FNDN

FNDN exists to empower startup success through strategic pay practices that drive growth and create clarity for your people.

We transform compensation into a clear, strategic advantage by ensuring fair, budget-aligned pay practices that drive your business's growth.

Director

Kindred Minds Advisory Board

An advisory group of HR/People leaders who are helping build the future of People tech. Learn more: kindredminds.com/

Advisor

Oyster®

Senior Director of People Experience

An expanded remit taking on responsibility for both people operations and employee experience of the end-of-end journey that all each professional undertakes in their employment with Oyster.

Director of People Experience

Leading the People Operations function for Oyster:
• Enabled Oysters scale from 200 to 700+ (across 70 countries) within 12 months
• Led establishment and roll-out of compensation philosophy through detailed communication campaign. 
• Led team in the construction of a global pay calculator - delivering an ability to benchmark any Oyster role across 140+ countries within minutes.
• Led pay transparency efforts in support of values. This included building our own compensation tool and launch to internal employees. Comprehensive reporting and enablement efforts on understanding philosophy and basis for mechanics of comp benchmarks.
• Development and rollout of Oysters job levelling framework to provide career paths to all and standardise roles and salaries internally and for candidates coming in to the business.
• Delivered implementation and rollout of a performance enablement platform based on a continuous feedback framework, providing an objective capability for progression and internal mobility.
• Led the growth and development of a globally distributed team of People Ops professionals, delivering an Operating Model to dedicate our team specifically towards service and project delivery.

Director of People Operations

Rheinmetall

• Responsibility for; Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partnership and Workforce Planning.
• Led national workforce planning, reporting and analysis in line with national capital projects and secondary defence contracts.
• Established and led the annual performance and compensation merit cycle. 
• Led team accreditation and adoption of Korn Ferry job evaluation methodology.
• Implemented market dataset in TA benchmarking and merit cycle process. Training talent acquisition, hiring managers and leaders broadly in compensation methodology and uptake.
• Led talent acquisition team in hiring ~250 people over 10 months, as well as key initiatives including the launch of RDA’s referral program.

SilverRail

Procured and implemented a global HR system (HiBob), replacing myriad expensive and non-integrative systems. This provided a single system for employee data, leave management, onboarding, performance, analytics and surveys across our global workforce.

Led development and implementation of a global job levelling framework across four global sites.

Procured and leveraged market benchmarking data for to enable offer benchmarking. Further utilised this dataset to establish market relativity and in developing and leading SilverRail's first global compensation cycle efforts.

Senior Director, People Operations (Boston, London, Brisbane)

Delivering a people agenda focused on creating a workforce of unrivalled growth in capability across initiatives such as; global job levelling, benefits and remuneration; talent identification and selection; organisational value and behaviours; leadership development; and, day-to-day stakeholder engagement across business and corporate executives.

People Operations Manager

Various Companies

Mid-Senior People Operations roles across tech, FMCG, legal and professional services industries.

Mid-Senior career roles

People | Tech | Community

I help startups know what to pay their people.

If you’re leading a People function, I’ve been where you’ve been.

I know you have a thousand things to do, and working out how to do compensation is just one of them.

I know this because my experience isn’t just compensation. I am a career People Operations expert — I just really like nailing comp strategy. 

When I establish and implement practices, I do so with the experience not just of a comp specialist, but someone who's been responsible for the manager conversations, the employee experience and the commercial wellbeing of my company — like you are for yours.

My experience spans small and large tech-scale ups. From seed startups in a small office, to multi-country, to hundreds of people fully remote and globally distributed across 70+ countries. I’ve supported companies that grew to acquisition and that achieved unicorn valuation.

I like to help scaling technology businesses get comp right and get it out of the way — so that you can be the commercial leader your company needs you to be.

My most recent experience was scaling the unicorn and hyper-growth company, Oyster.

Results:
• Oyster scaled from 200 people to 650+ across 70 countries, enabled by the precision and agility of our compensation strategies and operations.
• Underpinned by our compensation strategies Oyster ramped hiring to capture market share that achieved a 390% growth in revenue.
• Our global compensation strategy enabled us to scale and expand the company while achieving an average salary cost reduction of 23%, and maintaining a candidate closure rate of >80%.
• Established Oyster's inaugural pay equity review, closing identified gaps through role-based benchmarking and a newly implemented job level framework.
• Won an employer of choice award from the prestigious HR Transform awards.

Today I help Heads of People and Chief People Officers of scaling technology companies build and grow their company through their compensation strategy.

