Totally Rewarding Chats | Ep. 37: What Pay Costs - The Science of Pay

Totally Rewarding Chats · May 28, 2026 · 56m

Sean and Paul sit down with James Seechurn to explore why traditional pay-for-performance models may be doing more harm than good.

James shares how incentive-driven cultures can stifle collaboration, limit innovation, and encourage unintended behaviors, while unpacking the psychology behind motivation, fairness, and performance at work. From trust-based reward systems to real-world examples of companies succeeding without traditional incentives, this conversation challenges the way organizations think about pay, purpose, and what truly drives people.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and…