Beyond the Paycheck

Aura Finance
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Beyond the Paycheck brings you candid conversations with CHROs and top people leaders who are rethinking how compensation and benefits impact more than just employee bank accounts. From the first paycheck to financial wellness programs, we explore how money shapes identity, equity, purpose, and power at work, and how forward-thinking companies are using pay and perks to transform lives, not just attract talent. This podcast is sponsored by Aura Finance, the financial wellness platform designed to help employees feel confident, secure, and in control of their money. See more at aurafinance.io

  1. 2d ago

    Designing Total Rewards That Actually Move the Needle

    Summary What happens when a company treats employee financial health as mission critical instead of a perk? Christopher Forbeck, Director of Total Rewards at NorthWestern Energy, joins host Kelsey Willock Jones to share how a sales career, two master's degrees, and a moral compass check led him to HR, and why financial security now sits on his C-suite's agenda. He breaks down where most wellbeing programs fall short by checking some pillars but not all of them, how NorthWestern built a holistic system spanning Personify Health, a double-funded 401(k), and one-on-one financial consulting for employees and their families, and why AI is pushing total rewards out of the on-demand knowledge base role and into true strategic partnership. For HR, benefits, and total rewards leaders ready to claim a seat at the strategy table. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:15 From sales to HR: an unexpected pivot 03:10 A paperboy's first paycheck 05:10 Why financial health is mission critical 07:45 Supporting the whole person at NorthWestern Energy 09:25 Where most wellbeing programs fall short 11:00 Making the case when the spreadsheet says no 13:05 Reaching the field workforce through their families 15:55 AI and the rise of the strategic total rewards leader 18:25 Chris's final message: be the strategic partner Takeaways -Financial health is mission critical: financially insecure employees drive attrition, show up distracted, and carry stress that ultimately reaches the product the organization delivers. -Most employers check off some wellbeing pillars but not all of them; real impact requires a holistic system across financial, mental, social, and physical wellbeing for employees and their families. -Make the investment case by ingraining wellbeing into company philosophy first, then backing it with metrics over time; it is not an immediate return, and leadership needs to hear that upfront. -Engagement is individual: what is meaningful to one employee may not be meaningful to another, and reaching the significant others of a field-based workforce can unlock participation that direct communication never will. -AI is absorbing the on-demand answer desk role total rewards has historically played, demanding the function step up as a strategic partner; the timing is ripe, and those who embrace it have sky's-the-limit potential. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cforbeckmba/ Website: https://www.northwesternenergy.com/ Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Designing Total Rewards That Actually Move the Needle

  2. 4d ago

    Rethinking the Benefits Package Employees Actually Use

    Summary On this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, Kelsey Willock Jones sits down with Stephanie Elliott, Director of Benefits and Compensation at SGA Dental Partners, to unpack why so many benefits programs go unused. Stephanie traces her path from an insurance company mail room to leading benefits, and explains how the death of the 40-year career made benefits the real retention lever, why piecemeal benefits strategies fail where holistic ones succeed, and how financial stress quietly undermines the workforce when a 3% raise doesn't cover rising costs. She also shares the story of removing a 48-hour system lockout for employees returning from leave, her go-to resource for staying ahead of changing regulations, and the shifts in the workweek, elder care, and niche benefits that most HR leaders aren't ready for. It's a practical listen for benefits leaders, HR practitioners, and anyone rethinking what keeps people. Chapters 00:00 Meet Stephanie Elliott, Director of Benefits and Compensation at SGA Dental Partners 02:30 A first paycheck and a $300 stereo 03:15 Why nobody stays 40 years anymore 04:30 Where companies get benefits right and where they fall short 06:00 Financial wellness beyond the 401(k) 07:45 How financial stress hits the workforce 08:15 Removing the 48-hour lockout barrier 11:00 Making the case when the spreadsheet says no 14:15 The shifts HR leaders aren't ready for 16:00 Listen to your associates Takeaways -The 40-year employee is gone; people change jobs every three to four years, and benefits, not salary, have become the real retention lever. -Most benefits strategies fail because they're built piecemeal; without one holistic view across mental, physical, and financial health, even good programs go unused. -Financial stress impacts the workforce severely; a 3% annual raise doesn't cover rising costs, and most employees don't understand what their 401(k) can actually do for them. -Low-enrollment benefits like pet insurance can still be immensely valuable; a benefit doesn't need mass adoption to matter to the people who use it. -Listen to your associates; if you don't ask what they really want, you'll implement benefits nobody uses. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-elliott-5533831a/Website: https://sgadental.com/ Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Rethinking the Benefits Package Employees Actually Use