To work with me, reach out via my website www.fndn.com.au or send me an email at matt@fndn.com.au 

I have deep experience within the tech domain:
→ Global compensation strategies
→ Pay transparency strategy and rollout
→ Career frameworks and job levelling
→ Executive compensation
→ Pay reviews and pay equity audits
→ Salary benchmarking and market pricing
→ Sales compensation & incentive plans
→ Pay for performance

If you're in HR, your goal isn't to be liked, it's to be respected.

The true indicator of success in a People function isn't personal popularity, but creating a work environment that empowers its people.

Those that work work in HR because they "like people":

1. Overpromise but under-delivers.
2. Give in to every demand.
3. Shy away from having difficult conversations.
4. Play favourites among people.
5. Avoids making tough decisions.
6. Avoids conflict at all costs.
7. Apply policies inconsistently, fearing backlash.
8. Side with popular opinion, not what's right.
9. Overlook performance issues.
10. Focused excessively on office parties and perks.

HR professionals that earn respect:

1. Set clear expectations.
2. Take responsibility for mistakes.
3. Communicate effectively.
4. Balance employee needs with business goals.
5. Enforce policies fairly and consistently.
6. Handle conflicts professionally.
7. Supports addressing performance issues promptly.
8. Provides valuable, actionable feedback.
9. Develop effective training and development programs.
10. Uphold ethical standards at all costs.

The real currency in HR isn't being liked, it's fostering an environment that enables employees to thrive.

—

If you like this content, repost this to your network and follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

Matt McFarlane

Building startup compensation practices 👉 helping you build your compensation foundation with: Compensation Philosophy + Job levels + Salary bands.

No alternative text description for this image

The best companies are saying goodbye to HR 🔥 and hello to People Experience 🚀  
  
🌟 What is it? 
 
People Experience (PX) is the sum of all interactions and experiences employees have within an organisation. 
 
It transcends the policy and compliance based HR function and focuses on how to enable and empower people to do their best work, by designing for them and with them. 
  
🌱 Why does it matter?  
 
A positive people experience leads to:  
 
1. Higher employee engagement 💯  
2. Improved productivity 📈  
3. Better talent retention 👥  
  
🛠️ How can you strengthen your People Experience skills:  
 
1. Learn to actively listen👂 
 
Understand and empathise with employees' needs and concerns. 
 
By truly hearing your employees, you're validating their perspectives and fostering trust. 
 
2. Communicate effectively 💬 
 
Be transparent and clear in your messaging.  
 
Ensure that the intent and impact of your communication are aligned. 
 
3. Foster a growth mindset 🧠 
 
Encourage continuous learning and development.  
 
Cultivate a culture where mistakes are springboards for growth, not setbacks. 
 
4. Embrace diversity and inclusion 🌈 
 
Create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.  
 
Value the unique perspectives and ideas that diversity brings to your company. 
 
5. Recognise and reward 🏆  
 
Acknowledge and celebrate employees' achievements.  
 
Show employees that their hard work doesn't go unnoticed, but is valued and rewarded. 
  
🌟 Be the leader who creates an amazing People Experience and watch your team thrive! 🚀

My direct report was bullying their direct report. Something you never think will happen in a People team. 
 
I was doing skip level meetings when I noticed some hesitation after asking how things were going with their manager. 
 
I asked some probing questions, and issues immediately began to pour our. 
 
"Things are so bad I've been thinking about leaving". 
 
"I didn't know who to speak to because we're in the People team". 
 
"I thought you wouldn't care because my manager is your direct report". 
 
I did three things: 
 
• I listened, 
• I sought to understand, 
• I committed to fixing this issue. 
 
After getting their ok, I shared these concerns with my direct report to get a balanced perspective. 
 
It was clear from that exchange that they knew their bullying had been uncovered. 
 
Ultimately, that person chose to leave the business - the change in their team was immediate and positive. 
 
• They felt trusted. 
• They knew I had their back. 
• They knew what to do if something like this happened again. 
 
But it was clear to me it shouldn't have gotten that bad. 
 
Who is the People team for your People team?  
 
Check-in with those around you and ensure they know it's safe to share challenges they're facing.

Is this the headline that People teams around the world saw coming?

Over the last 12 months, 63% of HR leaders report an increase in expectations for employees to return to the office.

But, 74% of those same HR leaders also cite these mandates as a source of conflict with their people.

What did Gartner find?:

• Issues with work-life balance rank among the top reasons employees leave their jobs.

• Employees at organisations with RTO mandates report lower intent to stay.

• High-performers, women, and millennials are the biggest flight risks due to RTO mandates.

