Total Rewards Dictionary
The Total Rewards Dictionary
207 practitioner-depth entries across 12 disciplines — free, searchable, and cross-linked to courses and articles.
207
Terms
12
Disciplines
Term of the Day
Reward Philosophy
Total Rewards & EVP
The foundational principles and values that guide how an organisation designs and delivers rewards. It articulates why the organisation rewards the way it does — the logic and beliefs that underpin specific programme decisions.
All Terms
Showing all 207 terms · tap any term to expand · +5 XP
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Adjusted Pay Gap
The residual pay difference between demographic groups after statistically controlling for all legitimate explanatory variables — typically grade, function…
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Annual Bonus
A short-term incentive payment made once per year, typically based on performance against targets defined at the start of the performance period. Annual bo…
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Appeals Process
A formal mechanism through which role occupants or their managers can challenge a job evaluation outcome and request a structured review. It provides proce…
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At-Risk Pay
Compensation that is contingent on performance outcomes — it is earned when defined conditions are met and forfeited when they are not. Variable pay elemen…
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Attrition Rate
The percentage of employees who leave an organisation over a defined period — typically expressed as an annualised figure — calculated by dividing the numb…
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Auto-Enrolment
A legislative requirement in which employers are obligated to automatically enrol eligible employees into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make mi…
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Balance Sheet Approach
The most structured framework for international assignment compensation, designed to ensure an employee's net disposable income in the host country is neit…
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Balanced Scorecard
BSCA performance measurement framework that links incentive pay to results across multiple strategic dimensions — typically financial, customer, operational, …
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Base Salary
The fixed, guaranteed cash payment made to an employee for performing their role — expressed as an annual figure and paid in regular instalments regardless…
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Benchmarking
The systematic comparison of internal pay levels, structures, or practices against external market data to assess competitive positioning. In compensation,…
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Benefits Benchmarking
The process of comparing an organisation's benefits programme against market data — assessing the scope, quality, and employer cost of each benefit relativ…
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Benefits Communication
The strategy and execution of making employees aware of, and able to effectively use, the benefits available to them. Effective benefits communication incr…
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Benefits Enrollment
The process through which eligible employees select their benefits for the coming year — choosing from available options in a flexible benefits programme, …
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Blended Survey Approach
A market pricing methodology that combines data from two or more salary surveys into a weighted composite figure for each benchmark role — reducing relianc…
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Broadbanding
A salary structure approach that consolidates multiple traditional narrow grades into a smaller number of wide bands — typically four to six — each spannin…
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Calibration
The structured cross-manager review process through which performance rating decisions are discussed, challenged, and aligned across a team or business uni…
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Career Development
The deliberate, structured process through which individuals build the skills, experience, knowledge, and professional relationships required to progress t…
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Career Framework
A structured description of the knowledge, skills, accountabilities, and behaviours expected at each level within a job family. It defines what it means to…
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Career Pathway
A structured, documented map of the roles, experiences, competencies, and qualifications that define viable progression routes within an organisation — fro…
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CEO Pay Ratio
The ratio of a chief executive's total single-figure remuneration to the median employee's pay — a metric now required for disclosure by large listed compa…
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Certified Benefits Professional
CBPA professional designation awarded by WorldatWork to benefits practitioners who have demonstrated competency across employee benefits design, administratio…
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Certified Compensation Professional
CCPA professional certification awarded by WorldatWork to compensation practitioners who have demonstrated defined knowledge and competency across core compen…
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Clawback
A contractual provision enabling an employer to recover previously paid variable compensation in defined circumstances — such as a material financial resta…
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Coaching
A goal-oriented, structured process in which a professional coach partners with an individual to help them achieve specific personal or professional object…
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Commission
A variable pay mechanism that pays a percentage of revenue, sales value, or a fixed amount per transaction closed or order placed. It is the dominant pay f…
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Commission Plan
A sales incentive arrangement in which employees — typically in customer-facing revenue-generating roles — earn variable pay as a defined percentage of the…
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Compa-Ratio
CRA metric expressing an individual employee's salary as a proportion of their grade midpoint. A compa-ratio of 1.00 means paid exactly at the market referen…
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Comparator Group
