Creating a compensation round

Compensation round (comp round) is a compensation review process with start and end dates, to which a comp tree (compensation tree) and comp elements (compensation elements) are attached. They rely on a data core. You can create and manage your comp rounds as well as link specific comp elements and budget inside them.

This is a tip message.

Compensation rounds are available under Workbench > Compensation Management > Compensation Process > Compensation Rounds. Access to Workbench depends on your role within the platform. This feature is available for users with the Configuration, Compensation Admin, and Global Compensation Admin professional roles.

The Compensation Rounds section in PaySuite includes summary tiles: Comp rounds, with the total number of rounds, as well as Draft, Pending draft, Ready, In progress, and Closed tiles, which specify the number of rounds in each status.

The page also displays a list of compensation rounds with names, codes, types, start and end dates, owners, statuses, and available actions, which we describe in more detail in Managing compensation rounds.

The following figure illustrates Compensation Rounds:

Compensation Rounds page

To create a compensation round, follow the steps below.

Step 1 - Round details

First, click the Create comp round button in the upper-right corner of the compensation round list. The comp round creation form is opened at step 1: Round details, as shown below:

Round details step

To specify round details, proceed as follows:

1. Fill in the basic details of the comp round:

   • Enter a name for the new comp round in the Name field.

   • Enter a unique code in the Round code field.

   • Enter a description for the comp round in the Description field. We recommend that you state in this field the purpose of the comp round to avoid any confusion if you create several comp rounds in your system.

   • If required, select additional owners in the Comp round owners field by typing their name in the search field and then clicking the name of the relevant person in the search results. If you don't add additional owners, you will be the only person who can manage the comp round.

2. In the Round type section, you may choose compensation components to include in the round.

   • If you check the Salary box, the Salary configuration subsection will appear, with comp elements to choose from the Comp element drop-down list.

   • If you check the Bonus box, the Bonus configuration subsection will appear, with bonus plans and comp elements to choose from the Bonus plan and Comp element drop-down lists.

This is an attention message.

To use the Bonus feature, ensure that all relevant bonus plans are in the Ready status within the Compensation Management section before initiating configuration.

3. The Currency section allows you to choose the Comp round currency, Exchange rate type, and Effective date.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Key dates.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 2 - Key dates

In the second step, you select a data model that will be used within this comp round. You also set key dates. The following picture presents this step:

Key dates step

To complete this step, proceed as follows:

1. In the Data model section, select the Data model from the drop-down list and choose the Freeze date and Cut-off date.

2. In the Compensation round timeline section, choose the Start date and End date of the compensation round.

3. In the Bonus plan period section, define the Period start date and Period end date for bonus calculations. This section is available only if you checked the Bonus box in the first step of the creation form.

This is an attention message.

Remember that the defined bonus plan period must align with the established KPI due dates to ensure accurate bonus calculations.

4. In the Effective dates section, specify the date when the compensation adjustments – Salary and Bonus plan – will take effect. The Bonus plan option is available only if you checked the Bonus box in the first step of the creation form.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Population.

This is an note/information message.

The data model is created in Workbench > Data Management > Data Modeler. To learn more about creating a data model, see Working with a data model.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 3 - Population

Once you have entered the basic information and key dates for the comp round, you need to define its target population; in other words, the managers and workers who will be able to select this comp round. See the Population step below:

Population step

To improve clarity and efficiency, there is the Populations panel on the left, which lists compensation types:

• Salary – a dedicated selection for the salary review population

• Bonus STI – a separate selection specifically for the STI bonus population, displaying the associated bonus plan name for easy identification

Both types include the overview of your population definition with three tiles:

• System populations – with the number of populations selected for the comp round

• Included – with the number of workers you added manually

• Excluded – with the number of workers you excluded manually

In the Select system populations section, from the Population drop-down list, select the relevant existing population criteria that apply to your needs.

You may also add workers in the Manual worker selections section. To do it, proceed as follows:

1. Click Manage workers and select Include worker or Exclude worker from the drop-down list. A pop-up window will appear.

2. In the pop-up, check a box next to the name of your chosen worker and click the Include selected or Exclude selected button.

   You will then see the included/excluded workers in the table in the Manual worker selections section. The table allows you to search for workers using the search bar. You can also delete a worker from the included/excluded list by clicking the icon next to the worker's name and selecting Delete.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Define hierarchy.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 4 - Define hierarchy

In the Define hierarchy step of the comp round creation form, you choose the hierarchy that will drive round access for this compensation round. Select a hierarchy from the Hierarchy drop-down list. The options reflect the hierarchies configured for your organization, for example, Line Manager, Matrix Manager, Communication Manager, or Compensation Manager. Once a hierarchy is selected, choose its Hierarchy source:

• Round key dates, where the structure remains fixed for the whole round, based on a snapshot taken at the round's cut-off date and freeze date set in Step 2 - Key dates.

• Live hierarchy, which always reflects the current organization, and reporting-line changes, joiners, and leavers update round access automatically while the round is open.

