Rethinking Compensation: What Needs to Change Now – Sandrine Dorbes

The French Taboo on Money: a Heavy Cultural Legacy

Sandrine began with a revealing anecdote that still makes her smile: a Chinese colleague was surprised to see her French colleagues unable to talk about money, even though they easily discuss sexuality! This observation highlights our deep cultural blockages around money, a legacy of 1500 years of Christianity, the French Revolution, and Marxist influence.

These cultural legacies create a visceral distrust of those who have money and an awkwardness in discussing it openly. Understanding these historical roots allows managers to better grasp their teams’ reactions to compensation issues and adapt their communication accordingly.

“In France, people prefer to talk about their last orgasm than their last bonus”, Sandrine observes humorously. “That’s how much of a taboo subject it is!”

Beyond Salary: the True Drivers of Motivation

Why do people stay in a company when they could earn more elsewhere? Sandrine debunks the transactional illusion of compensation with a simple but impactful question. People stay for the role they believe they have, the understanding of their impact, the quality of relationships with colleagues, respect from their manager, and adherence to the leaders’ vision.

Conversely, highly paid employees leave despite excellent salary packages when vision is lacking, management is dysfunctional, or engagement is not present. This reality underscores that compensation is a global system that includes recognition, meaning, and the work environment, far beyond a simple payslip.

The example Sandrine gives is striking: “I’ve seen people leave companies that paid them 20% above market to join less well-paid structures where they found meaning again.”

The Salary Transparency Revolution: Preparing for Change

The transposition of the European directive will transform the relationship to compensation in France by 2026. Companies will have to quickly answer specific questions: average salaries by position and gender, objective criteria for salary progression. This forced transparency requires a complete overhaul of compensation systems.

The challenge is not just HR: it requires cleaning up job definitions, clarifying levels, empowering managers to explain discrepancies, and above all, having impeccable data quality. This evolution transforms compensation from “a technical subject into a strategic issue involving the entire organization in a process of transparency and” equity.

“Companies that start now will have a huge competitive advantage”, predicts Sandrine. “Those who wait until 2026 will face a tsunami.”

In a nutshell…

Here are the three key takeaways from this Masterclass with Sandrine Dorbes:

• Overcoming cultural taboos: Understanding the historical roots of our relationship with money allows for better communication about compensation and adaptation of managerial approach.

• Thinking about total rewards: Beyond salary, recognition, meaning, relationships, and vision are equally powerful levers for retention and motivation.

• Anticipating mandatory transparency: The future law imposes a profound transformation of HR and managerial practices, requiring preparation now.

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