The defined set of external organisations against which an employer benchmarks its pay levels — typically selected to include organisations that compete fo…
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Compensable Factors
The defined dimensions of job content that an organisation considers in assessing relative role size in a point-factor evaluation system. They represent wh…
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Compensation Analytics
The application of data analysis and statistical methods to compensation data — enabling evidence-based assessment of market competitiveness, internal equi…
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Compensation Philosophy
The documented principles that define how and why an organisation makes pay decisions — articulating its stance on market positioning, pay differentiation,…
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Competency Model
A defined framework of the skills, knowledge, behaviours, and personal attributes required for effective performance in roles within an organisation, typic…
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Competency-Based Pay
A compensation approach in which an employee's pay position within their salary grade or range is influenced by the demonstrated level of competency they e…
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Cost of Living Allowance
COLAAn allowance paid to internationally mobile employees to compensate for differences in the cost of consumer goods, services, and daily living expenses betw…
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Cost per Hire
CPHThe total expenditure required to fill an open position, encompassing all direct and indirect recruitment costs — including agency fees or advertising cost…
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Critical Illness Cover
CICA group insurance benefit that pays a defined lump sum to an employee upon diagnosis of a specified serious medical condition — such as cancer, heart attac…
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Death in Service Benefit
A group life assurance benefit paid as a lump sum to the nominated beneficiaries of an employee who dies while in the employment of the organisation. The b…
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Deferral
The practice of holding a portion of earned variable pay in an unvested state for a defined period — typically one to three years — before releasing it to …
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Deferred Compensation
An arrangement in which a defined portion of an employee's earned compensation — typically base salary, bonus, or commission — is withheld from immediate p…
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Defined Benefit Scheme
DB SchemeAn occupational pension arrangement in which the employer promises a specific retirement income to the employee — typically based on a formula linking fina…
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Defined Contribution Scheme
DC SchemeAn occupational pension arrangement in which both the employer and the employee make defined monetary contributions to an individual pension pot, and the e…
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Dilution
The proportional reduction in each existing shareholder's ownership percentage and earnings per share that results from the issuance of new shares to satis…
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Employee Assistance Programme
EAPA confidential employer-funded service providing employees and their immediate families with access to professional support for personal, mental health, fi…
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Employee Benefits
The non-cash components of the total reward package provided by an employer — including health insurance, pension contributions, paid leave, life assurance…
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Employee Value Proposition
EVPThe explicit articulation of what an organisation genuinely offers employees in return for their contribution — encompassing compensation, culture, purpose…
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Employer Brand
An organisation's reputation as a place to work — the sum of perceptions held by current employees, prospective candidates, and alumni about what it is act…
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Engagement
The degree to which employees are emotionally invested in their work and organisation, motivated to perform beyond minimum requirements, and committed to i…
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Equal Pay
The legal principle that men and women performing equal work — or work of equal value — must receive equal pay. It is a narrower concept than pay equity: e…
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EU Pay Transparency Directive
PTDEuropean Union legislation, in the process of being transposed into member state national law, that requires employers to provide salary range information …
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Evaluation Panel
A group of trained assessors responsible for reviewing job descriptions and assigning scores in a point-factor evaluation system. A well-constituted panel …
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Executive Compensation
The complete remuneration package for the most senior organisational leaders — typically comprising base salary, annual bonus (STI), long-term incentive pl…
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Executive Service Contract
The employment contract that governs the terms and conditions of an executive director's or senior leader's employment — including base salary, notice peri…
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Expatriate Package
Expat PackageA total compensation arrangement designed for employees working on international assignment in a host country, encompassing not only pay but also the full …
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External Competitiveness
The degree to which an organisation's pay compares favourably to what competitors pay for equivalent work. It is measured by comparing internal salaries ag…
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Felt Fair
The subjective assessment by a role occupant of whether their grade and pay outcome feels equitable relative to the value they believe they contribute and …
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Financial Wellbeing
The state of having adequate income, manageable financial obligations, appropriate protection against financial shocks, and a credible plan for long-term f…
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Fixed Pay