  3. Jul 23

    Building Total Rewards From the Ground Up

    Summary What does fair pay actually mean when your employees span more than 20 countries? In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey Willock Jones talks with Felipe Uliani, Director of Global Total Rewards at Rimini Street, about the money story that started with giving his entire first paycheck to his parents in Brazil, why a total rewards leader has to be a steward of the employees, and how to design global programs when benefits can't cross borders. Felipe shares his 80/20 rule for global compensation, the story of an employee stock purchase plan that couldn't reach every country and the localized benefits that offset it, and his definition of fairness as a clear, consistent, defensible system rather than everyone getting what they want. A grounded conversation for HR, compensation, and total rewards leaders navigating global teams. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:45 First job and a first paycheck given to his parents 03:15 How a money story shapes a total rewards leader 04:30 Balancing rewards across more than 20 countries 07:30 Fairness as a clear and consistent system 09:45 A $1.6M investment in internal equity 12:15 The 80/20 rule and the experiment that didn't travel 14:15 Financial health and caring for aging parents 17:30 The shift HR leaders aren't ready for 20:00 Why executives keep investing in people Takeaways -A total rewards leader is a steward of the employees, holding company profitability and employee reality in mind at the same time, because a salary is someone's rent, food, or a dream they are fighting for. -Fairness is not everyone getting what they want; it is a clear, consistent, defensible system that employees can understand even when they disagree with an outcome. -Design global programs for the 80%, then accommodate the 20% exception with localized benefits like a richer 401(k) match, student loan repayment, or extended parental leave. -Clarity is a retention strategy: when employees understand the why behind pay decisions, confusion disappears, expectations get set, and the culture feels safe and stable. -One-size-fits-all compensation is ending; the next era requires individualized solutions and generational communication so employees actually understand and use what's offered. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fuliani/ Website: https://www.riministreet.com Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Building Total Rewards From the Ground Up

  4. Jul 21

    Why Financial Stress Is a Safety Problem

    Summary What does an employee working a second job actually tell you about your workplace? Sarah Cornelio, Total Rewards Manager at Urban Engineers, joins host Kelsey Wheelock to make the case that financial stress is a burnout and safety indicator most HR leaders miss. She shares the "never let the first answer be no" vendor philosophy that surfaced a long-term care benefit her team never went looking for, her framework for measuring the non-scale victories engagement surveys can't capture, and why focus groups are one of the most valuable tools in her 20-year HR toolbox. For total rewards, benefits, and HR leaders who want programs that meet employees where they are. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and welcome 00:45 Sarah's 20 years across HR 01:45 First paychecks and the money story behind a benefits career 03:45 Never letting the first answer be no 05:15 AI tools and keeping pulse on new offerings 07:15 Non-scale victories and measuring what surveys miss 08:45 Focus groups and listening to real struggles 10:15 The sandwich generation and life-stage benefits 12:00 Financial stress, second jobs, and burnout risk 13:45 What keeps programs from sitting idle Takeaways -Never let the first answer be no: taking every vendor call surfaced a long-term care insurance benefit Urban Engineers never went looking for, meaningful to employees at both ends of the age spectrum. -The best benefits intelligence is often already paid for: brokers, retirement carriers, and peer surveys across employee-owned firms reveal what is working before a pitch ever lands. -Programs create non-scale victories: impact that never shows in survey data. Capture it by ending every employee interaction with "What can we be doing better to support you?" -Focus groups reach the people who never fill out the survey, turning engagement scores into named, real struggles HR can act on. -Employees working multiple jobs are a burnout and safety signal, not a policy problem. Remove barriers to second jobs or pay a living wage, and treat sustained financial stress as workplace risk. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-cornelio-82470672/ Website: https://www.urbanengineers.com/ Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Why Financial Stress Is a Safety Problem

