4 ms·

I imagine it has to do with avoiding resentment within the team. Folk don't share their starting compensation, but they sometimes share their raise percentage.

I imagine it has to do with avoiding resentment within the team. Folk don't share their starting compensation, but they sometimes share their raise percentage. If they give one person a big raise, they have to give others a big raise too, or suffer a morale hit. Also, from a beancounter perspective, there's no reason to pay more than needed for something. As long as folk aren't quitting, they are paying you enough. I work at a company that tries to prioritize employee well being, and I have gotten very considerate compensation adjustments that track the value I add to the company. Places like that are out there, but they are a bit rare.

Pfhreak 6y ago
Plenty of folks these days are sharing both their starting and current compensations, both internally and externally. I (personally) believe it's super healthy to do.
- Loughla 6y ago
  I agree in theory that it's super healthy to do, but the reality is that people have, what I would argue are, incorrect attitudes about who to blame. I work in a field that posts salary publicly (higher education). It is public knowledge what we all make, with databases devoted to this. When someone is hired at more than a current employee, instead of getting mad at the employer for their compensation plan that takes advantage of existing employees, people inevitably get upset at the new employee. I don't know why it happens, but it has happened in 100% of the cases at my institution. Every single one.
  - loopz 6y ago
    Over many years, the current leadership have set the culture. They decide who to keep and who to let go. People may nibble at the hand that feeds them, for necessary upwards feedback, but they generally refrain from outright biting it. So fresh bait straight from college is always easiest prey. In essence, how people treat newcomers, especially vulnerable ones, speaks volumes about the values and culture already set in the organization. There are organizations and countries where people can expect nothing good from leadership.
  - Pfhreak 6y ago
    It's a learned behavior. It benefits employers to have employees squabbling with each other over pay rather than uniting and saying, "We'd like to talk with you, together, about pay". For some reason, the US in particular has a hard time with this.
- sgtnoodle 6y ago
  I've been at companies with a culture of compensation transparency and companies with a culture of opacity. Anecdotally, the transparent workplaces had relatively high occurrences of drama and morale problems centered around structured performance evaluations, while the opaque workplaces were more laid back and focused on direct feedback and mentorship.

Pfhreak 6y ago

Plenty of folks these days are sharing both their starting and current compensations, both internally and externally. I (personally) believe it's super healthy to do.

Loughla 6y ago
I agree in theory that it's super healthy to do, but the reality is that people have, what I would argue are, incorrect attitudes about who to blame. I work in a field that posts salary publicly (higher education). It is public knowledge what we all make, with databases devoted to this. When someone is hired at more than a current employee, instead of getting mad at the employer for their compensation plan that takes advantage of existing employees, people inevitably get upset at the new employee. I don't know why it happens, but it has happened in 100% of the cases at my institution. Every single one.
- loopz 6y ago
  Over many years, the current leadership have set the culture. They decide who to keep and who to let go. People may nibble at the hand that feeds them, for necessary upwards feedback, but they generally refrain from outright biting it. So fresh bait straight from college is always easiest prey. In essence, how people treat newcomers, especially vulnerable ones, speaks volumes about the values and culture already set in the organization. There are organizations and countries where people can expect nothing good from leadership.
- Pfhreak 6y ago
  It's a learned behavior. It benefits employers to have employees squabbling with each other over pay rather than uniting and saying, "We'd like to talk with you, together, about pay". For some reason, the US in particular has a hard time with this.
sgtnoodle 6y ago
I've been at companies with a culture of compensation transparency and companies with a culture of opacity. Anecdotally, the transparent workplaces had relatively high occurrences of drama and morale problems centered around structured performance evaluations, while the opaque workplaces were more laid back and focused on direct feedback and mentorship.