The Hierarchy preview below shows the resulting structure, as illustrated in the following figure:

Define hierarchy step

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Budget.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 5 - Budget

In the Budget step of the comp round creation form, you define, calculate, and govern the budgets that fund this compensation round. Each budget definition you create contains its own budget rules, aggregation, and recalculation settings, all configured in one flow. To see an overview of how budgets are calculated, click the icon at the top of the step.

If no budget definitions have been created yet, the step displays No budget definitions yet. Once budget definitions exist, they are listed in a table with the following columns:

• Definition – the name of the budget definition. Click it to open the budget definition for editing.

• Method – how the budget is built, for example Bottom-up.

• Budget level – Per manager if the budget is calculated as a fixed amount per manager, or Workers in view otherwise.

• Planner widget – the number of widgets linked to the budget definition, or Not shown if there are none.

• Validation – the number of validations linked to the budget definition, or None if there are none.

• Recalculation – Frozen if the budget amounts are frozen, or Recalculated on publish otherwise.

• The icon – options to Edit or Delete the budget definition. Deleting a budget definition also makes the widgets and validations that use it stop working.

To create a budget definition, proceed as follows:

1. Click the Create budget definition + button in the upper-right corner of the page.

2. Enter the Budget name. The name must be unique within the round, start with a letter, and contain only letters, digits, and underscores (for example, Merit_Budget), as it is used to reference the budget in formulas.

3. In the Budget rules section, click + Create. The new rule appears at the top of the list and is active by default. Then, configure the rule on the right:

   • In the Rule details section, enter the Name of the rule and, optionally, a Description. Rule names follow the same naming conventions as budget names and must be unique within the budget definition.

   • Optionally, enable the Currency section using the toggle (which is disabled by default), and select the Currency source:

     • Data model – the currency is taken from a currency field of the data model selected in Step 2 - Key dates.

     • All currencies – you select a specific currency from the list of all available currencies.

     • Comp round currency – the currency defined for the compensation round is used.

   • In the Create your formula section, select Non-conditional or Conditional as the Formula type, and enter your expression in the Formula field. To switch to the full-width editing environment, click Open calculation workspace. The workspace gives you access to:

     • Functions: Located in the panel on the left. Expand a category and click the icon next to a function to add it, or search for a function by name.

     • Properties: Located at the bottom of the window. Use the search bar to find the properties you need.

     • Start guide: Above the Formula field. Follow the five recommended steps to build your formula.

     For full details, see the Advanced calculations article. Repeat this step to add more rules. To disable a rule, click its toggle. Once the rule is disabled, the toggle turns gray. To duplicate or delete a rule, click the icon and select Duplicate or Delete.

4. In the Aggregation section, select the Aggregation function from the drop-down list. Use the toggle to enable or disable the Fixed amount per manager option. When enabled, the budget is calculated as a pool for each manager in the selected hierarchy (Line Manager, Matrix Manager, Compensation Manager, or Communication Manager). When disabled, the budget is calculated at the worker level. In the Planner, a widget linked to a fixed-amount-per-manager budget shows a value only when a manager is selected in the Population panel. Until then, it displays the message Select a manager in the population to see this budget.

5. In the Recalculation section, enable the Freeze the calculated amounts toggle if you want to lock the budget amounts. You can freeze both fixed-amount-per-manager and worker-level budgets, and you can do it before the round is published for the first time. A frozen budget keeps the amounts from its last calculation, even when the round is published again with updated data. If you freeze the budget of a draft round, the budget rules run once, when the round is first published, to calculate the initial amounts.

   For a worker-level budget, the frozen amounts still follow changes in the round's population. A worker who joins the population after the freeze receives an amount of zero, and a worker who leaves the population is removed from the total. A fixed amount per manager stays the same regardless of population changes. Switching the Fixed amount per manager toggle on or off does not affect the freeze setting.

   While the toggle is enabled, a note in the Recalculation section and in the How this budget behaves preview reminds you that the budget rules do not run when the round is published.

6. Optionally, in the Planner widgets & validation section, add widgets and validations to surface and control your budget in the Planner. The section has two tabs, Widgets and Validation. In each tab, the items you add are listed on the left, and the settings of the selected item are displayed on the right. Each item in the list has a toggle to turn it on or off and a three-dot menu with a Delete option.

   • To add a Widget, click the + Add widget button in the Widgets tab. Then, configure it on the right:

     • Enter the Widget name. The widget type is automatically set to Budget.

     • Select the Field to aggregate. Only numeric round fields are available.

     • Select the Decimal display precision, that is, the number of decimal places shown in the widget, from 0 to 8. The default is 0. The setting affects display only: all calculations, including budget validation, use the full number. Count values are always shown as whole numbers, and Utilization % keeps its format.

     • Select the Scopes to display (Direct + indirect reports, Direct reports, Indirect reports), and mark one as Default.

     • Select the Functions to display (Sum, Average, Count), and mark one as Default. The widget opens in the Planner on the default scope and function.

     • Optionally, enable the Help tip toggle and enter a text that will be displayed to managers next to the widget.

     • Check how your widget will look in the Preview section at the bottom of the window:

       

       Budget widget preview

   • To add a Validation, click the + Add validation button in the Validation tab. Then, configure it on the right:

     • Enter the Validation name. The Source is automatically set to Budget definition.