  5. Jul 16

    400 Sign-Ups in a Week: The Hidden Demand for Financial Wellness

    Summary What does a 400-signup week reveal about your workforce? In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey talks with Ernie Florkowski, Director of Benefits at Element Materials Technology, about the overwhelming employee response to a free financial coaching benefit, how his team designed an HR help desk AI that routes people to answers instead of generating them, and why he believes Amazon-style personalization is the benefits shift most HR leaders aren't ready for. A conversation for CHROs, benefits leaders, and anyone rethinking what employees need beyond pay. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Meet Ernie Florkowski and Element Materials Technology 2:40 First paychecks and Air Jordans 4:50 Keeping the big three benefits affordable 6:10 Financial coaching and 400 signups in one week 8:20 The wellness program that caught cancer early 12:45 A culture where health and family come first 14:00 AI in HR: tool, not threat 16:15 Staying current through networking 18:25 The next shift: personalized benefits Takeaways -Financial stress in the workforce is bigger than it looks: a free financial coaching benefit announced in a single company email drew 400 signups in its first week. -Affordable core benefits are a strategy, not an accident: Element keeps medical, dental, and vision under $800 a year for employee-only coverage across 27 states. -Reducing money stress at home shows up at work as focus, attendance, and better performance. -AI in HR works best when it routes employees to answers instead of generating them, avoiding the liability of confidently wrong responses. -Benefits are heading toward Amazon-style personalization, with carriers proactively reaching out based on individual health signals. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernieflorkowski/ Website: https://www.element.com Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    400 Sign-Ups in a Week: The Hidden Demand for Financial Wellness

  6. Jul 14

    Why Paying People More Doesn't Make Them Work Harder

    Summary In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey Willock Jones sits down with Jonathan Taddeo, Director of Total Rewards at Syniverse, the company powering intercarrier text messaging across 24 countries. Jonathan explains why pay is a hygiene factor rather than a motivator, why recognition is the most underused lever in employee engagement, and why the EU Pay Transparency Directive is only the tip of the iceberg for total rewards leaders. Along the way, he shares how a Division I swimming career shaped his money story, how Syniverse wins executive buy in for wellbeing programs by pairing data with the right story, and what it takes to keep pay fair across a global workforce. This conversation is for HR and total rewards leaders, people managers, and anyone who wants to understand what really drives engagement beyond the paycheck. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:15 From talent acquisition to total rewards 01:55 Inside the world's most connected company 03:45 A money story shaped by athletics 05:45 Financial wellbeing at Syniverse 09:15 The recognition gap 10:55 Why pay is a hygiene factor 13:15 Making the case with data 15:35 Fair pay and job architecture 21:35 The pay transparency wave Takeaways -Pay is a hygiene factor: it has to be fair and competitive, but money alone doesn't motivate people, and for creative work financial incentives can actually backfire. -Recognition is the biggest gap in employee engagement, and it doesn't have to be monetary; regular, frequent recognition from leaders and peers is what moves performance. -The EU Pay Transparency Directive is only the tip of the iceberg; US total rewards leaders should prepare now for right to information requests and expanding state laws. -Executive buy in comes from pairing data with the right story, like Syniverse's wellness incentive that lowers long term benefits costs by 20 to 30 percent by catching health issues early. -Fair pay starts with job architecture that matches market benchmarks and internal equity checks, so offers are anchored in data rather than gut feeling. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-taddeo/ Website: https://www.syniverse.com Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Why Paying People More Doesn't Make Them Work Harder

