I think when you are no different than the next corporate giant, and you begin to pinch the pennies as a result, then you attract talent that is no different th

I think when you are no different than the next corporate giant, and you begin to pinch the pennies as a result, then you attract talent that is no different than the rest. I remember at my last job it was always: "Well, our formulas and market research say this position is only worth $X, so that's what we're going to pay." They failed to realize that a large portion of the best qualified people simply would not accept such low compensation. Frankly, I felt a bit insulted coming in, when their pay offer was so low, but my field was so niche in the area that I begrudgingly accepted it.