Beyond the Paycheck – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Beyond the Paycheck

Aura Finance

Business & Entrepreneuriat

Fréquence : 1 épisode/4j. Total Éps: 70

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

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https://www.aurafinance.com/
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https://www.allvoices.co/
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https://www.akamai.com/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-wechsler-sphr-ccp-a452734/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/cforbeckmba/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-elliott-5533831a/
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Designing Total Rewards That Actually Move the Needle

Épisode 71

jeudi 30 juillet 2026 • Durée 20:10

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/

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Rethinking the Benefits Package Employees Actually Use

Épisode 70

mardi 28 juillet 2026 • Durée 17:16

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.

The Benefit Almost Nobody Uses, and Why It Pays Off

Épisode 61

jeudi 4 juin 2026 • Durée 25:07

Summary

On this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, Kelsey Willock sits down with Ken Wechsler, VP of Total Rewards at Akamai Technologies, to dig into why the most measurable parts of a pay package are often the least differentiating. Ken makes the case that comp is the "sexier side" of rewards but benefits are what build loyalty, that financial stress quietly destroys engagement, and that the best benefits are sometimes the ones almost nobody uses. Along the way he covers pay transparency, AI in compensation, and two financial-wellness experiments anyone can try. It's a practical listen for total rewards leaders, benefits practitioners, and anyone rethinking what actually keeps people.

Chapters

00:00 Meet Ken Wechsler, VP Total Rewards at Akamai

01:30 The coin-collecting kid and his earliest money memory

03:45 First job, first car, and saving with intention

05:10 A $1,212 paycheck and what younger workers need now

07:15 Comp is the sexier side, but benefits build loyalty

10:30 Maslow, remote work, and financial wellness

12:45 When the story beats the dollar

15:00 Pay transparency: the why over the where

18:30 AI in total rewards and the human touch

21:00 The reverse pyramid and the 48-hour rule

Takeaways

The most visible part of a pay package, cash, is the part competitors can most easily match.

Financial stress destroys engagement, so financial security is a precondition for it, not a perk beside it.

A benefit can be worth keeping for the story it tells even when almost no one uses it.

The Missing Conversation in Every Open Enrollment

Épisode 60

mardi 2 juin 2026 • Durée 27:55

Summary
Beyond the Paycheck sits down with Tia Larsen, Director of Benefits at FJ Management, to trace the compensation comprehension gap back to its source: a financial literacy system that never taught employees how to read a pay package. Tia draws on 16 years managing benefits, a portfolio of 16,500 employees across six industries, and her own experience of living paycheck to paycheck to make the case that total rewards statements and open enrollment education are solving for the wrong moment. The episode covers workplace clinics, the pay-yourself-first habit, and why the missing ingredient in every benefits strategy isn't better data — it's the right conversation at the right time.

Chapters
00:00 Tia Larsen and the FJ Management portfolio
04:30 Earliest memories of money and earning
08:30 The pay-yourself-first habit
12:00 Where employees get total compensation wrong
15:00 Why total rewards statements fail
17:30 The open enrollment timing problem
19:00 On-site clinics that changed employees' lives
22:30 The ROI case for workplace clinics
24:30 Pay transparency and flexibility as coming expectations

Takeaways

Employees who chase base salary without factoring in benefits cost, 401(k) match, and flexibility frequently end up with less take-home pay after switching jobs.
Total rewards statements fail not because of their design, but because they land months before employees need the information they contain.
On-site workplace clinics create predictable costs for employers while eliminating the impossible choice some employees face between medication and groceries.
Benefits comprehension is built through repeated, plain-language conversations across the year, not through a single annual enrollment presentation.
Pay transparency is already happening whether employers lead it or not — employees are comparing salaries, and legislation is coming regardless.

Connect with the GuestLinkedIn: Website:

What Do Your Employees Know About Their Retirement?

Épisode 59

jeudi 28 mai 2026 • Durée 20:43

Summary

In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, Kelsey sits down with Tim Goodchild, Director of International Benefits at Take-Two Interactive (parent company of Rockstar Games, 2K, and Zynga), to dig into what's actually broken in employee benefits. Tim's argument: the packages are often strong, but most employees don't understand what they have. With nearly 20 years in HR across AOL, the BBC, The Telegraph, and Anaplan, Tim lays out why financial wellbeing is the load-bearing pillar of any wellness program, why AI is about to flip benefits from reactive to proactive, and what it means for employers who aren't building toward that now.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Tim's background at Take-Two Interactive
02:15 Earliest money memory: saving pocket money for a motor racing helmet TV
04:00 First job: games tester at EA, a rival of Take-Two
05:30 Benefits strategy by life stage: young workforce vs. older workforce
07:30 Where benefits break down: the comprehension crisis
09:30 Gamification in benefits: interesting in theory, dangerous in practice
10:30 Financial wellbeing as the most important pillar
12:00 Elder care and the sandwich generation
14:00 Cost of living, global inflation, and financial wellbeing at work
15:30 AI and the shift from reactive to proactive benefits
17:30 Flexible and voluntary benefits: the dream of year-round personalization
19:30 How to connect with Tim

Takeaways

Most employees don't understand their benefits package — and measuring comprehension, not just coverage, is the metric most organizations are missing.
Financial wellbeing is the load-bearing pillar: when finances are stable, mental health generally follows.
AI in benefits is shifting from reactive (employees ask) to proactive (AI tells) faster than most HR teams are preparing for.
Benefits strategy must map to life stage — a 25-year-old and a 55-year-old need fundamentally different things from the same employer.

