---
title: "Equity slider and valuation options"
description: "Equity slider and valuation options"
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---
# Equity slider and valuation options

Equity compensation can be confusing. Employees often struggle to understand what their grants are worth today and how much they could be worth in the future. The equity slider helps employees answer these questions by letting them model different growth scenarios and see how their compensation changes.

This article explains how the equity slider helps employees make informed decisions, and how to configure it to align with your communication strategy. You'll learn when to use each slider type, growth method, and valuation approach based on what outcomes you want to enable for your employees.

## What is the equity slider?

**Why it exists:** Employees need to understand the potential value of their equity to make career and financial decisions. A static number doesn't help them see what's possible. The equity slider empowers employees to explore "what if" scenarios on their own terms.

**What it does:** The slider is an interactive control that lets employees model different company growth scenarios and instantly see how their total compensation changes. As they move the slider, all equity values update dynamically, helping them visualize outcomes from conservative to optimistic growth.

**When employees see it:** The slider appears in the Total Rewards equity panel when enabled in settings. Candidates see the same slider in Visual Offer Letter, helping them evaluate offers with realistic growth projections.

## Equity slider types

Choose the slider format that matches how employees naturally think about growth and helps them explore scenarios most relevant to their decision-making.

### Multiple format

**Why it exists:** Employees hear about startup success stories in terms of multiples ("the company 10x'd"). This format helps employees quickly model growth scenarios in familiar terms, making it easy to understand "what if we 2x" or "what if we 5x" without getting lost in specific dollar amounts.

**What employees get:** The ability to explore relative growth in simple multiples. When an employee moves the slider to 3x, they immediately see what all their equity would be worth if the company triples in value. This makes it easy to compare conservative (2x) vs. optimistic (10x) scenarios side-by-side.

**How it works:**

* The slider shows marks at whole or fractional multiples (for example, 1x, 3x, 5x, 7x, 10x)
* When an employee drags the slider to 3x, all equity calculations use a share price that is 3 times the current share price
* The display shows both the resulting valuation or share price amount and the multiplier in parentheses

**When to use it:**

* Your company discusses growth in terms of multiples in all-hands or board updates
* You want employees to understand relative growth scenarios (doubling vs. tripling) without anchoring to specific valuations
* You want employees to model a wide range of outcomes from conservative to aspirational

**Configuration:**

* Set Growth format to "Multiple"
* Define the minimum and maximum slider range (for example, 1 to 10)
* Specify slider marks for the values you want to highlight
* Set a slider step to control increments (for example, 0.25 allows quarter-step movements)
  **Example:**
  Your current share price is $50. An employee moves the slider to 3x. The slider displays "$150 (3x)" and all equity values recalculate using a $150 share price.

### Percentage format

**Why it exists:** Many employees think about growth in percentage terms from their experience with investments, salary increases, and financial news. The percentage format helps employees model equity value using the same mental model they use for other financial decisions.

**What employees get:** The ability to explore growth in incremental, percentage-based terms. An employee can easily understand "what if we grow 50%" or "what if we double (100%)" using familiar financial language. This makes scenarios feel more grounded and relatable compared to abstract multiples.

**How it works:**

* The slider shows marks at percentage intervals (for example, 0%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%)
* When an employee drags the slider to 50%, all equity calculations use a share price that is 50% higher than the current share price
* The display shows both the resulting valuation or share price amount and the percentage in parentheses

**When to use it:**

* Your company discusses growth in terms of percentage rates in financial updates
* Employees are more familiar with percentage growth terminology from personal finance
* You want to show incremental changes more intuitively than multipliers (25%, 50%, 75% feels more granular than 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x)

**Configuration:**

* Set Growth format to "Percentage"
* Define the minimum and maximum slider range (for example, 0 to 200)
* Specify slider marks for the percentages you want to highlight
* Set a slider step to control increments
  **Example:**
  Your current share price is $50. An employee moves the slider to 50%. The slider displays "$75 (50%)" and all equity values recalculate using a $75 share price (50% higher than $50).

### Share price input format

**Why it exists:** When your company has publicly discussed specific share price targets (like "we're aiming for $100/share at IPO"), employees want to model those exact scenarios. The input format lets employees explore precise targets instead of approximating with a slider.

**What employees get:** The ability to enter specific share prices they've heard about and see exactly what their equity would be worth at those milestones. If leadership mentioned a $150 share price target, employees can type $150 and instantly see their total compensation at that specific outcome.

