How We Work
Clarity Comes from Understanding.
At Semler Brossy, creating clarity from complexity starts with asking the right questions. This is how we begin to build the deep understanding of your business that underpins the highly effective compensation strategies and solutions we develop and implement. The conversations we initiate and our unique ability to consider key underlying business success factors stand out among compensation consultancies.
We take off where other firms finish
- “Standard” analyses are the start of our client collaboration, not the endpoint. We combine wisdom, experience, and deep analytics to broaden collective thinking and consider alternatives. We do not use a ‘middle-of-the-road’ approach.
- We have the deepest staffing model in the industry, allowing us to develop high-quality in-depth analytics to optimize informed decision-making.
- We address clients’ issues as if they were our own. We aren’t satisfied with ‘good enough’. Clients choose us for our partnership, thorough thinking, and creative solutions.
- We get closer to your business. Our clients grow to value our expertise, relationships, and judgment.
We ensure the right questions are asked, at the right times, in the right ways
- We bring candor, EQ, and an independent viewpoint.
- We raise hard questions, anticipate what’s next, and ensure alternatives are fully vetted.
- We bring strong opinions but recognize there’s often more than one right answer.
We’re shaping the direction of the executive compensation field
- We conduct leading research in foundational and emerging topics such as shareholder voting and Say on Pay, performance metrics and measurement, the intersection of ESG and compensation, and Human Capital Management matters.
- We are prominent, sought after authors and speakers in the executive compensation and governance space.
- Our relationships with investors, attorneys, valuation firms, and other advisors allow us to understand the cutting edge of governance topics and technical compensation matters.
Our culture supports our clients and promotes collaboration
- We have formal and informal firm initiatives that support diversity, inclusion, and community involvement including our Diversity Council, Social Impact Team, and Women@SBCG group.
- We syndicate and share our collective wisdom and experiences through firmwide formal and informal meetings to synthesize trends and share solutions to our clients’ most pressing ch\allenges.
- Each client has access to our best resources, the breadth of the firm’s client experiences, and opportunities to connect with leading thinkers and corporate counterparts across our firm and personal networks.
Our Process
Our process is tailored to each engagement. We generally follow four collaborative steps to develop solutions based on a clear, deep understanding of our client’s business situation, challenges and objectives.
- Build in-depth understanding of business environment, talent needs and current program designs
OBTAINED THROUGH:
- Interviews of key people
- Review of pertinent background material
- Analysis of past pay programs
- Industry analysis
- Evaluate current programs to ensure they drive performance and engage talent
FOCUSING ON:
- Pay and performance alignment
- Clarity of rewards strategy
- Consistency of practices
- Peer group benchmarks
- Governance best practices
- Provide findings and potential approaches to maximize return on total compensation spend
ADDRESSING:
- Confirmation of facts
- Benchmarking
- Fit with business goals
- Pay structure
- Plan design
- Regulatory compliance
- Committee process
- Degree of change
- Finalize solution and implementation plan to achieve program goals and business objectives
ASSISTING WITH:
- Prioritizing improvement areas
- Further developing recommendations
- Implementation planning (as appropriate)