HR Research Institute Forms Advisory Board to Guide Compensation Strategy Evolution

The HR Research Institute has established HR.com's Future of Compensation and Total Rewards Advisory Board, comprising industry experts who will guide HR professionals through the rapidly evolving compensation environment. This panel will oversee an upcoming research study and virtual event focused on helping organizations optimize their total rewards strategies to better attract, retain, and engage top talent in a competitive market.

Total rewards—encompassing compensation, benefits, and other employee incentives—has become increasingly critical as competition for skilled workers intensifies across industries. Leading employers are moving beyond traditional compensation models, instead personalizing offerings and more closely linking pay to performance outcomes. The advisory board includes prominent thought leaders such as Supriya Bahri of Roblox, Wally Brown of UC Health, and Chris Fusco of Salary.com, bringing diverse expertise from major organizations across various sectors.

Debbie McGrath, CEO of HR.com, emphasized that compensation strategies now extend beyond market rate considerations to fundamentally shape employee experience, performance, loyalty, and engagement. The board's guidance will help HR professionals understand current effective practices while preparing for future changes in compensation approaches. This initiative builds on HRRI's ongoing research efforts, including their recent HR.com's Future of Compensation and Total Rewards 2024-25 report, which provides foundational insights into industry trends and emerging best practices.

The advisory board's work will culminate in the Future of Compensation and Total Rewards 2025 Virtual Event scheduled for November 19, 2025, where findings and recommendations will be presented to the HR community. This continued research and expert guidance comes at a crucial time when organizations worldwide are reevaluating their compensation structures in response to shifting workforce expectations, economic pressures, and the need for more strategic talent management approaches that drive organizational success through effective reward systems.

For HR vendors and professionals, this development signals the growing importance of sophisticated compensation strategies that go beyond basic salary structures. The advisory board's insights will help shape how organizations approach total rewards, potentially creating new opportunities for vendors offering compensation technology, benefits solutions, and performance management systems. As compensation becomes more personalized and performance-driven, vendors must adapt their offerings to meet these evolving needs and help clients implement more effective reward strategies.