Branding graphic

GEO INSIGHTS

ACCESS THE LATEST GLOBAL EQUITY COMPENSATION INSIGHTS

Read industry news, explore technical updates, access ideas on global employee compensation innovation, and find ways to connect.

group looking at a brochure
man presenting
men reading book
two men talking
woman at podium

FILTER INSIGHTS

TYPE
ARTICLE
14 January 2025
AUTOMATION AND AI: THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
external article

Amit Gupta, Salus Financial 

Trending now
All plan types
Global

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: AI will change the way you work. As stock plan professionals, we’ve heard all kinds of stories and promises about technology and AI that will make our work easier. But, oftentimes, general technology does not help the employee, administrator, and company. Every situation is different, and share ownership is nuanced. Managing an equity program is all about the people involved. And, as equity plans have gotten bigger and employee populations have grown more diverse in background and experience, these challenges have only grown.

A lot of technology does not help enough to justify your company investing time and resources. So, let’s dig into 3 worthwhile ways automation and AI can actually help you and your company today…

 

1: Dynamic Dashboards for Employees

Meet Boris. He just joined his company and has never participated in share ownership before. He has a few simple questions like, “What are my taxes going to be?” and “How much will I have by Christmas?”. He logged in to see his equity but got stuck sifting through pages of agreements and legalese. Now, he has a headache.

Before automation and AI, Boris would have to ask a stock plan admin or be a stock plan expert to answer his questions correctly. Traditional portals make Boris add up accounts in different places and figure out his own taxes. With dynamic, AI-powered dashboards, though, Boris can get his questions answered quickly, clearly, and in the context of your plan! No more employees coming to you with a generic pdf, misleading social media post, or haphazard Google Search asking why your equity plan is different.

Boris loves that his dashboard models his actual equity awards. Curious about whether he should sell or hold his shares, Boris can quickly see how different choices might impact his financial future without having to do the math. Boris feels valued because his portal knows about his situation and views instead of just providing some generic example.

For employees, these dashboards offer intuitive screens that break down their complex data into digestible pieces. These new, digital experiences help you show employees that their equity plans aren’t just words on a page—they’re real opportunities to build wealth with the company.
 

2: Dynamic Dashboards for You

But, Boris isn’t the only one that benefits. Advances in technology make it possible for you to have instantly customized views for all your stakeholders. Get a dashboard for payroll and legal that automatically updates with missing grant acceptances, withholding changes, and new retirement eligibility. Get a dashboard for leadership that tracks employee sentiment around equity compensation. Automated systems can even handle grant processing, summarize compliance reports, and send timely reminders about key deadlines like enrollment periods. 

These dashboards reduce the number of questions you have to answer. Instead of asking you what happens if he sells shares, Boris had his questions instantly answered in his dashboard. And, dashboard automation can proactively reach out when employees need additional help based on their interactions or when payroll needs to update some information. All these benefits come without having to spend hours creating custom spreadsheets, employee resources, or partner reports.

These dashboards help you work with your teammates in other departments more efficiently. Automation complements AI by taking over repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing you up to focus on strategic goals. 
 

3: Personalized Communications

Meet Annie. Every month she spends hours crafting documents, emails, and videos for employees about the details and possibilities of share ownership. Every month she has to find out what employees are thinking about and make content that can reach everyone from a 22-year-old on the factory floor to a 50-year-old SVP managing a division. Inevitably, she gets questions from employees who either didn’t understand the materials or who feel that their situation wasn’t covered.

Annie wishes she could reach every employee with just the right information at just the right moment. Everything would be easier if she could address each employee individually. On top of constantly answering the same questions from employees, Annie spends hours every week creating reports for HR, legal, and finance teams. “When will my RSUs vest?”. “How do I sell my shares?”. “Can you update this report?”. The monotony eats up time and energy she could use for strategic planning and her projects.

Remember those automated dashboards? Automation doesn’t just make life easier—it transforms it. For Annie, this means no longer having to manually send reminders about upcoming vesting dates or track down employees to complete required forms. Automated systems handle those tasks seamlessly.

