"The pandemic permanently changed the nature of the employer-employee relationship… [through] expansion of performance-driven incentives and perks to attract talent," said Steve Sullivan, managing director, Pearl Meyer.

“The most notable compensation change coming from the pandemic was the injection of discretion into existing packages,” said Bill Dixon, managing director, Pearl Meyer.

"When we talk with [nonprofit] boards, CEOs, and CFOS ... there's been a common understanding they want the top talent from anywhere, and it's not just limited to other not-for-profit organizations," said Tim Dupuis, vice president, Pearl Meyer.

"It remains to be seen if shareholders will continue to back tying diversity, equity, and inclusion goals to incentive programs if it means executives have significantly less skin in the game regarding companies' long-term financial performance," said Aalap Shah, managing director at Pearl Meyer.

“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.”

"At this juncture, when companies are allowing—or encouraging—remote work and it is going well, it appears there is some hesitancy to disrupt the talent pool," said Bill Dixon, managing director at Pearl Meyer.