Pay Band Manager, a first-of-its-kind HR solution, has launched!

Learn more
LaborIQ

Compensation | Salary Benchmarking | March 7, 2025

6 reasons why getting salaries correct is crucial for HR teams

Accurate salaries shape your entire compensation strategy—from HR decision‑making to employee relations—and directly affect your organization’s bottom line. 

Legal Compliance and Risk Management  

HR must ensure compliance with wage and hour laws, equal pay regulations, and overtime requirements. Incorrect salaries can trigger legal action, penalties, and back-pay obligations—making compliance monitoring with wage benchmarking tools like LaborIQ critical to reduce financial risk. 

Employee Trust and Retention  

Fair, accurate compensation fosters employee trust and reinforces your pay equity and retention efforts. When salaries are fair and correctly administered, employees feel valued and are more likely to stay. Conversely, pay errors or perceived inequities can destroy morale and drive talented people to leave. 

Recruitment and Competition  

Correct market-rate salaries are essential for attracting quality candidates. Companies that underpay struggle to recruit talent, while those that overpay may face unsustainable labor costs. HR needs accurate salary data to compete effectively for the best employees. 

Budget Management and Financial Planning  

Payroll typically represents 50-70% of most companies’ operating expenses. Salary errors can blow budgets, affect cash flow, and make financial forecasting unreliable. Accurate compensation data is essential for business planning and resource allocation. 

Internal Equity and Fairness  

Consistent, fair pay structures prevent discrimination claims and maintain workplace harmony. When employees perceive pay as equitable, it reduces conflict and supports a positive work environment. 

Performance and Productivity  

Properly structured compensation systems motivate performance and align employee efforts with business goals. When pay reflects contribution and market value, it drives productivity and engagement. 

Getting salaries right is fundamental to building a sustainable, legally compliant, and high-performing organization. 

Related Posts

Explore The Latest With Labor IQ

July 2, 2025

Best Practices for Developing and Managing Pay Bands

Compensation Salary Benchmarking

May 13, 2025

Compensation Software: Strategic Technology for Modern HR Excellence

Compensation Pay Equity

April 17, 2025

The Hidden Cost of Incorrect Employee Pay: Impact on Organizations

Compensation Employee Retention

March 7, 2025

6 reasons why getting salaries correct is crucial for HR teams

Compensation Salary Benchmarking

November 25, 2024

Compensation Data is The Key to Pay Transparency

Compensation

August 26, 2024

Labor market revisions finally reflect reality

Salary Benchmarking

August 15, 2024

Where do U.S. workers increase their wages the fastest?

Salary Benchmarking

March 28, 2024

Keys to a Winning Compensation Strategy

Compensation Featured Human Resources

February 19, 2024

What makes a good job description?✍️

Compensation Featured Human Resources

January 26, 2024

Understanding pay for in-demand jobs

Compensation Featured Human Resources

December 22, 2023

2023 Year in Review

Compensation Featured Human Resources

November 17, 2023

Pay Bumps for New Hires

Compensation Featured Human Resources

November 1, 2023

Setting Salary Ranges in a Changing Labor Market

Compensation Featured Human Resources Salary Benchmarking

October 30, 2023

10 Questions to Set Your Compensation Philosophy

Compensation Employee Retention

August 29, 2023

2024 Compensation Benchmarking Guide (+ Template)

Compensation Employee Retention

August 18, 2023

Not All Compensation Data Is Equal

Compensation Featured

August 11, 2023

Know Your Company’s Compensation Health Score?

Compensation Featured Human Resources

July 7, 2023

Concealing Compensation: How It Impacts Your Business & Employees

Compensation Human Resources

June 23, 2023

Closing the Pay Gap: Strategies for Achieving Pay Transparency in the Workplace

Pay Equity Salary Benchmarking

June 20, 2023

How to Calculate a Market-Based Salary to Attract Top Talent

Compensation Featured Hiring

June 19, 2023

A Boomer’s Reflections on the Business Impact of Remote Work

Compensation Featured Hiring

May 4, 2023

The Costs of Keeping Compensation a Secret

Compensation

April 18, 2023

Circa Announces LaborIQ Compensation Solution

Compensation Featured

February 6, 2023

The Role of Backfilling Jobs and Compensation

Compensation

December 22, 2022

What SB 1162 Pay Transparency Legislation Means for Your Organization

Compensation Pay Equity

December 21, 2022

5 Keys to 2023 Compensation Planning

Compensation

December 13, 2022

Pay Transparency Laws Force Employers to Address Pay Parity

Compensation

December 7, 2022

Webinar Replay: 2023 Hiring Outlook

Compensation Hiring

November 29, 2022

7 of 10 Workers Likely to Demand the Top of the Salary Range

Compensation Hiring

October 24, 2022

Do You Trust Your Compensation Data?

Compensation Employee Retention Hiring

September 19, 2022

Inflation: How It Impacts Working Parents and Child Care Costs

Compensation Labor Market Reports

September 16, 2022

Job Swimming: Meeting Expectations

Compensation Hiring

September 16, 2022

Do you need a compensation solution?

Compensation Employee Retention Hiring

September 14, 2022

A Guide to Supporting Laid Off Employees

Compensation Human Resources

August 23, 2022

Which Compensation Data Should You Be Analyzing?

Compensation

August 16, 2022

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Compensation Planning Process

Compensation

August 11, 2022

A Handy Compensation Benchmarking Template

Compensation

August 9, 2022

What is Compensation Analysis?

Compensation

August 4, 2022

Compensation Benchmarking: Your Questions Answered

Compensation

July 1, 2022

Show Me the Money: Pay Transparency Pros and Cons

Compensation

July 1, 2022

Proactive Steps to Prepare for New Pay Transparency Laws

Compensation Pay Equity

June 16, 2022

Overcoming Compensation Management Challenges

Compensation

June 13, 2022

Removing Bias From Your Compensation Planning

Compensation

June 10, 2022

The Ins and Outs of Salary Benchmarking

Compensation

June 8, 2022

It’s More Than Money: Attracting Top Talent Beyond Compensation

Compensation

May 11, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Compensation Analysis

Compensation

April 25, 2022

It’s That Time Again! Bring on the Mid-Year Compensation Reviews

Compensation Human Resources

April 5, 2022

Counter Offering the Counteroffer

Compensation Hiring

March 1, 2022

The Annual Increase Percentage: Why 2022 Is Different

Compensation

August 25, 2021

Key Factors in Determining the Right Salary Offer

Compensation