Instead of her old one-size-fits-all email explaining the plan that overwhelmed Boris, advanced AI tools can generate personalized communications that understand each employee’s experience. For example, instead of a technical explanation of RSUs, Boris receives a friendly email that says:

"Hi Boris, congratulations on your new stock grant! Think of it like a reward for all your hard work. You’ll receive 500 shares over the next four years, starting on July 1. Click here to take a tour through how your stock works—it only takes 10 minutes!"

This approach makes equity compensation less intimidating and more engaging without taking Annie weeks. Boris no longer feels like equity is a mystery.
 

Bonus: Making it Happen

The integration of automation and AI into equity compensation isn’t just a future trend—it’s here today. These technologies empower professionals like Annie to focus on strategic work while helping employees like Boris feel confident and engaged. So, how do you tap into it?

To tap into the power of these next-generation tools, you need to communicate the business opportunity to your leadership. Smaller organizations, which may have lacked extensive budgets for employee engagement programs, can now afford to offer cutting-edge digital equity solutions. Automation and AI don’t just save time—they also save money. By reducing manual workloads, your teams can focus on more strategic initiatives without hiring additional staff.

Collaborating with technology providers to implement automation and AI can lead to immediate improvements in efficiency and employee satisfaction. Running cheaper pilot programs can help you build evidence of the business impact. By leveraging the work and expertise of others—now instantly tailored to your company’s specific needs, goals, and style thanks to automation and AI—you can reduce the time to see value from your investment and help convince your company about the returns of automation and AI.

For your company, this means happier employees, better retention, and a stronger culture of participation. For Annie and Boris, it’s about making equity compensation something to celebrate rather than something to dread.

So, whether you’re an overwhelmed stock plan administrator or an employee trying to figure out your next move, AI and automation might just be for you. Your employees aren’t one-size-fits-all, they’re special–so why aren’t your tools? It’s time to try something new! 

If you liked this article on automation and AI and are interested, be sure to dial in for our upcoming GEO Webinar: “Doing More with Less: Cutting the Number of Questions in HALF”! 

 

Amit Gupta is the CEO of Salus. Salus instantly personalizes equity compensation experiences and education for each participant and administrator with high-ROI automation and AI. We reimagine equity compensation experiences with our partners to 2x equity plan engagement. Connect with Amit on LinkedIn or email him at amit@usesalus.com!

ARTICLE
8 January 2025
BIG CHANGES TO COMPANIES IN SOUTH AFRICA – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
External News

BUSINESSTECH

South Africa

Recent amendments to the South African Companies Act, effective from December 27, 2024, introduce significant changes aimed at simplifying and clarifying corporate law, with a focus on improving the ease of doing business. Key updates include new rules for share buybacks, Social and Ethics Committee appointments, expanded definitions for employee share ownership plans (ESOPs), and strengthened landlord claims in business rescue proceedings. While some provisions, such as public access to financial statements and remuneration disclosures, are delayed until 2025, legal experts urge companies to familiarize themselves with the changes and prepare for future adjustments.

ARTICLE
3 January 2025
NEW LAWS AND REGULATIONS
External News

Baker McKenzie

Italy

The Italian Parliament approved new employment laws in the 2025 Budget Law, introducing significant updates effective from January 12, 2025. Key changes include automatic termination for unjustified absences exceeding contractual limits, stricter rules on probationary periods and fixed-term contracts, the introduction of hybrid "mixed-cause" contracts, and mandatory reporting for remote work arrangements. Additional provisions extend fixed-term contract rules until the end of 2025, clarify settlement agreement processes, and uphold employee responsibility for proving bullying claims, while recent case law addresses the validity of dismissal letters and works councils set up by minor trade unions.

ARTICLE
18 December 2024
EMPLOYEE SHARE PLANS: BACK TO THE BEGINNING?
External News

EXPAT TAX

Czech Republic

From January 1, 2025, the deferral of taxation for employee stock options will become voluntary, requiring employers to notify tax authorities if they choose to defer the taxation of non-monetary income to specific later moments, such as the sale of shares or cessation of employment. Employers must submit this notification by the 20th of the month following the employee's acquisition of the stock; otherwise, income will be taxed in the month of acquisition, along with mandatory social and health insurance contributions. For stocks acquired in 2024, employers must notify the tax office by February 2025 to maintain deferral under the new regime, or income will retroactively become taxable upon acquisition, requiring amended payroll reconciliations.

