Compa partners closely with every Index customer to configure their offer data and appropriately structure compensation details. This important onboarding step ensures Compa accurately represents data by value, timing, and type, and makes it possible to compare pay data apples-to-apples.
Compa Index collects a standard set of pay elements, which are defined below. Click on each pay element for more details, or to see localization requirements by country.
Pay Element | Also Known As... | Time Period | Definition |
Annual salary, base pay, base | Annual | Initial salary offered to a candidate, not including benefits, bonuses, or other guaranteed compensation. | |
Annual bonus, target bonus, cash incentive, short-term incentive | Annual Typically expressed as a percentage of base salary or as a target cash amount | Representative of the organization's corporate bonus program where employees are eligible for an ongoing bonus, based on achievement of corporate and/or individual goals. | |
Sign on bonus, sign-on, starting bonus, hiring bonus, signing bonus | One-time Typically expressed as an cash amount | Used to attract employees with hard-to-find skills or as a way to make an employee "whole" if they are leaving money on the table from their previous employer. | |
Milestone, spot, patent, referral, project, relocation, etc. | One-time Typically expressed as a cash amount | Any one-time variable reward an organization might offer a candidate that is not covered by other defined pay elements. | |
Total Cash | Total Cash Compensation, TCC | Annual Typically expressed as a cash amount | Sum of base salary plus any variable cash payouts, inclusive of ongoing and one-time bonuses, and OTI. |
New Hire Stock | Stock compensation, equity compensation, stock-based compensation, share-based compensation, options, RSUs, equity | One-time Typically expressed in target cash value | Non-cash stock grant providing share ownership in the business. Most commonly awarded in the form of stock options or restricted stock. New hire grant only, excludes future grants. |
Total Offer | Total compensation, total comp, total direct compensation, TDC | Annual Expressed as a cash amount | The cumulative value of base, bonuses (new hire, ongoing and one-time), and stock. |
Sales Compensation
Pay Element | Also Known As... | Time Period | Definition |
OTI | On-Target Incentive | Annual Expressed as a cash amount | Incentive cash compensation paid to commissioned roles in sales and go-to-market. Typically comprised of sales commission, performance bonus and/or project bonus amount tied to achievement relative to a company assigned goal. |
OTE | On-Target Earnings, Total Target Compensation | Annual Expressed as a cash amount, or percentage split (e.g., 75/25 where 75% of OTE is base and 25% of base is OTI) | The sum of base salary and OTI (commissions). Typically represents the amount of money a sales role can expect to earn if 100% of quota is achieved. |
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