  7. Jul 9

    Eliminating Delays and Errors in Your Total Rewards System

    Summary What does it take to rebuild salary planning in eight weeks? In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey Willcok Jones talks with Nicholas Lassalle, Director of Total Rewards at QinetiQ, about launching an SAP compensation module in two months, why the ROI of people investments shows up in the employee experience rather than the spreadsheet, and why so many employees leave free money on the table by misunderstanding their benefits. Nicholas shares how automating benefits systems, 401(k) administration, and HSA file feeds eliminated the delays and errors that hit employees directly, and makes the case for over-communication, fast response times, and real benefits education. A practical conversation for HR, total rewards, and people leaders who want to invest in employees even when the numbers aren't obvious. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Meet Nicholas Lassalle and his total rewards career 02:30 First job and first paycheck 04:15 Supporting the whole person and the eight week SAP launch 06:45 Why over-communication wins 08:15 Benefits that remove barriers: mental health and Medicare 10:15 Responsiveness as a total rewards benefit 13:15 Making the case when the spreadsheet says no 17:15 Financial wellbeing and money left on the table 20:15 The shift ahead: AI and system integration Takeaways -A full compensation module launch can happen in eight weeks when automation replaces spreadsheets and communication is built into the rollout from day one. -The ROI of people investments is rarely monetary; it shows up as fewer paycheck errors, faster HSA deposits, and 401(k) contributions that post on time. -Manual HR processes cost employees directly, from lost 401(k) interest to delayed access to money they need. -Employees leave free money on the table by under-contributing to matched 401(k) plans and underusing the HSA's triple tax advantage. -Over-communication, multiple touchpoints, and a 24 to 48 hour response policy turn total rewards into a trust-building function, not just an administrative one. Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-lassalle/ Website: https://www.qinetiq.com Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Eliminating Delays and Errors in Your Total Rewards System

  8. Jul 7

    Empathy, karma, and the coming skills based workforce

    Summary On this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey Willock sits down with Sarah Gonzalez, SVP of Total Rewards at Switch, the hyperscaler building the data centers powering today's AI boom. Sarah traces her path from a self described "late bloomer" who fell in love with compensation, the place where the math nerds of HR end up, to a leader scaling total rewards inside a high growth company. Drawing on her own early experience of financial strain as an Army spouse, she makes the case that great total rewards leaders never forget what instability feels like. She challenges the industry habit of stacking benefit programs that reach only a fraction of the workforce, argues for benefits as fluid as the people who use them, and explains how a core value built on karma drives real retention. It's a candid, practical conversation for HR and total rewards leaders, people leaders, and anyone rethinking how companies support the whole person. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Finding the place where the math nerds of HR go 03:35 Scaling total rewards inside a high growth company 04:55 First job at Sbarro's and the truth about that first paycheck 06:55 How a money story shapes the way you lead 09:35 Supporting the whole person without falling into the program trap 12:15 Building benefits as fluid as the people who use them 15:25 Getting back on the ground to listen to frontline workers 17:35 Why support and output are connected, and the karma value 21:35 Financial wellbeing, killing the shame, and the skills based future Takeaways Once your own income is stable, it is easy to forget what financial instability feels like. The best total rewards leaders hold onto that memory and never assume everyone has a six-month safety net.Stacking benefit programs creates the illusion of coverage. Fourteen offerings can still reach only 15 to 20% of your people.Real personalization is not just person to person. The same employee needs different support at different moments of their own life, so benefits should bend instead of multiply.The annual survey is mismatched to reality because lives change far more than once a year. Listening to a frontline workforce often means getting back on the ground in person.A value built on karma, what you give is what you get back, turns whole person support into genuine retention, and the workforce of the future will increasingly want a work to live, skills based flexibility.Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-gonzales-wilson-ccp-phr-46165b8/ Website: https://www.switch.com Sponsor Aura Finance helps you simplify compensation and benefits planning by bringing everything into one streamlined platform. No more juggling spreadsheets, disconnected tools, or manual calculations—Aura gives you a single place to design, compare, and communicate total rewards packages with confidence. With AI-powered insights, it takes the guesswork and busywork out of comp decisions, helps you spot pay equity gaps early, and makes it easy to model scenarios that keep your teams engaged and your budgets on track. See a demo at https://www.aurafinance.com/

    Empathy, karma, and the coming skills based workforce
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Beyond the Paycheck brings you candid conversations with CHROs and top people leaders who are rethinking how compensation and benefits impact more than just employee bank accounts. From the first paycheck to financial wellness programs, we explore how money shapes identity, equity, purpose, and power at work, and how forward-thinking companies are using pay and perks to transform lives, not just attract talent. This podcast is sponsored by Aura Finance, the financial wellness platform designed to help employees feel confident, secure, and in control of their money. See more at aurafinance.io

Information

  • Creator
    Aura Finance
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Wizards PR
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Paycheck