• High-performing employees report a 16% lower intent to stay in the face of on-site work requirements.

• Nearly two-thirds of employees work best in a remote environment and feel more included when working remotely.

But what have been the benefits of RTO mandates?:

• Slight increase in effort due to closer monitoring.

• More visibility into colleagues' struggles, leading to better support.

• Managers experience greater benefits, such as familiarity with employees and better visibility into workflows.

There's some benefit, but does one outweigh the other?

What can be taken as the best practices for a flexible approach that benefits from both:

• Focus on specific regular activities and occasional events for on-site attendance.

• Allow your people to influence the policy to increase engagement and effort.

• Provide a clear “why” for on-site requirements to boost engagement and retention.

TL:DR listen to your people, communicate why and track the effects!

The benefits of return-to-office mandates seem minimal and the negative impacts are significant. 

The best approach that yields the best approach is a flexible, people-centric one.

—

If you like this content, repost this to your network and follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

graphical user interface, text, application

For Australia, the 'right to disconnect' is coming. 
 
Draft legislation has been released, for adoption as early as August this year. 
 
One prediction from me on what it will mean for the workplace: 
 
This will be another layer of change that distinguishes those who get promoted from those who don't (or will more slowly). 
 
Return to the office was the first layer. 
 
While many oppose it, those wanting to progress the fastest embraced RTO fully. 
 
Those who got back to the office  are undoubtedly seen as more committed. 
 
Research already shows more exposure to senior leadership = career rises faster. 
 
The same will happen here.  
 
Like the reversion to the office, the leadership class will not stop working outside of hours.  
 
And arguably, they're paid more to do so.  
 
Early/Middle career are not. 
 
But those who 'dress for the job they want, not the job they have' will continue to permit outside hours contact and work free overtime. 
 
Rightly or wrongly, they will be rewarded for that. 
 
They'll be seen as more committed than those who embrace their right to disconnect. 
 
Companies will accept the right to disconnect as another cost of doing business, while elevating those who flout it. 
 
That's my take, anyway - what's yours? 
 
Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gqHW6QCb 
 
#linkedinnewsaustralia

Managers don’t know how to have pay conversations. You have to equip them.

Typical scenario, someones direct report comes to them and says: 

💬 Hey I’d like to talk about increasing my pay, I think it’s below my place in the market...

Typical response from managers:

"You should speak to HR” 🙄

This leaves their direct report feeling lost and like they have to advocate for themselves. 

It also means they have to stomach up a second time, and raise the topic again to an often unknown person (HR). 

This can be enough to make most people say nothing, and instead start seeing all the roles that are paying what they’re worth.

Here’s what managers should say instead.

First. Listen.

Acknowledge that someone has just overcome what can be a huge emotional barrier and raised something with you that is deeply uncomfortable.

Thank them for having the courage to come to you. And take it as a blessing that they did vs being too scared and just getting another job.

Second. Help them navigate the system.

Because that’s what most pay processes are (even when they aren’t), they’re a system.

Tell them you’ll find out what needs to happen for their pay to be reviewed.

• Maybe its waiting for a pay review
• Maybe there is an out of cycle process
• Maybe there is something else

Find out who needs to be involved and what information needs to be compiled.

Third. Be timely. 

Your person will be thinking about this daily until you come back to them. 

Give them frequent updates and manage their expectations.

• I’ve raised it with X
• I’m waiting for a response from Y
• I’ve followed up with Z

Show them you’re making the effort.

Lastly. Help them run the gauntlet.

If your company has a defined pay philosophy and process, help to evaluate if someone is really able to get a pay increase.

• Is their pay below their position?
• Can you build a case?
• Does their performance/role need to be reviewed?

Be their concierge throughout the process. 

Help them know why you think they deserve it or why you think it might be challenging, and what next steps entail.

Sure, you’re busy, everyone is. Imagine how busy you’ll be if that person gets frustrated with the process and leaves?

A leaders role is to help their people navigate their way to success. 

Whether that’s in their work or in getting them what they need to deliver their work.

Be that advocate.

—

If you’re a Head of People interested in learning more about startup compensation and future-of-work people practices, follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

How every Head of People feels when it comes to compensation review time.

We’re in a golden era of pay, and the topic is dominating the agenda for the Head of People — I’m launching something to help. 
 
Many Heads of People I speak with are feeling unequipped to tackle the pay conversation in their organisation, and it’s no surprise: 
 
• Trends like pay transparency and strategic compensation are more relevant than ever. 
 
