The Problem:

Employees at our company often entered annual compensation conversations feeling anxious, confused, or unprepared. Many lacked a clear understanding of how pay decisions were made, what the compensation philosophy was, or how the base pay structure worked. This led to frustration, lower trust in the process, and missed opportunities for meaningful career discussions between employees and their leaders.

My Role:

As the lead instructional designer, I was responsible for creating a comprehensive blended learning solution to demystify compensation and better prepare both employees and leaders for these important conversations. I owned the project from needs analysis through design, development, and launch.

My Thinking:

I knew a single eLearning course alone wouldn’t be enough. Employees needed multiple ways to access the information, so I designed a blended learning experience that combined:

• A self-paced Rise 360 course (the core learning experience)

• A supporting SharePoint resource site with FAQs, charts, quick-reference guides, and downloadable tools

• A short promotional video to drive awareness and encourage completion

I chose Rise 360 because it allowed clean, modern, mobile-friendly design with strong interactivity. I focused on making complex compensation concepts (pay philosophy, job framework, base pay structure, merit increases, etc.) simple and human-centered. I also built in strong adult learning principles: scenario-based activities, clear visuals, and knowledge checks to reinforce key concepts.

The Outcome:

The course and supporting resources helped employees better understand compensation processes, expectations, and how their pay is determined. It increased organizational readiness for annual compensation cycles and equipped both employees and leaders to have more productive, transparent conversations. The blended solution received positive feedback for being clear, accessible, and practical.