3 ms·

I think it's an attempt by companies to hold down costs, but it doesn't work; most people within six months of working anywhere, if they are clever at all (no h

I think it's an attempt by companies to hold down costs, but it doesn't work; most people within six months of working anywhere, if they are clever at all (no hacking, other than the social kind) knows what everyone else makes, thus causing even more resentment than just revealing it publicly would. And having salaries out in the open would have a democratizing effect, which would at first be bad for most companies. It's easy to see why most companies hide them, as counterproductive behavior is often rewarded, especially if it appeals to our monkey-brain instincts. If I ever start a company, though (which is likely), all salaries (including my own) will be posted in a public place.

tokenadult 17y ago
Some law firms operate on the principle of transparency of compensation and transparency in how many billable hours each associate is putting in, and those law firms tend to thrive in very competitive fields of law. Sometimes people do work harder if they all know they are part of the same team, playing by the same rules.
- tptacek 17y ago
  That works because the partners (and even the associates) at those firms have a lot of control over how many hours they're going to bill, and because some semblance of a meritocracy assigns lawyers to the most lucrative accounts. Those conditions do not often hold in dev shops.