     • Select the Field to aggregate and the Function: Sum, Average, or Count.

     • Select the Scope to be validated: Direct + indirect reports, Direct reports, or Indirect reports.

     • Select the Operator and the value it is Compared against: The budget pool or A specific value. A specific value requires a Threshold value.

     • Use the Hard: block the save when this rule is not met toggle to decide what happens when the validation fails. When it is enabled, managers cannot save a proposal that breaks the validation. When it is disabled, managers only see a warning.

     • Optionally, enter the Minimum headcount. The validation then applies only when the selected scope includes at least this number of workers.

     • Check the summary under What this checks.

7. Click the Create budget definition button to save your budget definition.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step: Team planner view.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 6 - Team planner view

After having configured budget, you can configure which columns and features your managers and approvers will see in the final comp round.

To customize the Team planner view, proceed as follows:

Column configuration

1. In the Column configuration tab of the Team planner view, locate columns that you want to configure. You can search them directly in the search bar or filter them by Category, Entity, or Type. For your convenience, you can show or hide disabled columns using the Show disabled toggle next to Filters. The Preview grid button allows you to preview the column names, grouping, formatting, and colors of the Planner for a Draft round, as shown in the picture below:

   

   Preview grid

   The following illustration presents the Compensation grid configuration table:

   

   Compensation grid configuration

   To change a column's placement, drag the selected column by the far-left side of the table row and drop it.

2. To add the column to or remove it from the comp round:

   • Use a toggle in the Visibility column to enable or disable individual columns, or

   • Check several boxes, click Bulk options above the table, and select Enable or Disable from the drop-down list to enable or disable multiple columns at once. There is also the Delete option, but it only applies to custom or calculated columns.

   Columns belonging to a group appear together in a bordered block with their own toggle and checkbox, so you can select or show/hide the whole group at once.

3. To add custom or calculated columns, or to create a group of columns, click the Create button in the top-right corner of the Compensation grid configuration table and choose the relevant option from the contextual menu:

   • To add a custom column, select Custom column. A drawer will slide from the right side of the screen. Enter a Column name, add the Code, and choose the Type (Decimal, String, Date, or Boolean) from the drop-down list. You can add a Help tip that will be displayed as a tooltip on hover. You may also select a Header color.

     • For Decimal columns, you may define Decimal display precision. To specify when managers must add notes during proposals, toggle on Required notes and choose either Required if outside the guidelines or Always required. This setting also applies to Mass update in the Planner: if notes are required for the column, managers and HRBPs must enter a note in the Update rule step of the wizard; otherwise, the note is optional. To display and enter the column's values as percentages, turn on Percentage. Alternatively, you can turn on the Currency option to select the currency source: Data model, All currencies (for which the Currency field must be selected), or Comp round currency. Percentage and Currency are mutually exclusive, so enabling one disables the other. For example, a stored value of 0.2 is displayed as 20%. Formulas and exports always use the stored decimal value.

       Click Apply to save your changes.

     • For String columns, select the type: Text field or Drop-down list. For a drop-down list, choose an Option source:

       • Static list, where you type each option's Code and Label directly. Click + Add option to add more, the red x icon to delete one, and drag and drop to reorder them.

       • Enum, with options from a shared reference list, such as Country or Currency. Select the Enum reference from the drop-down list. Use View enum data to preview the underlying values.

       • Entity, where options come from a custom data entity in your data model. Select the Entity reference, then map the Code field and Label field (the entity fields whose values are stored and displayed for each option). Optionally, select a field to Order by and an Order direction (Ascending or Descending); if you leave this empty, options are shown in their original order. Use View entity data to preview the underlying values.

         For Enum and Entity sources, the Enum reference and Entity reference drop-down lists are paginated and show only the first results. Type to search for the one you need.

       Optionally, turn on Cascade from other columns to narrow this drop-down to the options that match other columns already filled in the Planner (for example, filtering available job grades by a worker's country and job level). First, select the Mapping entity, meaning the entity that pairs this drop-down's values with the columns from which cascading is done (for instance, an entity listing which cities belong to which country). Then, answer Which table field holds the option codes? by selecting the entity field that holds the same codes as this drop-down's own options. Then, under Match these to other columns, select the Planner column to match against and the Mapping field, the entity field whose value must equal that column's value. Options are only offered when all conditions match. Click + Add match condition to add up to five match conditions; the counter shows how many you have used. To delete one, click the red x icon.

       Click Apply to save your changes.

• To add a calculated column, select Calculated column. A drawer will slide from the right side of the screen. Enter a Column name, add the Code, and choose the Type (Decimal, String, Boolean, or Date) from the drop-down list.

  • For Decimal columns, you may select a Header color and define Decimal precision. You can also toggle on Percentage to display and enter the column's values as percentages. Alternatively, you can toggle on the Enable currency option to choose the currency source: Data model, All currencies (for which the Currency field must be selected), or Comp round currency. Percentage and Currency are mutually exclusive, so enabling one disables the other. Write formulas that return the decimal value (for example, 0.2 rather than 20); the column displays it as 20%. Then, add a Non-conditional or Conditional Formula. On applying the formula, its return type is validated against the selected column type. If they do not match, the application will display an inline error. There is also the Open calculation workspace button available for the full-width editor.

