Beyond the Paycheck · 2026-01-19 · 26 min
Pay Transparency & Total Rewards: DataRobot’s Director on Benchmarking, AI, and Paying for Performance SummaryCurious why employees mistrust comp decisions - even when they’re paid well? Michael Downey, Director of Total Rewards at DataRobot and a compensation leader with 15+ years of experience (and a former teacher), explains how clearer communication, practical benchmarking, and smarter use of AI can turn compensation from a source of confusion into a competitive advantage. Michael walks through "retro tech" benchmarking practices, why leaders must become educators on total rewards, how to shift from tweaks to true pay-for-performance, and the surprising ROI of simply telling employees when they’re paid above market. Listen for concrete steps to improve trust, retention, and manager conversations using tools like Workday, market data, and simple leader-led calibration exercises.
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