Beyond the Paycheck · 2026-08-04 · 21 min
Summary What does a first paycheck spent on school supplies have to do with designing benefits for a 2,500-person global cybersecurity company? In this episode of Beyond the Paycheck, host Kelsey Willock Jones sits down with Zena Stephens Joy, Associate Director of Total Rewards at Fortra, to trace how her money story became a rewards philosophy: meet employees' basic needs first, then build from there. Zena shares how she makes the business case for financial wellbeing programs, how Fortra backs benefits the spreadsheet can't directly justify, and the honest story of a benefit launch that flopped because of poor communication. It's a candid conversation for HR and total rewards leaders on connecting pay, wellbeing, and performance.
Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.
Steal Big Tech's Playbook For The Worlds Best Comp PracticesFNDN Series · on Total Rewards87 / 100
How Healthcare Benefits Are Broken - and What Comes Next | Brandy Thompson, CEO of BenefitBayLiftoff with Keith · on employee benefits strategy66 / 100
Is Work-Life Balance Possible? Jenilee Angeles-Pasco Shares Her SecretsAsk Ashley · on employee benefits strategy64 / 100
The Holistic Care of Entrepreneurs with Jace MouseSavage to Sage · on Employee financial wellness54 / 100
[S2E12] Vincent Catalano: Five Years Later, He's Still Saying the Same Thing. Who’s Listening?CLEARly Beneficial Podcast · on employee benefits strategy
#3 | Rethinking Total RewardsThe HR Dialogues · on Total Rewards
Benefit Personas: Making Rewards Human Across 15,000 Employees71 / 100
From CD changers to FICA: a head of HR on money, AI, and people67 / 100
Money, mind, and movement: supporting the whole employee50 / 100
The Benefit Almost Nobody Uses, and Why It Pays Off75 / 100
The Missing Conversation in Every Open Enrollment69 / 100