    Click Apply to save your changes.

  • For String, Boolean, and Date columns, the decimal precision, percentage, and currency options are not shown, as they do not apply. However, you can select a Header color. Then, add a Non-conditional or Conditional Formula the same way as above.

    Click Apply to save your changes.

This is an note/information message.

Calculated columns allow you to configure advanced calculations using formulas directly in the compensation round. See our Advanced calculations article for details.

• To add a column group list, select Groups. The Manage column groups modal will appear. In the Group list panel on the left, click New, type the name of your custom group in the Group name field, and accept the name by clicking the green icon on the right. Each group in the list shows how many columns it contains.

  Selecting a group displays its columns in the Columns in the group panel on the right, together with a matching column count. To add columns to the selected group, type in the search field. The drop-down lists ungrouped columns as well as the columns already in the group, each with a checkbox reflecting its current state. Selecting an unchecked column adds it to the group, while selecting a checked one removes it.

  Columns already in the group are listed below the search field as a reorderable list. Drag a column by its handle on the left to change its position, or click the icon next to a column's name to remove it individually. At the bottom of the panel, you can additionally choose a color for the group.

  To rename or delete a group, click the icon next to its name in the Group list panel and select Edit or Delete.

4. You may also configure the existing columns. Each column that supports it shows a row of small icons after its Type: Configuration, Conditional formatting, and, where applicable, Proposal management, Eligibility, and Guidelines. Clicking one of the icons opens that section in a new window. Data model and Calculated column categories only offer Configuration and Conditional formatting, Comp element and Bonus columns offer all six, and Custom columns offer all six as well, except that Guidelines are only available when the custom column's type is Decimal.

   Alternatively, click the column's name to open a menu listing every section available for that column, each with a short description. Select one to open it. From within any section, click View all configuration options in the top-right corner to go to another section without returning to the menu.

   For Custom and Calculated columns, this menu also includes a Delete option in the bottom-left corner, which deletes the column itself from the compensation round. If other configuration depends on the column (for example, a formula elsewhere that references it), deletion is blocked until that dependency is removed.

   The menu sections are:

   •  Configuration: In this section, the fields shown depend on the column's category:

     • Data model columns: Display name, Help tip, and Header color.

     • Custom columns: Column name, Code, Type, and Help tip (with Code and Type becoming read-only once other configuration depends on them), as well as Header color. Decimal columns also show Decimal display precision, Required notes, Percentage, and Currency. You can change the format even after the column is in use. String columns let you switch between Text field and Drop-down list, with the Option source and cascading settings described above.

     • Calculated columns: Column name, Code, Type, and Help tip (all read-only, since the column's value comes from a formula), as well as Header color. Decimal columns additionally show Decimal precision and, under Calculation, toggles for Percentage or Enable currency (with its Currency source).You can change the format even after the column is in use. String, Boolean, and Date columns do not include decimal precision, percentage, or currency; they proceed directly to the Formula. In every case, the formula is defined as Non-conditional or Conditional, with Open calculation workspace available for the full-width editor.

     • Comp element and Bonus columns: Header color, Decimal display precision, and Required notes. Under Column enablement, toggle New value to expose the new value for that compensation element, with its own Display name and Help tip once enabled. Under Calculated field, select a Reference field, the field the calculations are based on. This can be any decimal field in the round: a calculated field, a custom column, a currency field, or a compensation history field. Then, toggle the derived columns available for that element: for example, Increase amount, Increase %, or Guaranteed amount for a salary element, or Target bonus, Prorated target bonus, Calculated bonus, Bonus amount, or Guaranteed amount for a bonus element, each again with its own Display name and Help tip once enabled. Some of these toggles can depend on other configuration (for instance, a formula referencing them) and become locked on. Use View dependencies to see why.

     In every category, click Apply to save your changes, or Cancel to discard them.

   •  Conditional formatting: If no rules exist in this section yet, click Create rule in the middle of the window to add the first one. You can also use + Create in the Conditional formatting rules list header on the left instead. Either action opens the rule editor:

     • Under Rule details, enter a Rule name and Description.

     • Under Formatting, select a Background color.

     • Under Rule configuration, click Add criteria and choose a Value type: Fixed or Formula. Switching the value type after values have been entered shows a confirmation, since the change clears them.

     • Select a Criterion and Operator. Then, depending on the value type, enter a Value or write an Expression formula using the Expression builder.

     • Use the and icons on a criterion block to duplicate or remove it.

     Rules are listed in the Conditional formatting rules panel, up to a maximum of 10 per column. As higher rules override lower ones when their conditions overlap, you can drag and drop to prioritize them. To remove a rule, click the icon and select Delete. To see configuration details of a rule, click its name in the list.

     Click Apply to save the conditional formatting rules you set, or Cancel to discard your changes.

