Compensation Survey Results: An “Untenable” Talent Climate

Intensifying competition for talent is forcing banks to pay up for both new hires and existing employees.

There were two jobs for every job seeker as recently as March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and employers of all stripes may be feeling like the balance of power has shifted. The results of Bank Director’s 2022 Compensation Survey, sponsored by Newcleus Compensation Advisors, show the banking industry is no exception to these dynamics.

Seventy-eight percent of responding directors, human resources officers, CEOs and other senior executives say that it was harder in 2021 to attract and keep the talent their bank needs than in past years. They’re responding to that challenge, in large part, by raising pay. Ninety-eight percent say their organization raised non-executive pay in 2021, and 85% increased executive compensation. Overall, compensation increased by a median 5%, according to participants.

That’s led bankers to shift their priorities. Managing compensation and benefits costs (46%), paying competitively (40%) and recruiting commercial lenders (34%) have emerged as respondents’ top compensation-related challenges this year. The proportion of respondents most concerned with tying compensation to performance – the top challenge identified in past surveys, going back to 2019 – fell sharply to 21% from 43% last year.

Even in the face of rising compensation costs, they’re also focusing on retaining and keeping staffing levels stable. Fully half of respondents say their bank added staff over the past year and 34% maintained staffing levels. Just 16% decreased their total number of employees. More than half (54%) of those whose bank decreased head count cite competition from other financial institutions and companies in their markets as the primary reason for the decline.

When asked about the specific challenges their organization faces in attracting and retaining talent, bankers and directors point to an insufficient number of qualified candidates (76%), rising wages in their markets (68%) and rising pay for key positions (43%). In anonymous comments, respondents describe other difficulties, such as competition from other industries, challenges with remote or hybrid work and younger workers’ disinclination for certain types of long-term compensation.

“[W]age pressure is incredible,” writes one community bank executive . “Our most significant competitor just implemented [four] weeks of vacation for ALL new hires and pays up to 25% higher for retail banking positions. That cost structure is untenable unless we earn more. We are under extreme pressure for talent at the same time we are building out revenue business lines.”

Key Findings

Banks Pay Up
Banks almost universally report increased pay for employees and executives. Of these, almost half believe that increased compensation expense has had an overall positive effect on their company’s profitability and performance. Forty-three percent say the impact has been neutral.

Lenders In Demand
Seventy-one percent expect to add commercial bankers in 2022, which is almost certainly driven by a desire to grow commercial portfolios and offset expense growth. Over half of respondents say their bank did not adjust its incentive plan for commercial lenders in 2022, but 34% have adjusted it in anticipation of more demand.

Additional Talent Needs
Banks also plan to add technology talent (39%), risk and compliance personnel (29%) and branch staff (25%) in 2022. Respondents also indicate that commercial lenders, branch and entry-level staff, and technology professionals were the most difficult positions to fill in 2020-21.

Image Enhancement
Forty percent of respondents say their organization monitors its reputation on job-posting platforms such as Indeed or Glassdoor. Further, 59% say they promote their company and brand across social media in an effort to build a reputation as an employer of choice, while just 20% use Glassdoor, Indeed or similar platforms in this manner.

CEO Turnover
Sixty-one percent of respondents indicate that they’re not worried about their CEO leaving for a competing financial institution, while a third report low to moderate levels of concern. More than half say their CEO is under the age of 60. Respondents report a median total compensation spend for the CEO at just over $600,000.

Remote Work Persists
Three quarters of respondents say they continue to offer remote work options for at least some of their staff, and the same percentage also believe that remote work options help to retain employees. Thirty-eight percent of respondents believe that remote work hasn’t changed their company’s culture, while 31% each say it has had either a positive or negative impact.

To view the high-level findings, click here.

Bank Services members can access a deeper exploration of the survey results. Members can click below to view the complete results, broken out by asset category and other relevant attributes. To find out how your bank can gain access to this exclusive report, contact [email protected].