All guaranteed cash compensation an employee receives regardless of performance outcomes in any given period — typically base salary plus any guaranteed al…
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Flex Credits
An employer-provided allowance of currency or credits that employees use to purchase their preferred combination of benefits within a flexible benefits sch…
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Flexible Benefits
A benefits design approach that allows employees to select from a defined menu of options, redirecting unused allowances toward the benefits most relevant …
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Flight Risk
An assessment of the probability that a specific employee will voluntarily leave the organisation within a defined period — typically 6–12 months. Flight r…
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Garden Leave
An arrangement in which an employee who has given or received notice of resignation or termination is required to remain away from the workplace — on full …
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Gateway Condition
A prerequisite performance condition that must be met before any variable pay is awarded, regardless of other performance outcomes. Typically set at the co…
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Global Grade
A job grade or seniority level within an international grade architecture that defines the scope, complexity, and accountability of a role in a way that tr…
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Global Remuneration Professional
GRPA professional certification awarded by WorldatWork to practitioners who have demonstrated competency in the design and administration of compensation and …
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Global Rewards
The specialist discipline within Total Rewards concerned with designing and administering pay, benefits, and recognition programmes across multiple countri…
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Golden Handcuffs
Financial incentives — typically unvested long-term incentive awards, deferred bonus balances, or retention payments with repayment obligations — that make…
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Grade Architecture
The design of the overall grade framework — how many grades exist, the width of ranges at each level, the midpoint progression between adjacent grades, and…
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Grade Boundary
The defined point score range that determines assignment to a particular salary grade in a point-factor evaluation system. Roles scoring within the boundar…
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Grade Midpoint
The salary at the exact centre of a grade range — midway between minimum and maximum. It represents the organisation's target pay rate for a fully competen…
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Green Circle
An employee whose salary falls below the minimum of their current salary range — also called below-range or under-scale. Green-circling is treated as a pay…
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Gross Pay
The total amount an employee earns in a pay period before any deductions — including income tax, social security contributions, employee pension contributi…
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Group Life Assurance
GLAAn employer-provided insurance policy that pays a lump-sum benefit to an employee's nominated beneficiaries in the event of their death while employed. It …
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Hardship Allowance
Additional compensation paid to employees working in locations designated as presenting exceptional personal challenges — typically due to political instab…
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Headcount Planning
The operational process of planning, tracking, and managing the number of employees in an organisation or business unit across a defined period — including…
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Health Insurance
An employer-provided medical insurance benefit covering the cost of private medical treatment for employees (and often dependants) — including diagnosis, s…
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High Potential
HiPoAn employee formally identified through a structured talent assessment process as possessing both the current capability and the developmental trajectory t…
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Home-Country Approach
An assignment compensation approach in which the internationally mobile employee is retained on their home-country terms and conditions — including home-co…
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Host-Country Approach
An assignment compensation approach in which the internationally mobile employee is compensated on the same terms as the local workforce in their host coun…
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Housing Allowance
A financial supplement provided to internationally mobile employees to partially or fully cover the cost of accommodation in the host location. Housing all…
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HR Analytics
The systematic use of data and statistical methods to measure, understand, and improve workforce-related outcomes — including turnover, engagement, pay equ…
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Incentive Plan Design
The structured process of creating a variable pay plan — defining the eligible population, target bonus levels, performance measures, payout curve (thresho…
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Income Protection
IPAn employer-provided insurance benefit that pays a proportion of an employee's salary (typically 50–75%) if they are unable to work due to long-term illnes…
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Individual Development Plan
IDPA documented agreement between an employee and their manager that captures specific development goals, the learning activities and experiences required to …
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Internal Equity
The perceived and measurable fairness of pay differences between roles and individuals within the same organisation. Internally equitable pay means differe…
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International Assignment
A formal arrangement in which an employee temporarily relocates to work in a country other than their home country, typically for a defined period of betwe…
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International Remuneration Survey
