You are Not Lebron James (or Facebook, or Google)

Nov 04,2015November 4, 2015
By In Articles, Base Pay / Salary, Bonus, Communication, Compensation Philosophy, Compensation Planning, Culture, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Other Rewards, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Recognition, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lebron James has just become the youngest person in NBA history to score 25,000 points in his career. He is...

IN MEMORIUM: FAREWELL ANNUAL RAISE

Oct 13,2015October 13, 2015
By In Articles, Base Pay / Salary, Bonus, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Long Term Incentives, Other Rewards, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , ,

An article was published last week with data from Aon Hewitt and Towers Watson that showed the annual pay raise is...

Let’s Get Rid of ISOs, ESPPs and Voting for President

Oct 06,2015October 6, 2015
By In Articles, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , ,

Incentive Stock Options, or ISOs, have been the foundation of tech company stock option programs for the past three decades....

Speed, Velocity and Acceleration in Pay

Sep 28,2015September 28, 2015
By In Articles, Base Pay / Salary, Bonus, Communication, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, Sales Compensation, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I was reading a Facebook message a parent posted about their kid’s physics homework and it resonated as a reminder...

What is the normal RSU policy for private companies? I recently got an offer from such company and they say that if I work for x years and I leave, I would get x more years to sell the RSUs otherwise they would expire. So if I leave after 1 year and no IPO in the next 2 years, I don’t get anything.

Sep 21,2015September 21, 2015
By In Compensation Plan Design, Compensation Planning, Private Companies, Restricted Stock, RSU, We Have AnswersTags , , , , ,

Question: (org. on Quora) Answer (by Dan Walter) The most common company policy for RSUs follows the basic structure below:...

Combatting Self Interest in Pay

Sep 14,2015September 14, 2015
By In Articles, Communication, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , ,

Professor Dylan Selterman (@SelterMosby) is a psychology lecturer at the University of Maryland. Earlier this summer he gave his students...

How have you seen Stock Options or Performance Rights grants change for employees from Pre-IPO to Post-IPO?

Sep 09,2015September 9, 2015
By In Compensation Plan Design, Compensation Planning, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Performance Units, Private Companies, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Start-up Pay, Stock Options, We Have AnswersTags , , , , , , , , , , ,

Question (Orig. on Quora): How have you seen Stock Options or Performance Rights grants change for employees from Pre-IPO to...

Equity Compensation is a Game of H.O.R.S.E.

Sep 03,2015September 3, 2015
By In Articles, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , ,

As kids, many of us played H.O.R.S.E. Heck most adults who touch a basketball still play the game. For those...

What’s the Right Size for Private Company Equity Compensation?

Aug 12,2015August 12, 2015
By In Articles, Compensation Philosophy, Compensation Plan Design, Compensation Planning, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Performance Units, Private Companies, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Stock OptionsTags , , , ,

The most common question asked about equity compensation is only two words: “How much?” For private companies, it is frustratingly...