Budget lock is weeks away. Before it closes, ask one question: are your salary numbers based on today’s market, or last year’s?
If the answer is “last year’s,” your 2027 plan may already be behind. Here’s why it happens, and how to fix it while there’s still time.
The Q4 Budgeting Trap
Every Q4, many companies follow the same pattern. It feels safe, but it often leaves them a step behind the market.
How it usually plays out
- Budgets are built on old data. Salary ranges start from last cycle’s figures, plus a standard percentage increase.
- Offers go out. Hiring managers extend offers based on those ranges.
- Candidates decline. Strong candidates walk away because competitors are paying more.
- The gap becomes clear. Leaders finally see the difference between what was budgeted and what the market pays.
- It’s too late to adjust. By then, the budget is already locked.
What it costs you
- Open roles that stay open longer than planned
- Declined offers and restarted searches
- Key employees who become retention risks
- Reactive, off-cycle adjustments that are harder to justify
“Companies go into annual planning with salary ranges that made sense a year or two ago — without realizing how much the market has moved. Then they’re surprised when offers get declined or key employees become retention risks.”
— Jen Frazier, President, Prequel Solutions
How Prequel Solutions can Help Before Budgets Lock
Prequel Solutions works with clients in two ways: understanding what the market pays and covering roles outside the plan.
Compensation benchmarking
See what your key roles are actually paying in the current market, not last year’s. With current benchmarks, you can:
- Build salary budgets that are competitive and defensible
- Spot roles where your ranges have fallen behind the market
- Make offers candidates are more likely to accept
- Identify retention risks before key employees start looking
As Jen Frazier puts it: “We’re doing more of this work with clients at Prequel, helping them benchmark compensation against current market data and make better decisions before there’s a problem.”
Contract Talent is Cool
Not every gap needs a full-time hire. For roles you can’t fill, or don’t need to fill permanently, bring in vetted professionals from our contract talent pool.
- Fast: cover critical work quickly instead of waiting on a long search
- Flexible: no long-term commitment
- Vetted: professionals screened by Prequel Solutions
- Budget-friendly: cover project work, peak periods, or interim needs without adding permanent headcount
The result: a Workforce Solutions Plan Built on Real Market Data
Put the two together, and you go into 2027 with:
- Salary budgets grounded in what the market pays today
- Offers that are more likely to be accepted
- A clearer view of retention risks across key roles
- A flexible way to cover the roles that fall outside the plan
Compare Your Numbers Before the Budget Closes
Before you lock in your 2027 budget, make sure you know what the market is actually paying.
If your budget is still open, let’s compare your numbers against the market. We offer a Proven Process: A disciplined vetting process that derisks hiring — a 98% success rate across contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire.
Contact Prequel Solutions to start a compensation benchmarking review or talk about contract talent for 2027.