A compensation benchmarking survey that collects pay data across multiple countries, enabling organisations to price roles in each national market against …
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Job Architecture
The complete classification system that organises an organisation's roles into job families, career tracks, and levels — providing the structural map withi…
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Job Classification
A job evaluation method in which grade levels are defined first — with descriptions of the knowledge, accountability, and complexity typical at each level …
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Job Description
JDA structured document that defines the purpose, key accountabilities, decision-making authority, relationships, and qualifications required for a specific …
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Job Evaluation
JEA systematic methodology for assessing the relative size, complexity, and organisational value of roles — independent of who holds them — to create a defen…
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Job Family
A grouping of roles that share a common professional domain, technical discipline, or business function — such as Finance, Technology, Human Resources, or …
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Job Levelling
The process of establishing the genuine seniority level of a role — based on scope, decision-making authority, accountability, and people management — for …
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Job Matching
The process of identifying which survey benchmark most closely corresponds to an internal role — based on actual job content, scope, decision-making author…
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Learning & Development
L&DThe organisational function and set of activities through which employees acquire new skills, expand existing capabilities, and maintain professional curre…
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Line of Sight
The degree to which an employee can draw a clear, credible connection between their daily actions and the performance measure that determines their variabl…
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Living Wage
A pay rate calculated to meet the actual cost of a basic but dignified standard of living in a given location — typically encompassing housing, food, trans…
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Local-Plus Package
A compensation arrangement for internationally mobile employees in which the individual is paid on local market terms — the same base salary structure that…
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Long-Term Incentive
LTIA variable pay mechanism that rewards sustained performance and continued employment over a period longer than one year — typically three to five years. LT…
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Long-Term Incentive Plan
LTIPA structured equity or cash incentive arrangement designed to reward senior executives and other key employees for delivering sustained organisational perf…
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Malus
A provision in a variable pay plan enabling the organisation to reduce or cancel unvested or unpaid awards before they are delivered — in defined circumsta…
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Manager Enablement
The investment in knowledge, skills, and tools that prepares people managers to have competent, confident conversations with their teams about pay — explai…
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Market Adjustment
A pay increase awarded to an employee — outside the standard merit review cycle — where analysis has established that their current salary has fallen meani…
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Market Movement
The rate at which market salaries for comparable roles are changing over a defined period, typically expressed as an annual percentage. It informs range mi…
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Market Percentile
A statistical marker indicating the proportion of survey participants paying at or below a given salary level for a specific role. P50 (the median) means 5…
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Market Pricing
The systematic process of gathering and analysing external salary data to establish what the market pays for roles comparable to those within the organisat…
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Market Rate
The prevailing level of pay for a specific role or skill set in a defined talent market, as indicated by salary survey data at a specified percentile. It i…
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Mentoring
A structured developmental relationship in which a more experienced individual — the mentor — shares their knowledge, professional networks, perspective, a…
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Merit Budget
The total funding allocated for merit salary increases in a review cycle, expressed as a percentage of total eligible payroll. It sets the aggregate constr…
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Merit Differentiation Ratio
MDRA metric that measures the actual difference in merit increase awards between the highest and lowest performance rating categories — expressed as a ratio o…
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Merit Increase
A permanent base salary increase awarded in recognition of an employee's performance during a defined review period. Unlike a bonus, a merit increase becom…
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Merit Matrix
A structured grid determining merit increase percentages based on two variables: performance rating and current pay position within the salary range (typic…
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Minimum Wage
The lowest hourly or monthly rate of pay that an employer is legally permitted to pay employees in a given jurisdiction, as set and enforced by government …
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Net Pay
The amount an employee receives in their bank account after all mandatory and voluntary deductions — including income tax, social security contributions, e…
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Non-Financial Rewards
The elements of employment that carry value for employees but are not expressed as monetary payment — including flexible working, career development, recog…
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Non-Monetary Recognition
A formal or informal acknowledgement of employee contribution, achievement, or behaviour that does not involve a cash payment — encompassing verbal or writ…
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Notice Period
