### 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