   •  Proposal management: This section is available for Comp element and Bonus columns, and for Custom columns. Use the Enable proposal management toggle, and then choose either:

     • Use an existing value: a calculated or reference field. In this option, you select the Source field from the drop-down list and confirm by clicking Apply.

     • Calculate using a formula, meaning that you generate the proposal value through advanced calculations. In this option, you create a custom Non-conditional or Conditional formula and confirm by clicking Apply.

     In both options, the selected source field or formula must resolve to the target column's type, or a validation error will block the save.

   •  Eligibility: This section is available for Comp element and Bonus columns, as well as for Custom columns. Here, you can define rules that will exclude ineligible workers from the comp round. By default, all individuals within the specified population are eligible.

     To create eligibility rules, proceed as follows:

     1. Click the Create + button in the upper-right corner of the Eligibility rules panel on the left or click the + Create rule button under the Eligibility rules section in the middle part of the window.

     2. In the Rule details section, add the Rule name and Description.

     3. In the Create your formula section, select Non-conditional or Conditional as the formula type.

        For a non-conditional formula, enter your expression directly in the Formula field.

        For a conditional formula, use one or more numbered condition blocks, each consisting of an If field for the condition and a Then field for the outcome. Click + Add condition to add more blocks, and fill in the Else field to define the fallback outcome. Copy or delete your conditions by clicking the and icons.

        With both formula types, you can press Control + Space to trigger autocomplete suggestions for properties and functions. You can also click Learn more to access the contextual menu with properties, keyboard shortcuts, or the formula builder help displayed in a drawer on the right of the screen. To switch to the full-width editing environment, click Open calculation workspace.

     After creating the eligibility rules, you can see them listed on the left side of the window.

     To disable a rule from the list, change the state of the toggle by clicking it. Once the rule is disabled, the toggle will change its color to gray.

     To duplicate or delete a rule, click the icon and select the Duplicate or Delete option.

     Click Apply to save your changes, or Cancel to discard them.

   •  Guidelines: This section is available for Comp element and Bonus columns, as well as for Custom columns of Decimal type. Here, you can define rules that will serve as the guidelines for your comp round.

     To create guideline rules, proceed as follows:

     1. Click the Create + button in the upper-right corner of the Guideline rule panel or click the + Create rule button under the Guidelines section in the middle part of the window.

     2. In the Rule details section, add the Rule name and Description.

     3. Under Create your formulas, build the Minimum and Maximum boundaries independently. For each boundary, select Non-conditional or Conditional as the formula type.

        For a non-conditional formula, enter your expression directly in the Formula field.

        For a conditional formula, use one or more numbered condition blocks, each consisting of an If field for the condition and a Then field for the outcome. Click + Add condition to add more blocks, and fill in the Else field to define the fallback outcome. Copy or delete your conditions by clicking the and icons.

        With both formula types, you can press Control + Space to trigger autocomplete suggestions for properties and functions. You can also click Learn more to access the contextual menu with properties, keyboard shortcuts, or the formula builder help displayed in a drawer on the right of the screen. To switch to the full-width editing environment, click Open calculation workspace.

        Use the Block save if this rule is not met toggle to control enforcement for boundaries. Leave it off to let managers save values outside the boundary with a warning (a soft boundary), or turn it on to prevent saving values outside the boundary (a hard boundary). Minimum and Maximum are enforced independently, so you can combine, for example, a soft minimum with a hard maximum.

     After creating the guideline rules, you can see them listed on the left side of the window.

     To disable a rule from the list, change the state of the toggle by clicking it. Once the rule is disabled, the toggle will change its color to gray.

     To duplicate or delete a rule, click the icon and select the Duplicate or Delete option.

     Click Apply to save your changes, or Cancel to discard them.

Planner add-ons

Worker compensation history

In the Planner add-ons tab, there is the Worker compensation history option for compensation admins. After you click Edit, a drawer will slide from the right side of the screen. There, you can configure compensation elements and the number of events available in the worker's compensation history. To do so, use relevant toggles, choose your values from drop-down lists, and click Apply.

Password-protected Excel export

In addition, there is the Password-protected Excel export toggle in the tab. It controls whether a password is required for Excel exports from the Planner. The toggle is enabled by default, preserving the existing secure behavior. With this toggle on, users must enter a valid password before downloading a file with compensation data. If you disable the toggle, the export dialog in the Planner will show only the page selection without enforcing a password.

Browse-by options

The Planner add-ons tab also supports the Browse-by options configuration, which determines the grouping dimensions available in the Planner. To configure these options, click Edit in the Browse-by options section. A drawer will open on the right. In this drawer, you can enable or disable the seven system default grouping options: Line Manager (enabled by default), Matrix Manager, Compensation Manager, Communication Manager, Organization, Legal Entity, and Cost Center. You can also add custom options based on enum-typed fields in the round’s data model. To do so, click the + Add option button in the upper-left corner of the drawer. Another drawer will open. There, select a Data point from the drop-down list, type a Display name, and confirm by clicking Add.

To reorder your options, use the drag handles.

To edit an option's name, click the icon and select Edit. In the Edit browse-by option drawer that will appear, enter a new Display name. For custom options, you can also select different data points. Click Save to confirm.

