive structures and long-term compensation planning.

Join us to gain valuable, actionable insights to help you refine your compensation strategy and ensure it aligns with industry trends and employee expectations.

Presenters:

Jim Morgan, VP, Workforce Strategies, MRA

Brittany Rittershaus, Manager, Surveys, MRA

10:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Break

10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Session 2

Beyond Pay Transparency
Preparing Managers for the Future of Compensation Conversations

Compensation has become more transparent, more visible, and more complex—but many organizations have not prepared managers for the conversations that matter most.

As employees gain greater access to salary information and expectations around fairness continue to evolve, managers are increasingly responsible for explaining compensation decisions, reinforcing organizational pay philosophy, and building employee trust. Yet inconsistent communication remains one of the most overlooked risks to an organization's compensation strategy.

This session will explore how the manager's role in compensation is changing and why manager readiness has become a strategic imperative. Together, we’ll examine emerging workplace trends, discover how communication influences employee perceptions of fairness and trust, and learn practical strategies for building manager confidence and consistency across the organization.

Whether your organization is just beginning to formalize compensation practices or has a mature compensation program, you'll leave with a framework to help managers navigate today's compensation conversations while strengthening employee engagement, retention, and organizational credibility.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Explain how evolving compensation trends are changing manager responsibilities.
• Identify the organizational risks created by inconsistent compensation communication.
• Understand how employees evaluate pay decisions beyond the compensation outcome itself.
• Assess their organization's manager compensation readiness using a practical maturity framework.
• Identify strategies to strengthen manager confidence, consistency, and alignment with compensation philosophy.

Presenter:

Katie Laven, Compensation Director, MRA

HRCI and SHRM credits applied for.

Sponsoring MRA events is a tremendous opportunity to bring your message of business value to our growing membership of organizations HR professionals and business leaders. Our members represent all industries including manufacturing, service, distribution, finance, and health care! 80% of event attendees are new at each event offering you the opportunity to network with new contacts. We are very excited about the event this year and hope you can join us!

For more information on sponsorship, call Laura Kielbasa at 262.696.3346 or [email protected].

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Participants violating these Guidelines will be asked to stop any inappropriate behavior and are expected to comply immediately. If the issue continues, MRA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including, but not limited to, removal of the participant from the public chat, from the event, and/or banning from all future events.

Conference registration cancellations with full refunds are accepted 3 business days prior to the event date, prior to the distribution of conference materials. Once conference materials have been shared, no refunds will be issued.

If you are unable to attend, you can transfer your registration to someone else at no cost. Please contact [email protected] with the name change. All recordings and resources will be provided to registered attendees post-event for on-demand viewing.