3 ms·

What that realistically mean? "If you're a white male you'll get 1.25X and if you're a black female you'll get X?" More specifically, why can't someone who me

by dheera 5y ago

What that realistically mean? "If you're a white male you'll get 1.25X and if you're a black female you'll get X?" More specifically, why can't someone who meets the JD get the stated number? If they interview and don't demonstrate the ability to meet the JD then don't give them an offer, it's that simple.

sokoloff 5y ago
Do you think that all salespeople are equally productive? Do you think that all waitstaff or customer service people are equally productive? Do you think all software engineers (at a given level) are equally productive? I think there's large spreads of productivity in many of those types of workers and if you pick a single number for a range of possible productivity, you either overpay some people or you cut yourself off from the most productive workers. (Some people argue that there's a 10x spread in SWEs, others that there's a -10x spread, but I don't think anyone thinks there's realistically less than a 2x spread at a given level among competent SWEs.)
- mitchdoogle 5y ago
  Perhaps, but you won't know their productivity before you hire them
  - sokoloff 5y ago
    Why spend all that time interviewing and reference checking then?
    - frumper 5y ago
      That's a great question and the answer is probably why a lot of companies don't spend a huge amount of time interviewing and reference checking.
- dheera 5y ago
  So you set an expected productivity level. If they don't meet it, pip them and then pip uninstall them. If nobody is meeting it, adjust your expectations. If they far exceed it, give them a bonus.
  - sokoloff 5y ago
    Do you think that having a single set wage helps you have the flexibility to land both those employees whom other companies find to be the most valuable as well as land the broad middle performers that are so needed to build a scale up company? I can’t see any way that “everyone, no matter their interview performance and relevant experience in what we need done, either gets an offer of exactly $X/yr or gets rejected” is an optimal strategy.

by dheera 5y ago

sokoloff 5y ago

Do you think that all salespeople are equally productive? Do you think that all waitstaff or customer service people are equally productive? Do you think all software engineers (at a given level) are equally productive? I think there's large spreads of productivity in many of those types of workers and if you pick a single number for a range of possible productivity, you either overpay some people or you cut yourself off from the most productive workers. (Some people argue that there's a 10x spread in SWEs, others that there's a -10x spread, but I don't think anyone thinks there's realistically less than a 2x spread at a given level among competent SWEs.)

mitchdoogle 5y ago
Perhaps, but you won't know their productivity before you hire them
- sokoloff 5y ago
  Why spend all that time interviewing and reference checking then?
  - frumper 5y ago
    That's a great question and the answer is probably why a lot of companies don't spend a huge amount of time interviewing and reference checking.
dheera 5y ago
So you set an expected productivity level. If they don't meet it, pip them and then pip uninstall them. If nobody is meeting it, adjust your expectations. If they far exceed it, give them a bonus.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  Do you think that having a single set wage helps you have the flexibility to land both those employees whom other companies find to be the most valuable as well as land the broad middle performers that are so needed to build a scale up company? I can’t see any way that “everyone, no matter their interview performance and relevant experience in what we need done, either gets an offer of exactly $X/yr or gets rejected” is an optimal strategy.