Peter Ronza

President of Pontifex Consulting Group
Pontifex Consulting Group

With more than 30 years of experience across health care, banking, higher education, government, and a wide range of industries, Peter is a trusted expert in compensation and total rewards. His expertise has been featured in national media, including NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report. Peter has also contributed to the HR profession through service on SHRM’s Total Rewards and Ethics Special Expertise Panels, advising members on best practices in HR strategy and ethics.

 

Presentations During This Conference:

Breakout Session (repeat): Effective Reward Strategies for a Turbulent Environment: Attracting, Retaining & Effectively Utilizing Critical Talent - Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 2:15 PM

Presentation Slides

Organizations value occupations based on their centrality to the mission of the organization and their impact on achieving its objectives. The relationship between supply and demand in the relevant labor markets dictates how difficult it will be to compete for specific capabilities and what the price will be. When the internal value and external cost differ significantly the task of reconciling them presents one of the most daunting challenges for HR.

Each organization must create an attractive employer brand and value proposition to compete effectively for talent. The brand must convey what it is like to work for the organization. The value proposition must define how the organization defines, measures and rewards employee contributions. The current focus on pay equity must be addressed. But also there must be equity in selection, development, when and where work is performed, the degree of autonomy allowed and other conditions of employment.

Workforce and compensation management strategies must fit the specific context of the organization. Public agencies, cities, counties, states, utilities, library districts, park districts and public safety forces function within contexts that share similarities. However, each is different in some respects and the principle “what works is what fits the current context” should guide the selection of workforce management strategies. HR must have a deep understanding of the organization and the environment it faces. There must also be forward-looking assessments of how external factors might impact the effectiveness of strategies. What has worked for a long time may no longer be viable.

Breakout Session: Effective Reward Strategies for a Turbulent Environment: Attracting, Retaining & Effectively Utilizing Critical Talent - Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 1:15 PM

Presentation Slides

Organizations value occupations based on their centrality to the mission of the organization and their impact on achieving its objectives. The relationship between supply and demand in the relevant labor markets dictates how difficult it will be to compete for specific capabilities and what the price will be. When the internal value and external cost differ significantly the task of reconciling them presents one of the most daunting challenges for HR.

Each organization must create an attractive employer brand and value proposition to compete effectively for talent. The brand must convey what it is like to work for the organization. The value proposition must define how the organization defines, measures and rewards employee contributions. The current focus on pay equity must be addressed. But also there must be equity in selection, development, when and where work is performed, the degree of autonomy allowed and other conditions of employment.

Workforce and compensation management strategies must fit the specific context of the organization. Public agencies, cities, counties, states, utilities, library districts, park districts and public safety forces function within contexts that share similarities. However, each is different in some respects and the principle “what works is what fits the current context” should guide the selection of workforce management strategies. HR must have a deep understanding of the organization and the environment it faces. There must also be forward-looking assessments of how external factors might impact the effectiveness of strategies. What has worked for a long time may no longer be viable.