The Art and Science of Compensation: Using Data and AI to Shape Total Rewards

Employees think they’re underpaid. Leaders think costs are too high. And AI is making
both sides more confident. In 2026, compensation conversations are more complex
than ever. Employees arrive with salary benchmarks and expectations shaped by
AI tools. Meanwhile, HR and finance teams are under pressure to control costs,
justify investments, and make decisions that hold up under scrutiny.

This session breaks down how to navigate that reality using both the art and science
of compensation. You’ll walk away with a practical framework for making decisions
about total rewards, setting clear boundaries, and using data without being controlled
by it.

In this session, you’ll learn:

- How to respond when employees bring external compensation data into

the conversation

- How to use benchmarking, AI, and employee insights with rigor (not guesswork)

- How to design total rewards decisions that reflect your business, not just the market