Recap: From Dilution to Disillusionment Equity Webinar

Equity remains one of the most powerful levers in the total rewards toolkit—but in today’s market, it's increasingly falling short of its intended impact. That was the premise of From Dilution to Disillusionment, a recent webinar hosted by us here at CandorIQ featuring equity compensation expert Dan Walter, CandorIQ CEO Haris Ikram, and moderator Chad Atwell, who leads Customer Success at CandorIQ and brings deep compensation strategy experience.

The conversation explored why so many employees undervalue equity, how expectations have evolved, and what companies can do to rebuild trust, understanding, and long-term value.

The Reality Gap Between Perception and Payout

The session opened with a tough truth: employees no longer see equity as a golden ticket. As Chad noted, equity just doesn’t have the “stickiness” it used to, and many employees don’t get the most out of their grants. Dan pointed to a core cause: imagination versus reality. “Equity has not delivered in the way people think it should,” he said. “It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme—it’s a long game.”

Haris echoed that the problem is especially acute in tech and venture-backed environments, where short-term expectations often overshadow long-term alignment. “In Silicon Valley, if you’re not getting perceived value quickly, you leave and go somewhere else.”

The Myth of IPO as the Finish Line

Dan challenged the common belief that IPO is the ultimate win. “The IPO isn’t the peak—it’s base camp,” he said. “That’s when the climb begins.” True equity value, he argued, comes after the exit, not before. But too often, employees don’t see the connection between their efforts and long-term business value.

Equity was originally built for ownership and alignment, not speculation. “It was about blood, sweat, and tears in exchange for a piece of something you helped build,” Dan said. But today, even investors don’t always believe in that long play. And with many employees walking away from vested equity, the disillusionment is real.

If They Don’t Understand It, They Won’t Value It

One of the strongest themes in the conversation was communication—or the lack of it. As Dan put it bluntly: “We suck at communication. That’s why equity doesn’t work.”

Chad pointed out that even highly educated employees feel safer with cash, largely because they don’t understand the mechanics—or the risks—of equity. Haris added that communication has to happen constantly, not just at grant time. “Even if the information exists, employees won’t absorb it unless it’s explained clearly and often,” he said.

Empowering managers to have those conversations is critical. Haris shared that companies doing this well don’t rely solely on HR to be the equity gatekeeper—they democratize access to knowledge through tools, repeatable messaging, and manager enablement.

Dan offered examples of companies hosting equity mentorship programs or ESOP-style “ownership conferences” that bring the topic to life. “Tech won’t solve this alone,” he said. “People still need to talk to people.”

Translucency vs. Transparency

Haris introduced the idea of “translucency”—where companies are not totally opaque, but don’t fully disclose every unnecessary detail either. You don’t have to share everything or nothing at all. The basics need to be shared and reinforced with a why. 

With grant structures getting more complex, employees are too often left unsure of how to act—sometimes missing vesting cliffs or underestimating their tax obligations.

Dan emphasized that intentionality is what’s missing. Too many companies offer equity because “that’s what everyone else does.” But if there’s no clear purpose behind the program—no link to the company’s goals or values—it becomes a commoditized perk, not a motivating reward.

The Cost of Poor Design and Poor Data

Haris noted that equity is not only a communications challenge—it’s a strategic asset that requires alignment across HR, Finance, and executive leadership. “Equity is a finite resource,” he said. “You have to model it like you would cash.” That means tying it to headcount plans, reorgs, retention risks, and company growth projections.

Dan agreed—and went even further: “Refresh grants often do nothing but dilute the pool. If people are walking away from vested equity, that’s either a communication failure or a sign your equity isn’t delivering what you promised.”

My Key Takeaways

• Equity isn’t broken—it’s misunderstood. Long-term value is still possible, but only if employees see it, believe it, and feel invested in it.
  
  
• Communication is everything. Equity education needs to be constant, clear, and built into your manager and employee experiences.
  
  
• Intention matters. Don’t offer equity just because it’s market standard—build a program that supports your company’s strategy and values.
  
  
• Treat equity like it’s worth something. If you want employees to act like owners, you have to show them what ownership means.

If you missed the webinar and want to watch it on your own time, you can find it here. If you want to learn more about how CandorIQ can help you better communicate the value of your equity plan, reach out to us.