Compensation refers to the total monetary and non-monetary pay provided to employees in exchange for their work. It includes elements like salary, bonuses, benefits, and commissions. The objectives of compensation planning are to attract, retain, and motivate top talent while ensuring equity and controlling costs. Compensation systems aim to recruit and keep qualified employees, improve morale, reward performance, achieve internal and external fairness, reduce turnover, and modify union practices. Key components of compensation include job descriptions, analysis and evaluation, pay structures, surveys, and employment laws.