The contractually defined period of time that either the employer or the employee is required to give the other before ending the employment relationship. …
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Occupational Segregation
The pattern whereby different demographic groups are disproportionately concentrated in different types of roles, functions, or seniority levels — producin…
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Off-Cycle Review
A pay review or adjustment conducted outside the organisation's standard annual salary review cycle, typically triggered by a specific circumstance such as…
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Paid Time Off
PTOThe total employer-provided paid leave entitlement available to an employee — including annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, and any other paid absen…
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Pay Compression
A structural condition where pay differences between employees at different experience levels, grades, or contribution levels are smaller than the differen…
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Pay Conversation
A structured or informal conversation between a manager and an employee about the employee's pay — covering how their salary was determined, where it sits …
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Pay Discrimination
The act of paying employees in comparable roles at different rates based on a protected characteristic — such as gender, race, ethnicity, disability, or ag…
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Pay Equity
The principle and practice of ensuring that pay differences between individuals and groups within an organisation are fair, explainable, and free from unju…
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Pay Equity Dashboard
A monitoring tool that tracks pay equity metrics — typically adjusted pay gaps by demographic group, function, and grade — over time, enabling continuous g…
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Pay Equity Governance
The set of policies, processes, and controls that prevent pay inequity from developing through normal HR and management decisions — including structured of…
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Pay Equity Review
A structured analytical process that assesses whether pay differences within an organisation are fair, explainable, and free from unjustifiable bias. A rig…
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Pay Freeze
A temporary suspension of salary increases, applied either universally across an organisation or to defined populations. Pay freezes may be imposed for cos…
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Pay Gap
A statistical difference in average pay between defined groups within an organisation or sector — most commonly measured between men and women but also rel…
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Pay Inversion
The condition where a more senior or experienced employee earns the same as or less than a more junior colleague doing comparable work. It is a more severe…
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Pay Line
A regression-derived line plotted on a graph of job evaluation points (x-axis) against current salary levels (y-axis) across a population of roles. It show…
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Pay Mix
The ratio of fixed to variable cash compensation within a total cash package, expressed as a percentage split. A 70/30 pay mix means 70% of target total ca…
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Pay Modelling
The analytical process of calculating the cost and distribution impact of proposed pay decisions before they are implemented — enabling HR and Finance to e…
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Pay Progression
The mechanism by which an individual employee's salary advances within or between grades over time. Progression may be merit-driven (performance-based), au…
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Pay Regression Line
A statistical line of best fit plotted through actual salary data points, showing the mathematical relationship between job size — typically measured by jo…
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Pay Secrecy
A contractual or cultural norm preventing employees from disclosing or discussing their pay with colleagues. Pay secrecy clauses in employment contracts ar…
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Pay Transparency
The degree to which an organisation openly shares information about how pay decisions are made and what employees are paid. It exists on a spectrum from mi…
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Pension
An employer-provided savings arrangement that enables employees to accumulate funds for retirement — either through defined contribution (where employer an…
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Pensionable Pay
The portion of an employee's earnings used as the basis for calculating pension contributions. Definitions vary by scheme: some use basic salary only; othe…
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People Analytics
A broader term encompassing all data-driven approaches to understanding and improving the full employee experience and organisational performance — includi…
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Performance Condition
A predefined, objective measure of financial or non-financial performance that must be achieved over a specified period in order for a variable pay award —…
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Performance Management
The ongoing cycle of goal-setting, real-time feedback, coaching conversations, and formal assessment through which organisations direct, develop, and evalu…
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Performance Rating
A defined classification, score, or label applied to an employee at the conclusion of a performance assessment period to summarise the overall quality and …
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Phantom Bonus
A cash incentive award whose value is calculated by reference to the performance of a notional equity stake — mimicking the financial outcome of share owne…
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Point-Factor Method
A job evaluation methodology that scores each role against a defined set of compensable factors — such as knowledge required, problem-solving complexity, a…
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Private Medical Insurance
PMIA group health insurance benefit that provides employees with access to private healthcare — including private hospital treatment, specialist consultations…