**How it works:**

* The slider still exists for broad adjustments, but the primary interaction is a text input field
* Employees can type any share price value within the configured range
* The slider updates to match the entered value
* A milestone marker shows the current live share price for reference

**When to use it:**

* Your company has specific share price targets or milestones employees are aware of (for example, next funding round, IPO target)
* Leadership discusses specific dollar amounts in company updates
* You want employees to model precise scenarios rather than exploratory ranges

**Configuration:**

* Set Growth format to "Input"
* Define the minimum and maximum share price values allowed
* The system automatically creates a milestone at the current share price
  **Example:**
  Your current share price is $50. The configured range is $10 to $200. An employee types "$100" into the input field. All equity values recalculate using a $100 share price. The slider shows the current position relative to the $10-$200 range, with a marker at the current $50 share price.

## Slider growth methods

The growth method determines how slider values translate into share prices over time. Choose the method that helps employees understand growth in the way your company communicates about it.

### Future value method (induced growth)

**Why it exists:** Employees need to understand that company growth happens gradually, not overnight. The future value method helps employees model realistic growth trajectories where the company reaches a target valuation over time, with equity vesting along the way valued at the share prices when it vests.

**What employees get:** Realistic valuations that account for gradual growth. When an employee selects "3x in 4 years," they see that equity vesting in year 2 is worth less than equity vesting in year 4, because the company hasn't reached the full 3x yet. This helps employees understand the time value of their vesting schedule.

**How it works:**

* The slider value represents the final growth outcome after a specified number of years (the end state)
* The system calculates the annual growth rate needed to reach that outcome (for 3x growth over 4 years, the annual rate is 31.6%)
* Equity that vests in earlier years uses the intermediate share price for those years
* This models compound annual growth

**When to use it:**

* You want employees to understand realistic long-term growth trajectories, not immediate jumps
* Equity vests over multiple years and you want employees to see how vesting timing affects value
* Your company sets multi-year targets (for example, "we want to 5x in 3 years")

**Calculation example:**

* Current share price: $50
* Slider set to: 3x
* Years into the future: 4
* Induced annual growth rate: 31.6% (calculated as 3^(¼) = 1.316, meaning 1.316^4 ≈ 3)
* Equity vesting in year 2 uses a share price of approximately $86.65 ($50 × 1.316^2)
* Equity vesting in year 4 uses the full $150 share price ($50 × 3)

**Note:** The calculation converts the slider value to an annual growth rate using the formula: `annualRate = sliderValue^(1/years)`. For percentage format, the slider value is first converted to a multiplier (50% becomes 1.5).

### Year on year growth method (annual growth)

**Why it exists:** Some companies communicate growth as annual rates ("we're targeting 25% annual growth"). The year-on-year method helps employees model scenarios using the same annual growth language they hear in company updates, making projections feel more grounded in how leadership talks about performance.

**What employees get:** The ability to model consistent annual growth rates. When an employee selects "20% annual growth," they see what happens if the company grows at that rate every single year. This helps employees understand how sustained annual performance compounds over time.

**How it works:**

* The slider value is the annual growth rate applied every year (not an end state)
* Each year's share price increases by that percentage from the prior year
* The final share price after multiple years reflects compound growth at the selected rate
* This method is only available with percentage format (not multiples or input)

**When to use it:**

* Your company communicates growth targets as annual rates in financial updates (for example, "we aim for 20% annual growth")
* You want employees to model consistent year-over-year performance
* You want to emphasize annual execution rather than long-term end-state targets

**Calculation example:**

* Current share price: $50
* Slider set to: 20% (annual growth rate applied each year)
* Years into the future: 4
* Share price in year 1: $60 ($50 × 1.20)
* Share price in year 2: $72 ($60 × 1.20)
* Share price in year 3: $86.40 ($72 × 1.20)
* Share price in year 4: $103.68 ($86.40 × 1.20)

**Note:** With this method, the slider value is used directly as the annual growth rate. The calculation applies the rate each year: `sharePriceYear(n) = currentSharePrice × (1 + sliderValue/100)^n`.
**Configuration:**

* Set Slider growth type to "Future value" or "Year on year growth"
* Future value is the default and works with all growth formats (multiple, percentage, input)
* Year on year growth requires percentage format

### Comparison table

The same slider value produces different results depending on the growth method:

| Slider value | Growth method | Interpretation | Year 1 price | Year 4 price |
|----|----|----|----|----|
| 3x | Future value | 3x growth by year 4 | $86.65 | $150 |
| 20% | Year on year growth | 20% annual rate | $60 | $103.68 |
| 100% | Future value | 2x growth by year 4 | $68.95 | $100 |
| 100% | Year on year growth | 100% annual rate | $100 | $800 |

*Assumes current share price of $50 and 4-year modeling period*

## Slider type options

The slider type determines whether employees model valuation or share price growth. Choose based on how your company communicates value to employees.

