The 2026 Comp Playbook: Precision Budgeting, AI Skills, and Data-Driven Hiring

As we enter 2026, business leaders are facing a paradox: budgets remain tight (with performance-based salary increase budgets hovering around 3.2–3.5%), yet the cost of specialized talent—particularly those with AI skills—continues to skyrocket. The "one-size-fits-all" approach to compensation is no longer just inefficient; it’s a retention risk.

Watch this recording for a practical, "how-to" session featuring Liz McConnaughey and Rani Mavram, two business leaders who are navigating these exact waters, alongside Carta’s product expert. We’re moving past high-level insights and getting into the weeds of how to build a compensation strategy that is both fiscally responsible and aggressively competitive.

In this session, we cover:

Strategic Budgeting: How to move away from broad-based raises toward data-driven adjustments that protect your high-impact players.
Pricing the "AI Premium": How to value and benchmark "hybrid" roles where AI expertise and cross-functional skills are rewriting traditional job descriptions.
Closing the "Expectation Gap": Strategies for navigating compensation conversations with candidates who use AI to research pay, ensuring your data remains the "source of truth."
Real-Time Market Intelligence: How to use Carta Total Comp to gather the data you need, allowing for mid-year agility without breaking the bank.

Who should watch: People & HR Leaders, Finance Partners, and Founders and COOs looking for a tactical roadmap to compensation for Q1 2026.

Featuring

Liz McConnaughey
Head of People & Talent
Wisp
Rani Mavram
CEO & Founder
Complete
Josh Steinfeld
Principal Product Strategist
Carta

DISCLOSURE: This event is presented on behalf of eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”). The content of this event is not, and no opinions or comments shared in this event should be treated or construed as, accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This event is for information purposes only. The content of this event is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Carta does not assume any liability for reliance on the information provided herein and undertakes no obligation to update content. The opinions of the guests and host are their own and do not reflect the view of Carta or Carta’s affiliates. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners in the U.S. and other countries, and are used for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply affiliation or endorsement.