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Profit Sharing
A variable pay arrangement in which employees receive a share of the organisation's profits — typically as a percentage of salary or a fixed amount per emp…
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Promotion Increase
A pay increase awarded to an employee who has moved into a higher-level role or grade, designed to position their new salary appropriately within the range…
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Range Penetration
RPA metric showing where within the salary range an employee sits, expressed as a percentage from the minimum (0%) to the maximum (100%). It reveals how much…
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Range Spread
The percentage width of a salary range from minimum to maximum, calculated as the difference between maximum and minimum expressed as a percentage of the m…
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Recognition Programme
A structured set of practices through which an organisation acknowledges and celebrates employee contribution, behaviour, and achievement. Recognition prog…
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Red Circle
An employee whose salary exceeds the maximum of their current salary range — also referred to as above-range or off-scale. Red-circling typically occurs wh…
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Remediation
The process of correcting documented pay inequity through targeted salary adjustments to affected individuals. Remediation addresses the historical outcome…
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Remuneration Committee
RemCoA sub-committee of the board of directors — composed of independent non-executive directors — responsible for setting, overseeing, and approving the remune…
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Remuneration Policy
A formal document setting out the framework within which a company's executive directors and senior management are remunerated — including the components o…
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Restricted Stock Unit
RSUA long-term incentive mechanism granting an employee the right to receive a specified number of company shares upon completion of a defined vesting period …
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Retention Award
A one-time cash or equity payment made to a specific individual in exchange for a commitment to remain employed for a defined period — typically one to thr…
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Retention Bonus
A one-time or staged cash payment made to an employee to incentivise them to remain in employment for a defined period — typically triggered by a business …
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Retention Strategy
A deliberate combination of reward, development, and management practices designed to reduce voluntary attrition among valued employees. Effective retentio…
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Return on Capital Employed
ROCEA financial performance measure expressing the profit generated by a business as a percentage of the capital employed to generate it — calculated as earnin…
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Reward Architecture
The overall structural design of an organisation's reward system — the grade structure, salary ranges, variable pay plans, benefits framework, and the gove…
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Reward Communication
The strategy and execution of making employees aware of, and able to appreciate, the full value of their total reward package. It encompasses Total Reward …
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Reward Philosophy
The foundational principles and values that guide how an organisation designs and delivers rewards. It articulates why the organisation rewards the way it …
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Reward Strategy
A documented framework that defines how an organisation will deploy financial and non-financial rewards to attract, retain, and engage the talent required …
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Salary Grade
A defined level within a salary structure to which roles of similar size and complexity are assigned. All roles within the same grade are governed by the s…
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Salary Range
The defined pay span within a grade — bounded by a minimum (below which the employer will not pay for that grade) and a maximum (above which employees are …
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Salary Range Disclosure
The practice of sharing the minimum, midpoint, and maximum of a salary range with employees, candidates, or the public. In regulated jurisdictions, range d…
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Salary Review
The annual or periodic process through which an organisation evaluates and adjusts individual employee salaries, considering market movement, individual pe…
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Salary Sacrifice
A tax-efficient arrangement in which an employee contractually reduces their gross salary by a defined amount, with the employer providing an equivalent be…
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Salary Structure
The complete hierarchy of salary grades and associated ranges that governs pay decisions across an organisation. It provides the framework within which ind…
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Salary Survey
A structured data collection exercise conducted by a compensation consultancy or industry body — gathering pay data from participating organisations and pu…
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Sales Quota
A defined revenue, volume, or activity target assigned to a sales employee or team against which their commission or bonus is calculated. The quota represe…
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Say on Pay
The shareholder vote on executive remuneration — either on the remuneration policy (how executives will be paid) or the implementation report (how much the…
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Severance Pay
Compensation paid to an employee upon termination of employment by the employer, either as a statutory entitlement or as an agreed contractual or ex-gratia…
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Shadow Payroll
A parallel payroll calculation maintained in an employee's home country for tax and social security reporting and compliance purposes while the employee is…
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Short-Term Incentive
