Compensation Committee Rebrand

Publicly traded businesses have long been mandated to have a compensation committee which reviews and sets the pay and benefits for corporate executives, and most non-public financial institutions have followed suit.

Most “comp committees,” as they are affectionately called, spend the vast majority of their time focused on the institution’s pay practices — including establishing competitive salary levels and crafting appropriate short- and long-term incentives that drive performance. While this core function of the comp committee remains relevant, it is time to change the focus of the committee.

The compensation committee label suggests that the focus of committee and board should be on paying executives properly. However, any good human resources leader would point out that compensation is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to attracting, developing, motivating and retaining top talent. In today’s highly competitive banking talent environment, the board and compensation committees should broaden their focus to reflect this dynamic.

<To read the Article in its published format, click here:  Why the Compensation Committee Needs a Rebrand>

Alan J. Kaplan is Founder & CEO of Kaplan Partners, a retained executive search and talent advisory firm headquartered in suburban Philadelphia. Kaplan Partners is the country’s only talent advisory firm member of both the ABA and ICBA, as well as a longstanding partner of Bank Director. You can reach Alan at 610-642-5644 or alan@KaplanPartners.com.