• Candidates and employees are demanding increased transparency. They want to know the 'why' behind their pay, and expect fairness and clarity. 
 
• The stigma around salary conversations is fading. People are talking openly about earnings, and accessible salary data is empowering everyone to 'learn what to earn'. 
 
I’m on a mission to arm every Head of People with the tools and resources that will help them step up to the plate. 
 
So I’m launching something to help — FNDN’s very own newsletter — dedicated to unpacking and exploring startup compensation. The good, the bad, and the ugly. 
 
Each month, you’ll hear directly from: 
 
• Seasoned People professionals,  
• Founders, and  
• Experts 
 
From startups, VC’s and across the startup space. 
 
Learn how to leverage compensation to drive business outcomes. 
 
Hear all about with emerging trends and best practices in the world of compensation. 
 
Subscribe using the link in the comment to get the first edition, dropping 14th July, and you'll find out who the first guest is! 
 
If you’re a Head of People, let me know in the comments below the kinds of topics that would be helpful to you when it comes to building and managing compensation at your startup 👇

Get yourself a boss who can do this. 
 
I was once in the enviable position of considering two job offers. 
 
Luckily, I also had a great relationship with my boss, and I could speak to her about both of them. 
 
I was tossing up which one to take: 
• One was an internal promotion. 
• The other was a promotion with another company. 
 
I was guilt tripping myself. 
 
I felt like I had to be loyal to the company I worked for, and that I'd be letting down those I'd worked with if I didn't take the internal role. 
 
But in reality, I liked the external opportunity more, and it presented the higher growth challenge. 
 
I'll never forget her words to me when I asked her which one I should take:  
 
"If you make every decision focused on pleasing others, you'll please nobody, not even yourself." 
 
It was a sense check for me. 
 
Not only did it help me navigate that decision, it's been something I've considered every time I've had to make a similar one. 
 
Am I just pleasing others, or truthfully making a decision that is right. 
 
Like a true coach, her words didn't give me the answer, it simply gave me a way to consider the decisions I make. 
 
So I made the call and went with the external job.  
 
Turns out it was one of the worst jobs in my life 🙃 but that's another lesson on how to evaluate a company before you go and work for it. 
 
What advice from others do you carry with you still today?

The best companies speak to their people about compensation from day one. 
 
Talking about compensation early builds trust and puts pay out of mind for longer. 
 
When employees know what's ahead, they feel more secure and valued. 
 
Here's some things to consider: 
 
Highlight available benefits early.  
 
The recruiting process is often a rush, and the focus is usually on salary. 
 
During onboarding, provide a clear summary of all benefits to ensure new hires remember the full value of their compensation package beyond just the cash.  
 
Make it a point to introduce the broader benefits you provide and you'll give them a second rush of excitement for joining your company.  
 
Set expectations for pay reviews.  
 
Inform new employees about the timing and frequency of pay reviews so they don't have to wonder.  
 
Share a simple calendar or timeline during onboarding and they won't have to think about it until the time arrives. 
 
Explain pay decision factors.  
 
Clarify the criteria and process behind pay decisions, help your people understand their eligibility and the factors that influence compensation adjustments.  
 
Use examples and real-life scenarios to illustrate how these decisions are made. 
 
Compensation doesn't often feature in onboarding because people think it's not a priority to new joiners - but by focusing on it from the start, you make it less of an issue for you and your people later. 
 
What have been the best strategies for communicating compensation to new hires?

Startups typically have a single salary band for a job family (like Marketing, or Finance), but when is one not enough?

The decision to keep a team on one broad salary band or split it into different specialisations can make or break your compensation strategy.

Uniformity or differentiation?

Here’s what you need to consider:

Job Responsibilities and Complexity 🧩

• If your team members have largely uniform responsibilities, one band might be enough.
• However, if tasks and complexity vary significantly, different bands are essential to reflect those differences.

Skills and Qualifications 🎓

• Do your team members possess distinct skill sets?
• Are specialised skills and qualifications appropriately recognised and compensated?

Market Rates 📊

• What is the industry standard pay for the roles within your team?
• Benchmarking is crucial to ensure you’re not inadvertently paying more or less than you target.

Career Progression 🚀

• Does pay help or hinder in making clear pathways for career advancement within your organisation?
• Different salary bands can help motivate and retain top talent by highlighting progression opportunities, but they can make it harder to move between roles when moving laterally.

Internal Equity ⚖️
• Broad bands can promote fairness by simplifying the structure and reducing perceived inequities.
• Differentiated bands can ensure equity by accurately reflecting the value of varied roles and responsibilities.

