# Compensation Foundation

## A lot is riding on your ability to get compensation right

When it comes to setting a strong foundation for managing people costs, Sequoia’s comp advisors are renowned for helping you design, govern, and communicate compensation strategies that scale.

## Why trust your comp strategy to anyone but Sequoia?

Whether you’re a startup planning for your first strategic hires or a maturing business in need of course correction, Sequoia ensures your compensation program is aligned to your goals and helping you get the most out of your investment in people.

- Deliver on your people promise with comp advisors who help you develop a foundation that protects your runway, retains talent, and meets your board’s expectations.
- **Always look through the lens of total comp and benefits** so that every dollar you spend drives retention, performance, and investor confidence.
- **Leverage an integrated platform** that uses predictive modeling, real-time benchmarking insights, and your own program data for smarter people-spend insights.

## Build a comp foundation that's scalable and balanced

##### Comp Philosophy

- Define the purpose and guiding principles of your compensation program
- Define your competitive labor market based on a number of factors
- Finely tune your pay and equity relative to the market
- Confidence in compliance and governance

##### Job Architecture

- Organize, structure, and standardize internal jobs up, down, and across the organization
- Define job functions and families
- Define career tracks and levels
- Develop assessment criteria for career pathing and evaluation
- Review and/or define current target percentiles
- Conduct informed workforce planning and succession planning with projected headcount budget
- Partner with the Compensation Committee to get buy-in and approval

##### Cash-Equity Balancing

- Optimize spend through a balanced approach to pay and equity
- Establish practices around the use of short- and long-term incentives
- Determine how individual and company performance come into play
- Develop equity grant guidelines for new hires and refreshes
- Request new share pool approvals from the board
- Define how to split shares for different roles

##### Compliance

- Stay ahead of pay regulations and governance
- Create a structured framework as the basis for equitable pay decisions
- Easily monitor pay range adherence and complete audits
- Build pay transparency into your culture

## Flexible solutions for smarter compensation strategies

Sequoia delivers our compensation expertise through right-sized solutions that cater to the unique needs of investor-backed companies of all sizes – from emerging startups to global enterprises.

#### Advisory Solutions

#### Outsourcing Solutions

#### Platform Solutions

## Impacting client success,
from emerging startup to household name

Explore how forward-thinking companies partner with Sequoia to achieve their business goals — from optimizing comp packages, to streamlining benefits administration, to elevating employee experiences.

[View all client stories](/content/resources/client-stories/index.html)

## Latest Insights & Resources

View our recent thought leadership, industry insights, news, and content.

##### The Sequoia Blog

[All recent articles](/content/blog/index.html)

[Read article](/content/2026/04/2026-enterprise-benefits-benchmarks-key-takeaways/index.html)

[Read article](/content/2026/04/new-mexico-vaccine-purchase-act-what-employers-should-know-for-the-2026-reporting-cycle/index.html)

[Read article](/content/2026/04/lilly-employer-connect-glp-1-coverage-governance/index.html)

##### Additional Resources

[Visit Resources](/content/resources/index.html)

#### Reports

2025 Total Compensation & Benefits Benchmark

#### Webinars

Rethinking Executive Compensation — with Sequoia and Carta

#### Client Voices

Yext Scales a Unified Global Employee Experience

#### Events

Ask the Experts: 2026 Employee Cost Containment

## Start your comp foundation with Sequoia

See how Sequoia’s advisory practice gives you a strategic edge.

[Talk to an Advisor](/content/form/demo/index.html)