Pay strategy has never been trickier. Labor markets remain unpredictable, pay transparency laws keep spreading, and compensation leaders are under pressure to stay competitive without losing governance. Enter Compa and WTW.
The two companies—Compa, known for its real-time compensation intelligence platform, and WTW, the global advisory and pay benchmarking powerhouse—have announced a partnership that blends their respective strengths. The goal: give compensation teams both speed and structure, without forcing a trade-off.
The problem: speed vs. governance
For years, compensation leaders have faced a data dilemma. Traditional pay surveys provide depth and validation but lag the market. Real-time offer data is immediate but can lack consistency. Most organizations lean on one or the other, but today’s fast-moving labor market makes that increasingly risky.
“Compensation teams are no longer choosing between published compensation surveys or real-time data—they need both,” said Erica Johnson, Head of Rewards Data Intelligence North America at WTW. “This partnership ensures pay strategies are both responsive and grounded, helping organizations compete in today’s market.”
What’s new in the partnership
By linking Compa’s offer-driven intelligence with WTW’s global pay benchmarks, organizations can:
-
Benchmark annual pay reviews with WTW’s validated survey data
-
React faster to market shifts using Compa’s real-time offer network
-
Tie hiring decisions to long-term pay strategy, ensuring agility doesn’t undermine consistency
-
Deliver evidence-based compensation narratives to execs and employees alike
“WTW provides the foundation of global benchmarks, while Compa delivers the agility of real-time market data,” said Charlie Franklin, CEO of Compa. “Together, compensation leaders get the intelligence they need to guide pay with clarity and confidence.”
Bigger industry context
This collaboration reflects a broader industry trend: hybrid data strategies. Just as companies are blending AI automation with human oversight, compensation teams are moving away from “either-or” approaches to pay data. Different decisions call for different inputs—whether that’s evaluating a hot job offer, planning an annual review, or ensuring compliance in a newly transparent jurisdiction.
By uniting structured benchmarks with live market insights, Compa and WTW are aiming to set a new standard for compensation planning in an era where speed, fairness, and defensibility are all under scrutiny.
Why it matters now
Pay has become a high-stakes battleground. Rising demand for transparency, employee trust, and equity means that compensation leaders need to communicate why decisions are made—not just what the numbers are. Having both real-time data and validated benchmarks in one place could help organizations build more credible narratives, reduce turnover risk, and avoid costly missteps in recruiting and retention.
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Public relations, investor relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire for secure and accurate distribution of market-moving news and multimedia. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented NX network. Business Wire’s global newsrooms are available to meet the needs of communications professionals and news media worldwide.