### Valuation only

**Why it exists:** Private companies often communicate success in terms of company valuation ("we're now a $500M company"). Employees who hear these numbers want to understand how changes in company valuation affect their personal equity value.

**What employees get:** The ability to model scenarios based on total company valuation. When employees hear "we're targeting a $1B valuation," they can move the slider to that valuation and see exactly what their equity would be worth.

**When to use it:**

* Your company discusses performance in terms of valuation in all-hands or funding announcements
* You have a known valuation from a recent funding round that employees reference
* You want to keep the focus on enterprise value rather than per-share price

### Share price only

**Why it exists:** Public companies and some late-stage private companies communicate in terms of share price. Employees track share price daily and think about their equity value in per-share terms. The share price mode lets employees model scenarios using the metric that matters most to them.

**What employees get:** The ability to model scenarios based on share price. Employees can explore "what if the share price hits $200" without needing to understand total company valuation or shares outstanding.

**When to use it:**

* Your company is public and share price is the primary metric employees track
* You don't have a formal valuation or prefer not to display it
* Employees are more familiar with per-share value than total company valuation

### Both valuation and share price

**Why it exists:** Different employees think about equity value differently. Some focus on company valuation from funding announcements, while others track share price. Offering both options helps every employee model scenarios in the terms that make sense to them.

**What employees get:** The flexibility to switch between valuation and share price modeling with a single toggle. Employees can explore the same growth scenario from both perspectives, deepening their understanding of how company value translates to personal equity value.

**When to use it:**

* Different employees may think about equity value differently based on their role or background
* You want to provide flexibility without overwhelming the interface
* Your company has both a known valuation and a meaningful share price
  **Configuration:**
* Set Slider type to "All," "Valuation," or "Share price"
* Set Default slider type to determine which option appears first when both are available

## Slider customization options

Beyond the core slider format and method, you can configure several options to tailor the experience.

### Slider range

Define the minimum and maximum values employees can model.

* **Minimum slider range:** The lowest multiplier, percentage, or share price value
* **Maximum slider range:** The highest multiplier, percentage, or share price value

**Recommendation:** Set a range that covers realistic scenarios without encouraging unrealistic speculation. For multiple format, 1x to 10x is common. For percentage format, 0% to 200% works for most cases.

### Default slider value

Set the initial position of the slider when an employee first loads Total Rewards.

**Default behavior:**

* **Multiple format:** Defaults to 1x (no growth, current share price)
* **Percentage format:** Defaults to 0% (no growth, current share price)
* **Input format:** Defaults to the current share price

**Recommendation:** For multiple and percentage formats, leaving the default at 1x or 0% ensures employees start viewing current values. For input format, the default automatically shows the current share price.

### Slider marks

Define which values appear as labeled tick marks on the slider.

**Example for multiple format:** \[1, 3, 5, 7, 10\]
**Example for percentage format:** \[0, 50, 100, 150, 200\]

Marks help guide employees to meaningful scenarios and make the slider easier to use.

### Slider step

Control how much the slider value changes with each increment. A smaller step allows finer control.

**Example:** A step of 0.25 for multiple format allows employees to select 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x, etc.

**Recommendation:** For multiple format, use 0.25 or 0.5. For percentage format, use 5 or 10. For input format, step is ignored since employees type the exact value.

### Milestones

**Why they exist:** Employees hear about company milestones in all-hands meetings and funding announcements, but may not know how to model those specific scenarios. Milestones help employees jump directly to meaningful targets like "Series B valuation" or "IPO target," making it easy to explore the scenarios leadership has communicated.

**What employees get:** Pre-configured markers on the slider for important company targets. Instead of guessing where to position the slider, employees can click a milestone like "Series C Target" and instantly see what their equity would be worth at that specific outcome.

Add custom milestones to the slider that represent specific company goals or scenarios (for example, "Series B target," "IPO," "5-year plan"). Milestones appear as flag icons on the slider. When an employee clicks a milestone, the slider jumps to that value.

Each milestone includes:

* Title (displayed as a label)
* Description (displayed in a tooltip)
* Share price or valuation value
* Optional image
  **When to use milestones:**
* You have specific growth targets you want to highlight (funding rounds, IPO, revenue milestones)
* You want to guide employees toward realistic scenarios instead of unrealistic speculation
* You want to align Total Rewards with company goals discussed in all-hands or investor updates

## Equity valuation methods

The valuation method determines how vested equity is valued. This choice affects whether employees see historical value or current market value for shares that have already vested.