To delete your custom option, click the icon and select Delete.

At least one option must be enabled before you can save your Browse-by options configuration using the Save button.

Planner calculations

The Planner calculations tab lets you define rules that link editable Planner fields via formulas, so that dependent values recalculate automatically each time a user makes a change. To configure these calculations, see our dedicated Planner calculations article.

Widgets

The Widgets tab lists the widgets displayed above the grid in the Planner. Widgets show aggregated values, for example the spend against a budget, to the managers and approvers working in the compensation round.

If no widgets have been added to the round yet, the tab displays No widgets yet and an Add widget + button. Once widgets exist, they are listed in a table with the following columns:

• Widget name – the name of the widget.

• Source – Budget definition if the widget was created from a budget definition in the Budget step, or Custom otherwise.

• Show in planner – a toggle that shows or hides the widget in the Planner.

• The icon – options to Edit or Delete the widget.

Widgets are displayed in the Planner in the same order as in this table, for every role allowed to see them. To change the order, drag a widget row by the far-left side and drop it in the new position. The other rows move accordingly, and the new order is saved with the Team planner view step.

To add a widget, proceed as follows:

1. Click Add widget +. The Add widget drawer opens.

2. Enter the Widget name. The name must be unique in the round.

3. Select the Field to aggregate. If the widget is linked to a budget definition, this field is optional. Leave it empty to show the budget pool only, without spend.

4. Select the Decimal display precision, that is, the number of decimal places shown in the widget, from 0 to 8. The default is 0. The setting affects display only. All calculations use the full number.

5. Select the Scopes (Direct + indirect reports, Direct reports, or Indirect reports)and Functions (Sum, Average, or Count) to display, and mark one of each as the Default.

6. Optionally, include a Help tip to this widget by enabling the toggle and enter the Help tip text. The help tip is displayed to managers next to the widget name in the Planner.

7. Check the result in the Preview.

8. Click the Apply button in the bottom-right corner of the drawer to save the widget.

The widget Type and its Budget definition are set in the Budget step and are displayed as read-only in this drawer.

To edit a widget, click Edit in its row. To remove it, click Delete and confirm. A deleted widget is no longer displayed in the Planner.

An incomplete widget cannot be shown in the Planner until it has a name, a field to aggregate (unless it is linked to a budget definition), and at least one scope and one function.

Validation

The Validation tab specifies the validations checked in the Planner. A validation compares aggregated spend with a threshold every time a proposal is saved. Like a guideline, it flags the whole worker row rather than a single input.

If no validations have been added to the round yet, the tab displays No validations yet and an Add validation + button. Once validations exist, they are listed in a table with the following columns:

• Validation name – the name of the validation.

• Source – Budget definition if the validation was created from a budget definition in the Budget step, or Custom otherwise.

• Enforcement – Hard if the validation blocks the save, or Soft if it only flags the row.

• The icon – options to Edit or Delete the validation.

To add a validation, proceed as follows:

1. Click Add validation +. The Add validation drawer opens.

2. Enter the Validation name. The name must be unique in the round.

3. Under What it checks, select the Field to aggregate, the Function (Sum, Average, or Count), and the Scope (Direct + indirect reports, Direct reports, or Indirect reports).

4. Under Rule, select the Operator (for example, ≤ Less than or equal to) and what the result is Compared against:

• The budget pool – available only for validations linked to a budget definition.

• A specific value – for which you need to enter the Threshold value.

5. Under Enforcement, turn on Hard: block the save when this rule is not met if managers must not be able to save a proposal that breaks the rule. When the toggle is off, the validation is soft and only flags the row.

6. Optionally, enter a Minimum headcount. The validation then applies only when the selected scope includes at least this number of workers.

7. Check the summary under What this checks.

8. Click the Apply button in the bottom-right corner of the drawer to save the validation.

The Source and Budget definition of a validation are displayed as read-only in the drawer.

To edit a validation, click Edit in its row. To remove it, click Delete and confirm. A deleted validation is no longer checked in the Planner.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Actors & round access.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 7 - Actors & round access

The Actors & round access step allows you to control whether a role can access the compensation round and what it can see and do in it. The following roles are available in a table: Auditor, Compensation advisory, Compensation manager direct, Compensation manager indirect, and HRBP, as presented below:

Actors & round access step

For each actor, the table shows:

• Column visibility – Default or Custom, depending on whether you have restricted the columns this role can see in the Planner.

• Budget widget – Enabled or Disabled, showing whether the Budget widget is displayed for this role during planning.

• Access type – Attributes for roles that access the round based on standard access rules, or, for compensation managers, Hierarchy with its scope: Direct reports for Compensation manager direct, or a number of levels below (or All levels) for Compensation manager indirect.

• Default sorting – Standard or Custom, depending on whether a default sort order is configured for this role.

• Round access – a toggle that grants or revokes the role's access to the round.

To edit an actor's settings, click its name or the Edit button in its row. A drawer will slide from the right side of the screen with the following tabs:

• Column visibility: In this tab, you can choose which columns the actor can see in the Planner:

  • Each row has a checkbox for bulk selection and a Visibility toggle that immediately shows or hides a given column for this actor. At least one column must remain visible. Check one or more columns and use Bulk actions to Enable or Disable all of them at once. A counter will show how many you have selected.