Organisational Goals 🎯

• Broad bands can align with strategic priorities by providing flexibility and ease of administration.
• Differentiated bands can support strategic goals by clearly aligning compensation with specific skill sets and business needs.

Employee Perception 👥

• Broad bands require clear communication to ensure employees understand the rationale and feel valued within a simplified structure.
• Differentiated bands need transparency to maintain trust and demonstrate that specialised roles and contributions are fairly recognised.

Whatever you choose, broad or differentiated salary bands can be crucial for aligning your compensation strategy with your team’s unique needs and your organisation's goals.

When have you decided to use a broad band vs a differentiated band for your teams?

—

If you like this content, repost this to your network and follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

A company is not a family. 
 
People come to work for: 
 
Fair pay: 
 
Helpful benefits 
Work-life flexibility 
Training and development 
A sense of purpose and mission 
 
Not for: 
 
Burnout 
Inflexibility 
One-sided loyalty 
A lack of job security 
Ignoring employee wellbeing 
 
While being told 'but we're a family'. 
 
Companies no longer act like families, it's time for them to stop speaking like it, too.

Here's how to get employees to stop asking about pay. 
 
I get it. 
 
It's annoying. It takes up time. It's still kinda uncomfortable to talk about. 
 
But your people ask about pay because they're unclear. 
 
• Unclear why they're paid what they're paid 
• Unclear when they get a review 
• Unclear what informs pay reviews 
 
So clear things up for them. 
 
The easiest way to justify not paying someone more: 
 
• explain to them where you seek to pay, and  
• show them how you stick to it. 
 
They don't have to like it, but at the end of the day, choosing a position and paying to it means: 
 
• You're clear where you strive to pay 
• You can be consistent 
• You can manage your companies biggest investment 
 
Will someone pay more? Yes. Someone in the market is always paying more. 
 
But unless your position is to pay the most (and it probably ain't), then so long as you can justify where you aim to pay and how you ensure you do, you're good. 
 
Be clear 
Be consistent 
 
Do those two things with your pay and I can almost guarantee you will cut your pay queries by 90%*. 
 
Fewer pay queries = fewer awkward conversations. 
 
Also means more time for you to focus on the ✨ cool strategic People stuff ✨ instead of the 😩 annoying reactive people stuff 😩 
 
*Non-binding claim. My liability insurance will not cover this.

From 0 👉 437 subscribers in 4 weeks.
It seems plenty of Heads of People have startup compensation on their mind.

If you’re one of them, and are wondering how to get pay right for your people, there’s no better time than now.

Hear from other Heads of People and CPOs, Founders and specialists in and around startups on everything to do with compensation.

Pay is no longer that unspoken topic for your people, so it shouldn’t be for People professionals, either.

Learn what others are doing and use those insights to round out your commercial skillset even further.

Join the mailing list below and be the first to know when our first session drops 👇📩

—

If you’re a Head of People interested in learning more about startup compensation and future-of-work people practices, follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

This maturity model is a must. How to master compensation no matter your startup size. 
 
Compensation can't be overlooked, it's a driving force for your company and your biggest line item. 
 
Stage 1: <50 people 
 
Here, it's less about structure and more about speed. 
 
It's about knowing your market – find the salary that gets the right talent through the door. 
 
Stage 2: 50-100 people 
 
As you grow, mindset needs to shift from knowing to defining.  
 
This is the stage for establishing a solid compensation philosophy, defining your market position, and setting up a job level framework. 
 
Stage 3: 100-250 people 
 
Once you've got a decent team size, it's time to start benchmarking for real.  
 
This is the stage where quality trumps quantity in terms of salary data.  
 
It can't be a guessing game anymore. 
 
Stage 4: >250 people 
 
Above 250? It's time to upgrade your tech. 
 
Spreadsheets may have served their purpose, but now it's time to look at software that can help administer compensation fairly and accurately. 
 
As People professionals, we're not just dealing with figures – we're shaping the  viability of our organisation. 
 
Check the comments for free resources to help you own comp at your startup. 
 
What was critical for you to navigate compensation during these stages in your organisation?

Taplio

Matt McFarlane's Linkedin Analytics

Matt McFarlane

What is Matt talking about?

Who is engaging with Matt

Matt McFarlane's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Matt McFarlane's Linkedin Analytics

Matt McFarlane

What is Matt talking about?

Who is engaging with Matt

Matt McFarlane's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Matt McFarlane's Linkedin Analytics

Matt McFarlane's Best Posts (last 30 days)