What Makes a Good Pickup Rate? Engagement in Employee Share Plans with Riccardo Silvestro

Pickup rates tell you who signed up for an employee share plan. Engagement tells you whether the plan is actually working, and the two are not the same thing.

Host and Optio CEO Christoffer Herheim sits down with Riccardo Silvestro, a 20-year HR professional with deep experience in equity-based compensation, pensions, and financial wellbeing. Riccardo is a strong advocate for measuring share plans the way you would run any serious programme: with dashboards, clear objectives, and metrics that go well beyond a participation percentage.

They dig into what those metrics look like in practice, from transaction activity to how many new hires enrol in their first 30 days, and why explaining the "why" of a plan matters more than plan generosity. Riccardo shares a cautionary tale about a 20-page enrolment booklet, and a persuasive argument for learning from the structure and governance of the pension world.

In this episode:

• The metrics that reveal real engagement beyond sign-up rate
• Why a simple plan communicated well beats a generous plan nobody understands
• Pull versus push communication, and the "did you know" teaser strategy
• What equity plans can borrow from pension stewardship reporting
• Diversification and the line between education and financial advice
• Realistic participation targets, and why Riccardo still aims for 100 per cent

Whether you are rolling out your first broad-based plan or rethinking an existing one, this is a grounded conversation on driving genuine employee ownership.

Please note: This podcast content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice. Always consult qualified legal, tax, and financial advisors for guidance specific to your situation.

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Join Stock 'N Roll with Christoffer Herheim, CEO and co-founder of Optio, as we break down what works—and what doesn’t—in equity compensation, with insights you can act on.