How An Industry Leader Sees Technology Transforming Total Rewards

Meg Bear is a true expert when it comes to human capital management (HCM) technologies and their implementation.

Bear is the CEO for her own strategic advisory firm as well as a board director and HR/compensation committee member at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search, corporate culture and leadership consultancy. Prior to those roles, she was the president and chief people officer at SAP SuccessFactors and a vice president and general manager at Oracle. She is regularly included in annual lists that chronicle the top influencers in the HR tech space.

Bear will appear in a panel discussion titled “Top Tech Trends Transforming Total Rewards and How Leading Companies Are Applying Them” on the main stage at WorldatWork’s Total Rewards ’25 conference, which will be held May 19-21 in Orlando, Fla.

Workspan Daily Editor Paul Arnold recently connected with this industry leader to talk about the technologies and related trends shaking up HR departments and their total rewards (TR) professionals.

Arnold: From your perspective, what’s hot in HR/TR-focused technology? What’s trending, and what’s driving that buzz?

Bear: Transparency is top of mind in the total rewards field. We are moving beyond generational taboos that discouraged discussing difficult topics and toward a world where information access and honest conversations are celebrated. This shift has given workers more power than they had 20 years ago. As a result, expectations and values are evolving — not just within industries, but across them. Students entering college today have greater clarity on the ROI of their education based on their chosen major, and salary discussions are now common in public forums like LinkedIn. This increased data visibility and transparency brings both benefits, such as pay equity, and challenges, including mental health concerns.

Arnold: Does the buzz, the trends and/or the technologies for TR professionals differ when factors such as company size, years in business, industry sector, geography, HR/TR department size or TR function maturity are considered? If so, what factors tend to create significant differences and what generally changes in terms of the buzz/trend/technology?

Bear: The trend toward transparency transcends industry, sector, geography and organization size, though the urgency and response may vary. One reason these trends are moving beyond traditional boundaries is the impact of globalization on culture. Expanded access to information has led to shifting expectations.

In practice, this means HR and TR leaders must develop a deeper understanding of both their own organizational context and constraints, as well as the expectations and norms of their workforce. This is why a clear, well-articulated compensation policy is so valuable — it helps align workers’ needs and expectations with the specific context of the business and market.

This bridge-building ability is relatively new for many HR professionals, who may have previously focused only on stating policy. Today, they must also demonstrate greater appreciation and empathy for employees’ expectations and needs.

Arnold: What aspects of the total rewards function are ripe for transformation through technology, and what specific issues and/or opportunities can these solutions help address?

Bear: Better data is now available for both market trends and equity analysis. Organizations can analyze the gap between policy and execution, enabling them to educate and support frontline managers who must navigate the competing pressures of expectations and budget.

Compensation and rewards are emotional topics, so equipping managers with both data and communication tools may help them not only deliver compensation adjustments but also provide context — both for the individual and the business. This approach helps avoid the common mistakes of the past decade, when organizations became proficient at executing compensation cycles but missed the opportunity to communicate appreciation and growth opportunities to employees.

Arnold: What’s the biggest misconception among TR professionals today regarding focused technologies and their implementation?

Bear: In many cases, TR professionals have leveraged technology to meet business goals such as budget distribution and execution speed — often at the expense of building credibility with employees regarding budget constraints and market expectations. As a result, the burden has frequently fallen on line managers, who are not always properly equipped to navigate these conversations effectively.

Developing tools that enhance understanding and empathy for employee groups, while also signaling what skills are becoming critical compensation levers, will help TR leaders better position their platforms for the future needs of the business. Too often, compensation and rewards investments lead to dissatisfaction rather than engagement. Addressing this challenge requires a more thoughtful approach to using available tools to bridge the gap.

Arnold: For TR functions that are more mature in harnessing emerging technologies, what sets them apart in terms of culture, leadership, mind-set or any other factor?

Bear: Leading organizations understand that compensation and rewards are critical tools for driving engagement and productivity. Recognizing that these are not just routine budget exercises, they treat their compensation philosophy as a guiding principle, integral to their overall mission. Building a workforce with market-leading revenue per employee requires deliberate, wise investments. By leveraging data at every level, organizations can continuously ask how to be more impactful and motivating. This involves understanding diverse stakeholder needs and ensuring programs add value not only to the current workforce but also to future talent. It’s about articulating the intersection of investment and value — rather than simply matching market pay and benefits — and regularly adjusting your mix to meet evolving needs, which distinguishes average performance from industry leadership.

Arnold: Where have you seen companies and TR functions skin their knees, and what are some of the most important lessons that can come from technology missteps?

Bear: I have observed two common themes among organizations that struggle with TR, and the biggest lesson is recognizing the gap between how organizations budget for TR and how employees perceive it. Many organizations fail to fully appreciate that the market is dynamic for both employers and employees.

Business leaders often budget for TR in the same way they budget for other operating expenses. Since labor is one of their largest costs, they generally believe they are being fair. However, workers view TR as a reflection of their value and appreciation for their contributions. Additionally, equity gaps often grow at a different rate than budgets allow. Employees who start with lower salaries or experience significant career growth within an organization may struggle to catch up financially.

While data insights provide clarity, it alone cannot bridge this gap. A true understanding of business goals is necessary to align context and execution. Thinking long-term and communicating in the language of the business (numbers), while also appreciating the real needs of stakeholders (managers and workers), is challenging. Effectively owning and communicating tradeoffs to both groups is essential.

Technology enhances understanding and execution speed, but the biggest gap today remains communication. This is why the potential of Generative AI is so exciting — it offers the ability to tailor communication to different stakeholders, transforming the TR function to better support the needs of all stakeholders. Developing a cultural mindset that encourages innovation and eliminates ineffective programs will improve organizational agility and ensure every dollar spent on TR delivers maximum impact for all stakeholders.

Arnold: If you could give one piece of advice to TR pros regarding emerging technologies, what would that be?

Bear: Embrace the opportunity to expand your role and influence. Position yourself as a key driver of improved organizational efficiency. Rather than simply requesting more budget, create pathways to demonstrate how you will maximize its effectiveness compared to alternatives. Benchmark your impact against the highest ROI in the market — not just the best in your industry.

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