STIA variable pay plan that rewards performance against targets measured over a period of twelve months or less — typically an annual bonus, a quarterly commi…
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Sign-on Bonus
A one-time cash payment made to a new employee upon joining, typically used to partially compensate the candidate for unvested long-term incentives, deferr…
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Skills-Based Pay
A compensation approach in which an employee's pay level is determined by the number, depth, or breadth of skills they have acquired and can demonstrate — …
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Span of Control
The number of direct reports managed by a single manager — a structural metric used in organisational design and HR analytics to assess management efficien…
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Split Payroll
A pay delivery arrangement in which an internationally mobile employee's compensation is divided between two currencies and paid from two separate payrolls…
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Statutory Benefits
Benefits that employers are legally required to provide under employment legislation — such as minimum pension auto-enrolment, statutory sick pay, statutor…
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Stretch Target
The level of performance above the defined target that, if achieved, triggers the maximum incentive payout. Stretch targets represent exceptional rather th…
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Structural Increase
A general pay increase applied uniformly to all employees — or to a defined subset — in response to overall movement in the external labour market or the c…
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Succession Planning
The structured process through which an organisation identifies, assesses, and develops internal candidates capable of filling critical roles — particularl…
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Survey Data Ageing
The process of adjusting salary survey data forward to reflect estimated market movement between the data collection date and the date of application. It p…
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Survey Participation
An organisation's active contribution to a salary survey by providing its own compensation data in exchange for access to the aggregated, anonymised market…
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Talent Management
The integrated set of practices through which an organisation attracts, develops, retains, and deploys the talent required to execute its business strategy…
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Target Bonus
The bonus amount an employee is expected to earn if performance meets defined targets exactly — typically expressed as a percentage of base salary. It repr…
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Tax Equalisation
A policy under which the employer assumes financial responsibility for ensuring that an internationally mobile employee pays no more and no less in total i…
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Team Incentive
A variable pay arrangement in which bonus or incentive payouts are determined by the collective performance of a defined team or group rather than solely b…
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Time-to-Fill
TTFThe number of calendar days from the date a vacancy is formally approved to the date a candidate accepts an offer — measuring the elapsed time required to …
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Total Cash Compensation
TCCThe sum of all direct cash payments an employee receives or is targeted to receive in a year — typically base salary plus target variable pay (bonuses, com…
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Total Compensation Statement
TCSA personalised document provided to an employee that quantifies all elements of their total reward package — cash compensation, employer benefit contributi…
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Total Remuneration
TRThe complete monetary value of everything an employee receives from their employer, including base salary, variable cash pay, and the employer's actual cos…
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Total Reward Statement
TRSA personalised annual document presented to each employee summarising the full monetary value of their compensation and benefits package. It converts the e…
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Total Rewards
TRThe complete set of financial and non-financial value an organisation provides to employees in exchange for their contribution, skills, and time. It extend…
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Turnover Cost
The total cost incurred when an employee voluntarily leaves the organisation — encompassing recruitment costs, onboarding and training investment, producti…
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Unadjusted Pay Gap
The raw difference in average pay between demographic groups within an organisation, calculated without controlling for any factors that might legitimately…
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Variable Pay
Compensation that is contingent on performance outcomes — awarded when defined targets or conditions are met, and reduced or withheld when they are not. It…
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Vesting
The process by which an employee gains ownership or access rights to deferred compensation — typically shares or share options in a long-term incentive pla…
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Voluntary Turnover
The rate at which employees choose to leave an organisation of their own accord — as opposed to involuntary turnover (redundancy, performance dismissal). I…
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Wellbeing
One of the five pillars of Total Rewards, encompassing physical, mental, financial, and social health dimensions. In a reward context, wellbeing is deliver…
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Wellbeing Programme
A structured set of employer-provided initiatives designed to support and improve employee health across physical, mental, financial, and social dimensions…
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Whole-Job Ranking
A job evaluation approach in which roles are ordered from smallest to largest as complete jobs — without breaking them into factors — based on a holistic j…
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Workforce Planning
The strategic process of forecasting the future talent requirements of an organisation — in terms of headcount, skills profile, functional capability mix, …