Financial Wellness Is the Frontier of Wellbeing

Épisode 58

mardi 26 mai 2026 • Durée 23:07

Summary

On Beyond the Paycheck, Kelsey Willock talks with Preet Michelson, Chief People Officer at Morgan Street Holdings and its operating company TMS, about why benefits programs break down at the communication line, not the budget line. Preet makes the case that financial wellbeing is the next frontier of workplace wellness, as overdue for normalization as physical and mental health once were. She shares concrete plays, from student loan repayment paired with mandatory coaching to a midyear, personalized total compensation statement that ends with a single number. The throughline: when people can see that a company is invested in their lives and not just their output, retention and engagement follow. Built for HR, total rewards, and financial wellness leaders.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Beyond the Paycheck

00:50 From KPMG accountant to Chief People Officer

02:30 Inside Morgan Street Holdings, TMS, and Stanley

04:30 Her earliest memory of money: independence

07:15 Where compensation and benefits break down

09:30 Why the once-a-year rewards statement fails

11:00 Marketing benefits like a consumer brand

12:45 Student loans plus mandatory coaching

14:00 Financial wellness as the next frontier

16:50 The midyear statement nobody sends

Takeaways

The benefits problem is usually communication, not budget; employees can't value what they never see.
Financial wellbeing is the missing piece of workplace wellness, and financial stress shows up as distraction and disengagement.
A midyear, personalized total compensation statement ending in one number can change how employees see the company.

How BambooHR Moved Comp Understanding From 50% to 90% With One Training

Épisode 57

jeudi 21 mai 2026 • Durée 22:46

Summary

One in two employees at BambooHR said they didn't understand how their compensation was determined. After a single mandatory compensation 101 training, that number flipped—nearly 90% said they now understood.

Engagement scores went up year over year. No new spend. No new vendor. Just education. In this episode, Kelsey Willock sits down with Alex Bertin, Head of Total Rewards at BambooHR, for a practical conversation about what it looks like to close the understanding gap between what a company offers and what employees actually know they have. Alex brings a finance background from FP&A at Delta Air lines and Qualtrics before finding his way into compensation—what he calls the Cinderella glass slipper moment—and he carries a grounded empathy for frontline employees into every benefits decision he makes.

He and Kelsey get into why the biggest breakdown in comp and benefits isn't the package itself but the disconnect between what exists and what employees know about it, how BambooHR's paid vacation bonus (yes, they pay you to take your vacation) has become their most beloved benefit, a student loan repayment benefit that an employee forgot about twice despite it being $100/month in free money, and why the next wave of AI in benefits will be agentic tools that connect all your benefits in one place so employees stop losing track of what they have. If you run total rewards and are looking for low-cost, high-impact ways to drive engagement, Alex's perspective on education over addition will resonate.

Timestamps

01:42 Alex's earliest money memory: $2 bills and selling Costco candy at swim lessons

04:33 How empathy for frontline workers keeps comp decisions grounded

07:50 Where compensation and benefits break down most: the understanding gap

10:30 The comp 101 training that moved understanding from 50% to 90%

13:44 The paid paid vacation bonus and milestone increases at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years

17:50 AI-driven benefits navigation: one place, one overlay, better utilization

Compensation Starts with Owning Your Value

Épisode 56

mardi 19 mai 2026 • Durée 32:50

Summary

Hollie Delaney, Chief People Officer at Power Home Remodeling, shares the financial independence lesson she absorbed at age 9, her 25-year career arc from Zappos to Power, and her framework for what total compensation really means. She breaks down where employees lose financial ground, why quality-of-life math matters more than salary alone, and how Power builds benefits that actually move people.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:15 Hollie's Background: From Zappos to Power Home Remodeling
05:30 The Financial Independence Lesson Learned at Age 9
10:20 How a Personal Money Story Shapes Compensation Philosophy
14:00 Where Compensation and Benefits Break Down Most
19:30 The Quality-of-Life Math Most Offers Miss
23:45 Building Benefits by Listening to the Small Things
27:00 AI, Trends, and Staying Strategy-First
30:20 A 30-Day Financial Wellness Experiment

Takeaways

Most employees evaluate offers by salary alone — Hollie's framework adds hours required, career trajectory, and lifestyle delivered to the equation before any offer is accepted.
The biggest compensation breakdown is not always the employer: it is employees who do not understand how their role is priced in the market and do not advocate based on that knowledge.
Financial independence is built through ownership — of your market value, your negotiating position, and how you evaluate an opportunity beyond the number.
Benefits that move people are not the big shiny ones. They are the day-to-day supports employees actually need: therapy benefits outside insurance friction, childcare subsidies, family planning coverage.
Strategy determines whether any trend — including AI — actually improves the organization. Tools without a clear purpose create noise, not results.