### Vesting date share price (value at vest)

**Why it exists:** Employees want to understand the actual value they locked in when their equity vested. The vesting date method shows employees the true value they received at each vesting event, helping them see how their equity value has grown (or changed) since vesting.

**What employees get:** A stable, historical view of vested equity. When employees see their vested equity value, they know it represents what those shares were actually worth when they vested, not a hypothetical future value. This helps employees understand their realized gains separate from future potential.

**Calculation:** `(shares vested) × (share price on vesting date)`

**When to use:**

* You want employees to see the actual value locked in at vest
* You have historical share price data for all vesting dates
* You want to separate realized value from future potential

**Requires:** Historical share price data for all vesting dates

### Modeled share price (current live value)

**Why it exists:** Employees want to understand the current market value of all their equity, including shares that already vested. The modeled price method helps employees see their total equity value if they were to sell everything today (or at the slider position), making total compensation calculations more relevant to current decision-making.

**What employees get:** A dynamic view where all equity (vested and unvested) updates together as they move the slider. This helps employees understand their total potential equity value in different growth scenarios, regardless of when shares vested.

**Calculation:** `(total shares vested) × (current slider share price)`

**When to use:**

* You want total equity value (vested + unvested) to update together for consistent scenario modeling
* You want to show current/projected market value rather than historical vesting value
* You lack historical share price data

**Note:** Vested value changes with the slider. This may initially confuse some employees, but helps them understand total current equity value across all growth scenarios.

**Configuration:**
Set Vested equity calculation basis to "Vesting date share price" or "Modeled share price." This setting is independent of the slider format and growth method. See the Total Rewards settings configuration article for step-by-step instructions.

## Original grant value

**Why it exists:** Employees want to understand how much value their equity has created since they received it. Original grant value helps employees see the appreciation (or depreciation) of their equity over time, making equity feel more tangible and rewarding.

**What employees get:** A comparison point that shows what their equity was worth when they first received it. When employees see "Original value: $40,000" and "Current value: $70,000," they immediately understand they've gained $30,000 in value. This makes equity appreciation visible and motivating.

You can configure when original grant value appears:

* **None:** Never show original grant value
* **Per grant:** Show original grant value in the grant details panel for each individual grant
* **Annual vesting:** Show original grant value in the equity growth graph, broken out by year
* **Per grant and annual vesting:** Show in both locations

**How it works:**

* The system records the share price on the grant date
* Original grant value = (total shares granted) × (share price on grant date)
* For options, the calculation accounts for the exercise price: (shares) × (grant date share price - exercise price)
  **When to use it:**
* You want employees to see how much their equity has grown since it was granted
* You want to provide historical context that makes equity appreciation visible and rewarding
* You have accurate grant date share price data

**Example:**
An employee was granted 1,000 RSUs on January 1, 2023, when the share price was $40. The original grant value is $40,000.

If the current share price is $70, the current value is $70,000, and the employee can see the $30,000 gain. If the employee moves the slider to 2x ($140), they can compare the modeled value ($140,000) to the original grant value ($40,000).

## Configuring the equity slider

The equity slider is configured in Total Rewards settings under Compensation > Equity slider. For detailed configuration instructions, see the Total Rewards settings article.

**Configuration overview:**


 1. Navigate to Settings > Total Rewards > Compensation
 2. Scroll to Equity slider settings
 3. Choose Growth format: Multiple, Percentage, or Input
 4. Choose Slider growth type: Future value or Year on year growth (Year on year growth requires Percentage format)
 5. Choose Slider type: All, Valuation, or Share price
 6. Set Minimum slider range and Maximum slider range
 7. Set Default slider value (optional, defaults to 1x / 0%)
 8. Set Slider step (optional, defaults to 0.25)
 9. Set Slider marks (optional, provide an array of values to display as labeled ticks)
10. Add Milestones (optional)
11. Scroll to Equity settings
12. Choose Vested equity calculation basis: Vesting date share price or Modeled share price
13. Choose Show original grant value: None, Per grant, Annual vesting, or Per grant and annual vesting
14. Save your changes

\[Screenshot: Total Rewards compensation settings showing equity slider configuration options\]

## What employees see

When employees view their Total Rewards page with the equity slider enabled, they see:


1. **Equity slider control** with the configured format (multiple, percentage, or input)
2. **Toggle switch** (if both valuation and share price are enabled) to switch between modeling valuation or share price
3. **Current value display** showing the resulting valuation or share price at the slider position
4. **Equity panel** with updated values for all grants based on the slider position
5. **Equity growth graph** showing projected equity value over time
6. **Grant details** showing vested and unvested values, calculated according to the vested equity calculation basis setting
7. **Original grant value** (if configured) in grant details and/or the growth graph
8. **Milestones** (if configured) as flag icons on the slider

The entire equity section updates dynamically as employees move the slider, allowing them to explore different scenarios instantly.

