Salary budgets haven't disappeared. They're getting more selective. Robert Half's 2027 Canada Salary Guide says 55% of surveyed managers are offering higher than planned salaries to attract top talent, and 61% of that group point to specialized skills as a reason. AI skills are part of that story. The firm reports that 63% of employers are increasing pay for professionals with relevant AI skills, while 32% say AI expertise commands a bigger premium than other technical skills. That can sound like a compensation story. It is, but the more useful HR question sits beside it. If employers are becoming more selective about where they spend salary dollars, the rest of the total rewards package has to do more work. The same survey shows some striking gaps between benefits employees say they value and benefits employers say they offer. Extended health insurance was offered by 38% of responding employers while 59% of workers said they valued it. Employer retirement contributions were offered by 30%, compared with 45% of workers who valued them.
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