ARTICLE
6 December 2024
PAYTM'S ESOP ALLOCATION CONTINUES AMID STOCK PRICE SURGE: HOW MANY SHARES UNLOCKED NOW?
External News

Outlook Business

Design and strategy
Stock options
India

One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has issued 2.44 lakh equity shares to employees under its ESOP schemes, increasing its paid-up capital to Rs 63.73 crore. Paytm’s shares have surged 185% over the past six months, reaching a 52-week high of Rs 967.10, driven by resolved regulatory challenges and progress on key approvals like a payment aggregator license. Additionally, Paytm introduced UPI Lite for seamless small transactions, and UBS Securities raised its price target for the stock to Rs 1,000, reflecting significant improvements in the company’s outlook.

ARTICLE
5 December 2024
BANYAN ANNOUNCES GRANT OF INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS
External News

Morningstar

Design and strategy
Stock options
Canada

Banyan Gold Corp. has granted 8,000,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.21 per share to directors, officers, consultants, and staff, with vesting periods up to 18 months and terms of either five or ten years, as part of its annual compensation review. The company’s primary asset, the AurMac Project in Yukon, Canada, boasts an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 7 million ounces of gold, accessible via existing infrastructure and featuring two near-surface deposits, Airstrip and Powerline. Banyan also owns the Hyland Gold Project, a sediment-hosted deposit along the Tintina Gold Belt, further strengthening its exploration portfolio in the Yukon Territory.

ARTICLE
5 December 2024
ARCONTECH AWARDS STOCK OPTIONS TO KEY EMPLOYEE
External News

Investing

Employee engagement
Executive plans
USA

Arcontech Group PLC has granted 30,000 stock options to Mark Maguire, Head of Customer Support, under its Employee Stock Option Plan, with an exercise price of 125.5 pence per share and a vesting date of June 30, 2027. This brings the total outstanding options to 610,500, representing 4.5% of the company’s issued share capital, with earnings calculations based on a consistent 19% UK corporation tax rate. The grant, which lacks performance criteria, reflects a strategic focus on long-term employee retention and alignment with shareholder interests while balancing potential dilution with the benefits of enhanced employee motivation.

ARTICLE
4 December 2024
ISSUE OF SHARES PURSUANT TO EMPLOYEE SHARE INCENTIVE SCHEME
External News

ASMPT

Design and strategy
All plan types
Hong Kong

ASMPT Limited has announced the issuance and allotment of 1,953,200 Awarded Shares under its employee share incentive scheme, representing approximately 0.47% of its existing and enlarged issued share capital. These shares, issued at a nominal value of HK$0.10 each, aim to incentivize and retain valuable employees and will rank equally with existing shares in terms of rights and privileges. The total funds raised, HK$195,320, will be used as general working capital, with an application made to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for listing and trading of the newly issued shares.

ARTICLE
4 December 2024
TAXATION ON EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS (ESOPS) IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
External News

Carta

Finance, tax and accounting
Stock options
Singapore

Equity Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are a vital tool for incentivizing and retaining talent in Southeast Asia’s competitive startup ecosystem, offering employees equity at favorable terms to align their interests with company success. However, tax regulations for ESOPs vary significantly across the region, with factors such as timing of grants, territorial versus global tax systems, and capital versus employment equity shaping the tax treatment in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. Companies must navigate these complexities carefully, structuring equity plans to optimize employee benefits and minimize tax liabilities while ensuring compliance with diverse regional regulations.

 

GO FURTHER WITH GEO

VIRTUAL 2023 ON DEMAND

GEO VIRTUAL 2023 - ON DEMAND

Access 20+ live, 30 'Best of Edinburgh sessions and an inspiring keynote on-demand.

Available until 15 September

Insights news logo

GEO INSIGHTS

Explore our new content hub for all the latest global share plan information

Access relevant events, articles, webcasts, chapter events and more at the click of a mouse.
Local chapter logo

FIND YOUR CHAPTER

Join a local GEO community near you for local updates and networking

Bookmark your chapter page to keep in touch with news and events in your area.