## Combining slider and valuation options

The slider type, growth method, growth format, and valuation method are independent settings that combine to create the total experience. Here are common combinations and when to use them:

### Summary of configuration dimensions

| Dimension | Options | Controls |
|----|----|----|
| **Growth format** | Multiple, Percentage, Input | How slider values display to employees (see Equity slider types) |
| **Slider growth type** | Future value, Year on year growth | How slider values translate to share prices over time (see Slider growth methods) |
| **Slider type** | All, Valuation, Share price | Whether employees model valuation, share price, or both (see Slider type options) |
| **Vested equity calculation basis** | Vesting date share price, Modeled share price | How vested equity values are calculated (see Equity valuation methods) |
| **Show original grant value** | None, Per grant, Annual vesting, Per grant and annual vesting | Where grant date values appear (see Original grant value) |

### Recommended combinations

**Help private company employees understand long-term value creation:**

*Employee outcome:* Employees see realistic growth trajectories with historical context, helping them understand how much value they've already captured and how much more is possible.

Configuration:

* Growth format: Percentage (familiar financial language)
* Slider growth type: Future value (realistic growth curves)
* Slider type: Valuation (aligns with funding announcements)
* Vested equity calculation basis: Vesting date share price (shows realized gains)
* Show original grant value: Per grant (highlights appreciation)

**Help public company employees explore market scenarios:**

*Employee outcome:* Employees can freely explore how share price changes affect their total equity value, making it easy to understand potential outcomes in volatile markets.

Configuration:

* Growth format: Multiple (simple, broad range)
* Slider growth type: Future value (gradual growth over time)
* Slider type: Share price (matches what employees track daily)
* Vested equity calculation basis: Modeled share price (total current market value)
* Show original grant value: Per grant and annual vesting (comprehensive view)

**Guide employees toward specific company milestones:**

*Employee outcome:* Employees can instantly see what their equity would be worth at key milestones leadership has communicated, making company goals feel personally relevant.

Configuration:

* Growth format: Input (precise target modeling)
* Slider growth type: Future value (realistic trajectories to targets)
* Slider type: Share price (concrete milestone values)
* Milestones: Include targets for Series B, Series C, IPO (pre-configured scenarios)
* Vested equity calculation basis: Modeled share price (total potential value)
* Show original grant value: Annual vesting (growth visualization)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can employees save different slider scenarios?

No. The slider position resets to the default value each time the employee reloads Total Rewards. Employees can take screenshots or notes if they want to remember specific scenarios.

### Does moving the slider affect the employee's actual equity?

No. The equity slider is a modeling tool only. It does not change grant terms, vesting schedules, or actual share prices. It only updates the displayed calculations.

### What happens if I change the slider configuration?

Changes to slider settings (format, range, marks, milestones) apply immediately to all employees the next time they load Total Rewards. Employees do not see a notification of the change.

### Can I configure different slider settings for employees vs. candidates?

No. The equity slider configuration applies to both Total Rewards (employees) and Visual Offer Letter (candidates). If you enable the slider, candidates see the same slider type, range, and milestones as employees.

### What if I don't have historical share price data?

If you don't have historical share price data, you cannot use the "Vesting date share price" valuation method. Use "Modeled share price" instead. For original grant value, the system requires grant date share prices. If that data is missing, original grant value will not display for affected grants.

### Does the slider work with all equity types?

Yes. The slider works with RSUs, options, RSAs, and common stock. The valuation logic adjusts for exercise prices (for options) and strike prices (for RSAs) automatically. See the equity types article for more information on how each equity type is valued.

### Can employees model negative growth?

Yes, if you set the minimum slider range below 1x (for multiple format) or below 0% (for percentage format). For example, a minimum of 0.5x allows modeling a 50% decrease in share price. Use this carefully, as it can be demotivating.

### What's the difference between future value and year on year growth?

**Future value** (induced growth) calculates the annual rate needed to reach the selected end state by the target year. The slider value represents what you'll reach BY a future date.

**Year on year growth** (annual growth) applies the selected rate uniformly each year. The slider value represents the annual growth rate applied EACH year.

Future value results in lower intermediate-year share prices than year on year growth for the same slider value. Use future value for end-state scenario modeling (e.g., "what if we 5x in 4 years?") and year on year growth when you communicate in terms of annual rates (e.g., "we're targeting 25% annual growth"). See the Slider growth methods section for detailed examples and a comparison table.