Guest Links

Hollie Delaney on LinkedIn: Power Home Remodeling:

Building Total Rewards Statements That Actually Change Retention

Épisode 55

jeudi 14 mai 2026 • Durée 25:03

Summary
Jessica O'Leary runs benefits for 3,000+ employees across a charter school network in Dallas-Fort Worth. Her framework: treat every dollar of employee premium like your own. That means negotiating free behavioral health coaching through Cigna, building a maternity leave financial planning workshop, and creating total rewards statements that show teachers exactly where their compensation dollars go. She opens with a story about selling books on her front lawn in second grade—then connects that entrepreneur mindset to how she structures benefits today. Two core challenges emerge: school districts face severe budget constraints while competing for talent, and employees increasingly ask "what's my return on investment for working here?" Her answer includes EAPs with unlimited counseling, AI-powered enrollment tools that recommend plans based on health needs, and gift card incentives that drive 3x engagement at benefits fairs.

Timestamps
00:16 From Milwaukee gamer to benefits director at a Texas charter network
02:50 First paycheck went to school clothes—and set a pattern for financial independence
05:16 Why Street Fighter and Sims taught early lessons about maximizing value
07:18 Delivering value under budget pressure: free behavioral health coaches and creative partnerships
10:25 Where compensation and benefits breakdowns happen most often
12:22 The transparency challenge: building total rewards statements that show the full picture
15:06 Mental health benefits evolve from three sessions to unlimited counseling
17:34 Measuring impact through retention and reduced out-of-pocket costs
19:28 Employees now negotiate for benefits, not just salary
22:16 Incentivizing engagement with gift cards and maternity leave financial planning workshops

Takeaways
- Tap your medical carrier's budget for free resources—Jessica secured a no-cost behavioral health coach through Cigna that handles chronic conditions, weight loss plans, and mental health counseling
- Build a total rewards statement that shows employees exactly where their compensation goes beyond salary, including benefits contributions and education stipends- Incentivize benefits education with Amazon gift cards—employees mentally value a $20 gift card more than $20 cash and will show up to learn- AI enrollment tools can cut decision fatigue by recommending health plans based on family needs and current conditions- Create proactive financial planning workshops for major life events like maternity leave to prevent employees from running out of PTO and going unpaid

Building a Mental Health Benefit Physicians Will Actually Use

Épisode 54

mardi 12 mai 2026 • Durée 29:31

Summary
Allison King runs total rewards at a national healthcare system where the pay gap between front-line staff and physicians spans six figures. After surveying 150+ employees, she found the real problem wasn't the benefits package—it was that no one understood what they already had. Physicians recommended benefits Sound already offered. Staff earning $50K and doctors clearing $300K needed radically different support, yet both groups were drowning in the same generic communication. King's response: build AI-powered decision tools herself, using dummy data and free accounts to prototype benefit recommenders before touching employee PHI.

Allison is also shifting mental health support from generic EAPs to clinician-specific programs that send grief counselors on-site after traumatic patient events—because telling a burned-out ER doc to "set better boundaries" misses the entire problem.

Timestamps
03:09 From piggy bank coin rolls to a math degree and VP of People Ops
07:14 First paycheck at Hollister bought a chunky silver Bulova watch she still owns
09:29 Why income gaps demand different benefit strategies for the same workforce
12:52 The top-three mistake: listing benefits without teaching employees how to use them
14:47 Building AI benefit decision tools with vibe coding and compliance guardrails
18:19 Transitioning from generic EAPs to clinician-specific mental health support
22:47 How to measure mental health impact when "wellbeing" means 10 different things
27:19 Subject matter experts will build personalized benefit tools without the price tag

Takeaways
- If employees are recommending benefits you already offer, your communication strategy has failed—survey to find the gap, then act on what you learn.
- Income determines benefit priorities: high earners want tax optimization and 401(k) guidance; lower earners need affordable healthcare and debt support.
- Build AI tools internally using dummy data and free accounts to prototype before involving IT, security, and compliance teams.
- Generic EAPs don't work for physicians—clinicians need mental health providers who understand needle sticks, patient deaths, and charting burnout. - Personalization at scale is now accessible: subject matter experts can build decision tools without enterprise vendor contracts.

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