To close out our 25th anniversary celebration, Astronology® recently spoke with the rest of the Astron Team. During a robust discussion, our team shared their thoughts on working at Astron, the future of compensation, and closing celebratory remarks!
Astronology®: What led you to pursue a career in Human Resources?
John Sazaklis: “Human Resources chose me!”
Cassandra Carver: “I echo John’s sentiments that Human Resources chose me. I started studying Public Relations at Montclair State University and realized very quickly that it wasn’t the career that I wanted after all. After speaking my campus advisor, it was suggested that I pursue a degree in Organizational Communications which, among a number of things, also includes Human Resources.”
Kim Harmon: “I was an Industrial/Organizational Psych major in college. Human nature always fascinated me, and I enjoyed studying how people interact with their places of employment. I recognized how where we work and what we do is such an important part of our lives. HR seemed like a natural fit for me. I have always found it to be a varied and rewarding field to be a part of.”
Nick Velazquez: “I pursued a career in HR to be a strategic partner to the business, focusing on positively impacting employee programs and rewards. HR offers a comprehensive view of an organization, enabling me to understand all of the organization’s components and how each contributes to the broader strategies and goals of an organization.”
Astronology®: What led you to join the Astron team? How long have you been here?
John Sazaklis: “Astron was looking for a software developer to automate some of their services and I answered the call. It’s now been over 20 years of HR software development at Astron.”
Cassandra Carver: “Near the end of my Junior year of college I became friends with the prior intern at Astron Solutions, a Senior named Claudia [Carfi]. She mentioned that she was moving away and was looking for someone to replace her at Astron. I told her I was interested, and the rest was history! I started the summer of 2008 as an intern and have been with the company for 16 years now.”
Kim Harmon: “I joined the Astron team in 2022 after spending 20 years as a client. A job opportunity for a consulting role presented itself at a time when I was ready for a career shift, and I made the transition. It has been such a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful group.”
Nick Velazquez: “I joined Astron Solutions six months ago, after graduating from college. I joined because I wanted to learn compensation within a smaller HR consulting practice. Astron has quickly given me a broad exposure to the various aspects and diverse responsibilities of Total Rewards.”
Astronology®: What do you find exciting about compensation?
John Sazaklis: “There are so many aspects to compensation. It’s more of a science. There are no wrong answers.”
Cassandra Carver: “I think Jennifer [Loftus] has expressed it the best – there’s an art and a science to compensation. It’s not just “crunching numbers.” There are so many factors to consider like industry, location, the actual responsibilities & tasks attached to the job title, special pay programs, and employee performance. I enjoy the variety and seeing how they all play a part in finding a pay structure that satisfies our clients and their employees.”
Kim Harmon: “Compensation is tied to both the employee experience and the prospective employee experience. When an organization develops and maintains a competitive pay structure & philosophy that are understood by its team members, issues such as turnover and vacancy rates decrease while employee engagement increases.”
Nick Velazquez: “What excites me about compensation is the role that it plays in shaping organizational culture and employee engagement. By aligning pay structures with business objectives and employee contributions, compensation becomes a tool for attracting talent and recognizing & inspiring performance. Additionally, the evolving nature of Total Rewards, with trends like pay transparency, pay equity, and the incorporation of more data-driven technologies, keeps the work dynamic and innovative.”
Astronology®: What trajectory do you see compensation taking in the next 10 years?
John Sazaklis: “More pay transparency. Companies will be more open with their salary ranges.”
Cassandra Carver: “One of the things I’m always surprised by is how much HR adjusts due to political changes. Since the United States’ federal administration changes every four years, it can be a little challenging to be fully confident with predictions. However, one aspect to compensation I do see continuing in its trajectory is pay transparency. Currently there are 13 states with some form of pay transparency in place, not including Washington D.C. I think in the next 10 years we’ll see more states with their own version of pay transparency.”
Kim Harmon: “With more transparency there will be more data available to us than ever before. Coupled with this, the AI knowledge bank is growing rapidly. All this data, however, is not of equal value or validity. This will all lead to challenges in vetting information to ensure the best compensation decisions.”
Nick Velazquez: “I see both Human Resources and Total Rewards moving away from the traditional administrative and transactional group to a true strategic partner of the business. I see Total Rewards teams being much more proactive and involved with the organization, helping them meet the goals and long-term vision of the business by attracting top talent and setting that talent up for success.”
Astronology®: What has been a highlight for you in your time at Astron?
John Sazaklis: “There are too many! I can’t think of just one.”
Cassandra Carver: “There have been so many over the years. A major highlight for me has been growth in my understanding of compensation and being able to apply those lessons when interacting with clients, helping them to be confident in the solutions we provide.”
Kim Harmon: “I enjoy meeting our clients and helping them to achieve their goals while easing their burden a bit. I also appreciate the opportunity to leverage the collective expertise of our team.”
Nick Velazquez: “The biggest highlight for me has been the speed at which I have been exposed to both how to benchmark roles and how to discuss our process & results with clients. I don’t think I would have been given the opportunity to be client-facing so quickly in my career at a larger firm.”
Astronology®: Any last comments on our 25th anniversary to share with our readers?
John Sazaklis: “Time flies!”
Cassandra Carver: “Time certainly flies – and never would I have imagined the journey I would be on joining the team back in 2008. I’m excited for the next 25 years!”
Kim Harmon: “Woohoo! Michael [Maciekowich] and Jennifer [Loftus] are experts in the field of compensation and have a wealth of knowledge & experience to share. Big congrats and I’m happy to have been a small part of it.”
Nick Velazquez: “I am excited to be part of Astron’s anniversary celebration. Twenty-five years shows that the team has consistently delivered value to our clients and been a trusted partner to the community. I think this reflects our commitment to excellence, collaboration, and making a lasting impact.”
Thanks so much to our team members for sharing their thoughts with us! Do you have any memories or comments you’d like to share? Please include them in the comments box below!
And if you haven’t had a chance yet, please be sure to check out our 25th Anniversary Thank You video on YouTube!