GEO INSIGHTS

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”! 

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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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

The U.S. stock market's rally has spotlighted growth companies with high insider ownership, seen as a sign of confidence in future performance. Companies like EHang Holdings (32.8% insider ownership, 81.5% earnings growth) and Alkami Technology (10.9% insider ownership, 98.6% earnings growth) lead in this category, while firms like Atour Lifestyle and KULR Technology Group boast strong growth forecasts, with projected annual revenue increases of 21.1% and 57.9%, respectively. Pinterest also demonstrates robust growth potential with insider ownership of 11.5%, annual revenue growth of 13.1%, and a $2 billion share buyback program, signaling confidence in its future trajectory.

Despite economic pressures from rising interest rates and inflation, participation in salary sacrifice employee share plans has remained strong, as revealed by a Computershare analysis across ANZ clients. Key factors driving this resilience include the simplicity of automatic salary deductions, tax benefits, and employer matching contributions, which together make these plans appealing long-term investments. For employers, the sustained popularity of these plans highlights their value as a tool for boosting engagement, fostering a sense of ownership, and enhancing employee compensation packages to attract and retain talent.

The 2024 UK Autumn Budget introduced higher Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rates and employer National Insurance contributions (NICs), raising questions about the continued effectiveness of employee share plans. Despite these changes, share plans remain valuable due to their tax advantages, such as lower CGT rates compared to income tax and corporation tax relief for employers, as well as their ability to align employee and company interests. While the tax landscape has shifted, share plans continue to offer long-term benefits for both employees and employers, emphasizing the importance of strategic structuring and clear communication to maximize their impact.