“There's always a push and pull in terms of talent coming and going, but it's gotten worse with the pandemic,” Wes Hart, managing director at Pearl Meyer told the Houston Chronicle. “When crises arise and bad things happen, you've got to have good people to weather the storm.”

"There's been a significant uptick in incentive plans tied to diversity and incentive goals, with larger companies leading the way," said Aalap Shah, managing director for Pearl Meyer.

“We’re seeing quite a bit of movement in the inclusion of ESG metrics into incentive plans,” Jan Koors, senior managing director and Western region president at Pearl Meyer told WWD. “This is still not majority practice, but certainly a significant minority practice.”

“It’s important to remember that the number you see in that summary compensation table is not the same thing as what somebody puts in their pocket or into an account,” said Jan Koors, senior managing director at Pearl Meyer.

“The discussion around say-on-pay has changed and the focus is now more specific and nuanced," said Peter Lupo, senior managing director at Pearl Meyer.

HR leaders have always played a crucial role in their organizations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust HR into the leadership spotlight. In the process, human resources teams have become “essential workers” to ensure a safe and healthy return to the workplace.

“Most companies are rethinking their pay-scaling approach,” said Bill Dixon, managing director, Pearl Meyer. “An important reason for a reevaluation of geographic differentials is the potential complications surrounding pay equity.”