Comments on: Pay Transparency Survey Results: Part 2

By: I can’t wait until 2057 to get a “man-sized” paycheck. Can you? — Authentic Organizations

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:12:07 +0000

[...] recognize and acknowledge discrimination and track progress towards eliminating it. Unfortunately, virtually no one wants their pay to be made public, especially not in comparison with their coworkers’ pay. (See the HR Capitalist and KnowHR [...]

By: Frank Roche

Frank Roche — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:29:38 +0000

@Elandra, I promoted your comment to the new story today…it needs to be there. It’s a good question.

@Bill Strahan, your point about risk and reward was the discussion topic at our shop yesterday afternoon. Lots of ah-ha’s…your story put a fine point on the pay-for-risk approach.

By: Elandra

Elandra — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:13:27 +0000

I am fascinated by these comments. I participated in the survey and vigourously defend my position that pay transparency should be adopted in all organizations. The justifications for not blowing open the salary books point to a workplace that is tinged with fear of accountability, perhaps incorrect practices that have been historically adopted and never challenged, and an environment where pay is not an indicator of performance.

What are we all so scared of?

If a person is being overpaid or underpaid, why can’t this be addressed in an open way? We’re already seeing the scoffing of huge executive payouts/bailouts, why should it be any different no matter what level you’re at in an organization?

By: Bill Strahan

Bill Strahan — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:08:41 +0000

I think that the biggest issue with pay transparency is the lack of connection among what organizations value; what they say they value; what their people think they value; and what their people think they should value. The disconnect is frequently one of misunderstanding the basic economics of the organization.

You at a teller at a bank. You are the face of the bank to that person at the window. You create more brand experience than all of the stadium naming rights deals combined – for people who bank in branches, in cash, in Altoona, PA. Guess what, banks don’t care about that.

In my experience risk takes pay to the prom. If you want to dance with the big kids at the prom, find some risk and show it some love. Make sure it is the risk that is essential to your organization.

By: Frank Roche

Frank Roche — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:31:48 +0000

I’m going to post 5 more tomorrow. It takes a while to get these assembled. But they’re fun reading!