  • Click Preview grid to see how the grid will look for this role.

  • Search or filter the columns the same way as in the Column configuration table described above in Column configuration.

  • Click Reset to default in the bottom-left corner of the drawer to clear all visibility overrides for this role and make every column visible again.

• Budget widget: In this tab, there is a toggle that you can turn on or off to show or hide the Budget widget for the actor during planning.

• Hierarchy levels: This tab is available for the Compensation manager indirect actor only. It includes a drop-down list that lets you select how many levels below their own position this actor can view (one, two, three, or all levels). Below the drop-down, a Preview shows a sample reporting tree consisting of a Compensation manager, a Direct report, and further Indirect report levels to highlight the manager and the levels included by your current selection.

• Default sorting: In this tab, you can define the order in which worker rows are displayed when this actor opens the Planner grid. To do so:

  1. Turn on the Default sorting toggle.

  2. Click the + Add sort criteria button.

  3. From the drop-down lists, select a Column and a Direction (Ascending or Descending) for the first sort criterion. Only columns visible to this actor are available.

  To add more criteria, click + Add sort criteria again. You can define up to three criteria. These criteria count toward the limit of ten sort criteria that the actor can apply in the Planner grid.

  To change the order of the criteria, drag them by the handle on the left. To remove a criterion, click the - icon on the right.

  Check the result in the Preview section.

  When the toggle is off, the actor uses the standard sort order.

  If a column used in the default sorting is no longer visible to the actor, an error message will ask you to make the column visible in the Column visibility tab or to select a different column.

Click Save in the bottom-right corner of the drawer to apply your changes to a given actor, or Cancel to discard them.

To revoke a role's access to the round, turn off its Round access toggle in the table. A confirmation dialog explains that turning off round access hides the round from that actor while preserving its column visibility. Click Turn off access to confirm, or Cancel to keep the current setting.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Guaranteed amounts.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Additional step for bonus calculation - Bonus calculation equation

This step is available only if you selected the Bonus option in the first step of the form. Here, you can review how the bonus is calculated for each bonus plan in the round, and set the formula and currency for the target bonus.

The following figure presents the Bonus calculation equation step:

Bonus calculation equation step

From the Bonus plans panel on the left side of the page, select the bonus plan. The formulas for that plan appear in the center panel the page.

Check previews of expression formulas in the Achievement calculation and Calculated bonus sections.

Setting the target bonus

In the Target bonus section, complete the following:

• Select the Currency source for the target bonus. This field is required.

  • Data model: Uses the currency of a specific compensation element. Select the field that provides the currency from the Target bonus currency field drop-down list. Only data model fields that provide a currency are listed.

  • All currencies: Uses one fixed currency for all workers. Select it from the Target bonus currency field drop-down list, which contains all currencies available to your company.

  • Comp round currency: Uses the currency of the compensation round. No further selection is needed.

  If you change the currency source, the Target bonus currency field is cleared, and you need to select it again.

• Build the Target bonus formula. Select Non-conditional or Conditional as the Formula type, and enter your expression in the Target bonus formula field. You can combine numeric data model fields, number values, and operators. Text values are not available. The formula must be valid before you can continue. To switch to the full-width editing environment, click Open calculation workspace. The workspace gives you access to:

  • Functions: Located in the panel on the left. Expand a category and click the icon next to a function to add it, or search for a function by name.

  • Properties: Located at the bottom of the window. Use the search bar to find the properties you need.

  • Start guide: Above the Formula field. Follow the five recommended steps to build your formula. For full details, see the Advanced calculations article.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Guaranteed amounts.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 8 - Guaranteed amounts

In the Guaranteed amounts step of the comp round creation form, you can set the minimum or fixed value that must be honored during the compensation round. See the following illustration of this step:

Guaranteed amounts step

To define guaranteed amounts, proceed as follows:

1. Click the Create + button in the upper-right corner of the Guaranteed amounts panel or click the + Create rule button under the Guaranteed amount rules section in the middle part of the page. A new window is now displayed.

2. In the Rule details section, add the Rule name and Description.

3. In the Compensation element section, select an option from the drop-down list.

4. In the Rule configuration section, add condition blocks to configure the rule. Click Add block. Toggle to choose if the block should be related to All or Any. Select a Criterion and Operator from the drop-down lists, and enter a Value. Click Add condition to add more conditions to the block. Copy or delete your criteria by clicking the and icons.

5. In the Guaranteed amount section, define the guaranteed amount for this rule and how you want to provide the amount. The guaranteed amount will be reflected in the local worker currency. Using the buttons from the Expression builder, create the Expression formula.

After creating the guaranteed amount rules, you can see them listed on the left side of the page. To search or filter them, click the drop-down list at the top of the panel, select your filters or type the name of the rule in the search bar, and Apply.

To disable a rule from the list, change the state of the toggle by clicking it. Once the rule is disabled, the toggle will change its color to gray.

