Hello! We are the System HR Compensation Team, but you can call us the Comp Team.

Our team consists of Rusty Brunner, Elsa Bollinger, and Tyler Lynn. Over the years we have enjoyed partnering with managers, employees, and leaders to support competitive, fair, and equitable pay programs for System Administration.

What our team does

The Comp Team manages everything from our pay ranges, position levels and descriptions, and bonus and annual pay programs (sometimes called “merit increases”) to supporting Temporary Pay Differentials, promotions, and organizational design. To do all this, we leverage our partnerships within the departments and with budget & finance, we use data and tools, and we stay up to date on best practices and labor laws in the HR and compensation space. Ultimately, we exist to help our managers and leaders make sound employment decisions and help employees know that the value they bring to the organization is compensated appropriately.

Major Accomplishments

Going back to 2021, our team has been instrumental in adopting and complying with the Colorado Equal Pay Act. Above and beyond that, we perform regular pay equity reviews, administer and improve the annual compensation adjustment process, update and calibrate our competitive market pay ranges that are mapped to each position, and consult with leaders on the structure and details of their departments.

We are most proud of having championed a large base pay building increases to many staff in 2022 to ensure their roles have remained market competitive in a time of great market change in recent years. We continue to perform regular proactive reviews on both external market competitiveness and internal pay equity to provide our employees with confidence that their roles are paid optimally. And we’re now hard at work on improving our SharePoint site and creating and administering training and resources to ensure our practices are understood and applied effectively. 

Advice from the Comp Team for manager and employees

The most important things you can do to support your pay and the pay of your team remaining competitive and equitable are learning about and engaging in our processes, keeping your and your teams Job Descriptions updated regularly (every 1-2 years) or more often if there is substantial change with the expectations of the role, and to communicate your needs, ideas, and concerns directly with us. Managers are encouraged to learn how the budgeting process works in your department and communicate your needs to department leadership.

What now?

The best place to start on all of this is to visit our SharePoint site where you can learn more, engage with our processes, and stay up to date with news and announcements. You can also email our team at SystemHR.Compensation@cu.edu.