CAHRS Learning Series
Total Rewards in Action: What HR Business Partners Need to Know About Compensation
The CAHRS Learning Series focuses on building HR skills and fostering learning communities across CAHRS partner organizations. Offered as a membership benefit, these courses are available at no additional cost to CAHRS companies.
Enrollment is limited to one participant per company, unless additional space becomes available.
This series' priority registration deadline is September 30, 2025. After this date, registration will remain open if space allows, but availability cannot be guaranteed. Attendance is critical due to the program's hands-on, application-based approach. Please review the considerations below when nominating a participant.
When & Where
Date & Time
Overview
This four-week, live virtual course is designed to demystify total rewards, with a focus on the key compensation components most relevant to HR Business Partners (HRBPs). As organizations navigate rapid transformation - driven by AI, automation, shifting workforce expectations, and evolving business models - attracting, motivating, and retaining talent has never been more critical. In today's environment, total rewards strategy is no longer just an operational function; it's central to how companies compete for talent, drive performance, and enable organizational agility.
HRBPs play a critical role in helping leaders translate business needs into compensation decisions. From advising on talent moves, promotions, and pay adjustments to helping leaders understand the compensation implications of those decisions, HRBPs are often on the front lines of complex, high-impact conversations. Yet many feel under-prepared to engage in these discussions, especially when it comes to questions about pay equity, market competitiveness, or aligning incentives with strategy.
This course provides HRBPs with the tools, frameworks, and confidence to contribute more effectively to compensation-related decisions. Participants will explore how total rewards strategy fits into the broader talent landscape and then take a deeper dive into compensation fundamentals—from benchmarking and job evaluation to communicating pay decisions with clarity and confidence. They will learn how to partner more effectively with Total Rewards professionals, apply core compensation frameworks, and support business leaders in making equitable, competitive, and strategic pay decisions.
Led by Professor Diane Burton, Director of the Institute for Compensation Studies, the course will also feature guest speakers from CAHRS partner companies' Global Total Rewards teams. The program emphasizes applied learning, peer exchange, and practical tools HRBPs can use immediately in their roles.
During the program, participants will:
- Explore the key components of total rewards, including base pay, incentives, benefits, and how they support business priorities.
- Learn to apply foundational tools such as job evaluation, salary structures, and market benchmarking to inform decision-making.
- Strengthen their ability to explain compensation philosophy and pay structures to business leaders.
- Manage compensation conversations with greater confidence – especially around promotions, pay adjustments, and the different compensation levers to make informed decisions..
- Build stronger partnerships with Total Rewards by knowing when to engage, what questions to ask, and how to co-create strategic solutions.
Who Should Attend?
This program is designed for HR professionals who support the business on compensation-related issues but do not lead compensation program design. It is best suited for HRBPs and HR professionals who regularly partner with Total Rewards and advise business leaders on salary structures, compensation decisions, and talent strategies.
Ideal roles include:
- HR Business Partners
- HR Managers
- HR professionals in Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, or Organizational Effectiveness
Note: This program is not intended for compensation specialists or those responsible for designing compensation plans.
Considerations for Nominating a Participant
The ideal participant should:
- Be available to attend and actively participate in all live-virtual sessions.
- Be prepared to apply program takeaways through follow-up conversations, internal presentations, or practical application within their role.
Commitment
- Four weekly live-virtual sessions, 90 minutes each, hosted via Zoom
- Additional readings and optional activities between sessions
- Total time commitment: ~6 hours over 4 weeks (~1.5 hours per week)
Agenda
October 28 – November 18, 2025
Session 1
October 28
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Exploring the Evolution of Total Rewards
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Defining total rewards in today's business environment
- Examining external pressures (e.g., labor markets, AI, inflation, tariffs, pay transparency) and internal factors (e.g., attrition, workforce shifts) that shape total rewards strategy
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Understanding the HRBP's role in compensation-related decisions and how to build a stronger foundation, co-creating solutions with Total Rewards partners
Session 2
November 4
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Defining Compensation Philosophy & Structure
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Comparing core compensation philosophies: market-based, internal equity, external competitiveness, and performance-based pay
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Embedding total rewards into a “people-first” talent strategy
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Applying job evaluation principles to support structure and equity
- Aligning compensation, including pay mix with roles, skills, performance expectations, and business priorities
Session 3
November 11
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Understanding Benchmarking & Incentives
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Using data to tell the compensation story
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Interpreting benchmarking data and understanding pay ranges
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Understanding short- and long-term incentive plans (STI/LTI)
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Linking incentives to performance, metrics, and business strategy
Session 4
November 18
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Partnering with the Business
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Leading effective conversations on promotions, pay adjustments, and comp levers
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Collaborating with Total Rewards to co-create business-aligned solutions
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Communicating compensation decisions with clarity and confidence and navigating pushback
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Practicing real-world scenarios through role play
Instructor
Certification
Recognition of Achievement
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Center for Advanced HR Studies at the Cornell ILR School.
Earn Continuing Education Credits
This program qualifies for Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) credits or Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits.
Questions? Contact: Karen Siewert: kts47@cornell.edu