To duplicate or delete a rule, click the icon and select the Duplicate or Delete option.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Workflow.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 9 - Workflow

In the Workflow step of the comp round creation form, you can design, manage, and adapt workflows to fit various review models.

Workflow stages

Workflow stages allow you to define a structured, time-based progression of activities within a single round. To configure these stages:

1. Click Manage stages in the upper-right corner of the Workflow stages section. A drawer will slide from the right side of the screen, for example:

   

   Workflow stages configured in the Manage stages drawer

2. Click Add stage to create a new stage. You can add as many stages as needed.

3. In the Stage details section, enter a Stage name and, optionally, a Description.

4. In the Actors section, check relevant boxes to select which actors have access during this stage:

   • HRBP

   • Comp manager

   • Comp manager +1

   • Compensation advisory

   • Auditor

   Only actors selected for the active stage can see the round in their Planner.

5. In the Completion criteria section, set the Stage end date under the Time-based box, currently checked by default. Type the date directly in the field or choose one from the calendar that appears when you click the field's calendar icon or arrow.

   When the end date is reached, all workers in the stage automatically advance to the next stage, regardless of workflow step completion.

6. Click Save in the bottom-right corner of the drawer to confirm the stage, then repeat for each additional stage.

   In the drawer, stages are listed in order and can be reordered by dragging them into the desired sequence. To delete a stage, click the icon next to its name and confirm with the Delete button in a dialog box.

Once saved, your stages also appear as tiles in the Workflow stages section. Clicking a tile selects the stage and loads its workflow steps in the Workflow section below, where you can configure them. See From-scratch workflows and Templates below for more details.

From-scratch workflows

You can build your custom workflow from scratch, as presented in the picture below:

Workflow built from scratch

To configure the step:

1. Click the step field in the middle of the Workflow section. The following drawer will slide from the right side of the screen:

   

   Workflow steps drawer

2. Add the Name of your workflow step.

3. In the Actors & permissions section, select your actor from the drop-down list:

• HRBP

• Comp manager

• Comp manager +1

• Compensation advisory

• Auditor

Check your Step actions boxes:

• Approve

• Reject

In Field permissions, choose Actions: Read (view only) or Write (edit/propose values).

You can add another configuration by clicking the Add configuration button.

To duplicate or delete your configuration, click the icon and select the Duplicate or Delete option.

4. You can also activate Time-based progression using the toggle and choose the Step end date. This option sets a deadline for the step. Workers who have not been moved by the end date will automatically advance to the next step on the following day.

5. Click the Apply button in the bottom-right corner of the drawer.

Once you are back in the Workflow section in the middle of the page, you can add more steps. To do so, click the icon. Alternatively, click the icon and select Add step above or Add step below. On the right, you will see the same drawer as the one described above.

You can also delete a step by clicking the icon, selecting Delete, and then confirming with the Delete button in a dialog box.

Templates

Our comp round creation form also enables workflow configuration using two predefined templates:

• Hierarchy-driven – this workflow follows a predefined approval hierarchy, with proposals reviewed and approved in sequence. See an example:

  

  Preview of a hierarchy-driven workflow

• Collaborative – this workflow allows for parallel collaboration, with stakeholders submitting and updating proposals until the deadline. It can look like this:

  

  Collaborative workflow

To select your template type, click Templates in the upper-right corner of the Workflow section. Then, click the Preview template button located under the description of your chosen template. A pop-up window will be displayed with a preview of your template. Click the Apply template button. When a confirmation dialog appears, click Apply template again.

You can now configure your template by following the instructions in From-scratch workflows above.

Click Next in the progress widget on the right side of the form to move to the next step of the comp round creation process: Validation.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Step 10 - Validation

In the Validation step of the comp round creation form, you can generate a report that will allow you to view and check your round configurations.

To generate a report, proceed as follows:

1. Click the Generate report button. A pop-up window will appear.

2. Enter the Name of the report.

3. Click Generate. The report will automatically appear in the following list of reports:

   

   Validation step

4. You may search for a report using the search bar at the top of the list or sort your reports by selecting options from the drop-down list.

5. To inspect a report, click the icon in the list of reports and select Details. A drawer will slide from the right side of the screen, including details of the round. You can add notes to the report by navigating to the Notes tab in the drawer and clicking the Add notes button.

6. To download a report:

   • Click the icon in the list of reports and select Download, or

   • Click the Download report button in the Details drawer described above.

   A pop-up window will be displayed. There, Select fields to be included and set a Password for your document. Click the Download button to save the report on your local device.

This is an note/information message.

Note an informational banner at the bottom of the pop-up window, stating that the file export is filtered based on your access permissions. This means that the downloaded report contains only the worker data you are authorized to see.

7. To rename a report, click the icon in the list of reports and select Rename. When a confirmation dialog appears, write your new Name and confirm by clicking Rename.

8. To delete a report, click the icon in the list of reports and select Delete. When a confirmation dialog appears, confirm by clicking Delete.

This is a tip message.

Click Save & exit in the upper-right corner of the application to simply save your changes and finish the creation later on.

Click Publish in the progress widget on the right side of the form to publish your compensation round and finish the comp round creation process.