Integrity of Employee Pay to Match Their Responsibilities, Knowledge and Performance
Dennis AuBuchon
August 28, 2008
Today many qualified individuals in the workplace have a wide array of knowledge and experience for the jobs they are performing. Employers have a right to expect their employees to accomplish their responsibilities but employees have a right to expect appropriate pay for the job they are doing. Sometimes when there are job openings employers make the statement that a person is over qualified for a position. They must realize that in the economy, as it is today people just want a job to provide for their families.
Today businesses are trying to cope with rising cost and are trying to do more with less to maintain their business or profit margin. Some businesses are non-profit and must watch their costs but with reductions in the number of employees, payroll costs are less. Those individuals who take up the slack must absorb more duties and thereby should receive appropriate pay for the work they are performing commensurate with their experience and qualifications. While some instances may be temporary, others are not. Therefore, appropriate pay commensurate with the responsibilities must be provided. The determination of pay for specific job responsibilities/authority can be achieved through ads for the same jobs on the Internet and in newspapers. The term corporate knowledge is something companies must strive to keep. Many times the pay does not match the responsibilities/authority. Corporate knowledge is a key element for an organization and when companies do not pay an appropriate wage they will lose more than the savings from lower salaries if employees leave the organization. Companies and organizations are competing with the amount of individuals available for current positions. One key factor for those looking for work will be evaluating the pay and benefits for the position compared to other organizations with the same job function. There is much talk about paying people what they are worth. Worth is sometimes a matter of opinion and other times it is not.
Treating employees fairly and with respect involves paying them a decent wage, which is commensurate with their experience, training and job responsibilities/performance. This is an important concept, which I feel many companies fail to realize. Employees who are happy in their jobs and are appreciated for their efforts exhibit this in their interaction with the customers. Customers like seeing or hearing that workers enjoy their job and it is part of the perception customers receive when interacting. While there are individuals who are qualified to perform certain task the program, which is in place may be different from those for which they are familiar. This does not mean they are not capable of performing the required functions. It cost money to train individuals to do a job and companies must work to show their appreciation. Taking this initiative may not always keep workers in place as sometimes openings occur for other jobs for which some employees find satisfaction.
In summarizing the principle discussed in this article companies must realize the importance of the individuals they have, especially in key positions. Employees have a right to expect appropriate pay for the functions/responsibilities they are performing. To do less sends the wrong signal to not only employees in key positions but all employees. Corporate knowledge is something that companies must strive to keep. Saving a few dollars on less pay is outweighed by the cost of retrieving the corporate knowledge and training new employees if key employees leave an organization. Today people change jobs at the drop of a hat and I feel that part of this scenario involves the lack of respect, lack of adequate pay and a lack of appreciation for the job employees do on a daily basis. Granted there are things, which cause employees to change jobs such as their spouse being transferred or family issues.
An employee who is happy will perform better and stay longer thereby increasing the retention ratio of employees. Today it seems employees no longer feel they owe their company anything and this comes from a lack of respect for an organization and a lack of appropriate pay for their responsibilities. Individuals who stay for years at one company have now become the exception rather than the rule. Companies and/or organizations who are going to survive in the economy as it is today will need to address the needs of their employees in greater depth. This involves recognizing those individuals´ who provide quality and integrity of service. It also involves the need to provide appropriate pay for the level of work they perform.
There are financial concerns, which are sometimes involved within an organization concerning the lack of appropriate pay for specific positions. Many times there are key individuals in key positions that make a department work to the best of their ability. These are the kind of people companies should want to keep. This involves treating them with respect and giving them appropriate pay commensurate with their job responsibilities, training and experience. Many times whole departments perform their function in a team environment on a daily basis and they help each other when needed. Departments who perform critical functions can make or break an organization. While financial concerns are important, a company or organization earns more respect when they respect their employees as individuals and pay applicable rates based on experience, responsibilities and knowledge. Pay for employees should be comparable to industry standards for the positions involved. Those who hold positions in making decisions related to pay should remember that workers are individuals and deserve to be treated as such. They should not forget the human element of an organization.
Today businesses are trying to cope with rising cost and are trying to do more with less to maintain their business or profit margin. Some businesses are non-profit and must watch their costs but with reductions in the number of employees, payroll costs are less. Those individuals who take up the slack must absorb more duties and thereby should receive appropriate pay for the work they are performing commensurate with their experience and qualifications. While some instances may be temporary, others are not. Therefore, appropriate pay commensurate with the responsibilities must be provided. The determination of pay for specific job responsibilities/authority can be achieved through ads for the same jobs on the Internet and in newspapers. The term corporate knowledge is something companies must strive to keep. Many times the pay does not match the responsibilities/authority. Corporate knowledge is a key element for an organization and when companies do not pay an appropriate wage they will lose more than the savings from lower salaries if employees leave the organization. Companies and organizations are competing with the amount of individuals available for current positions. One key factor for those looking for work will be evaluating the pay and benefits for the position compared to other organizations with the same job function. There is much talk about paying people what they are worth. Worth is sometimes a matter of opinion and other times it is not.
Treating employees fairly and with respect involves paying them a decent wage, which is commensurate with their experience, training and job responsibilities/performance. This is an important concept, which I feel many companies fail to realize. Employees who are happy in their jobs and are appreciated for their efforts exhibit this in their interaction with the customers. Customers like seeing or hearing that workers enjoy their job and it is part of the perception customers receive when interacting. While there are individuals who are qualified to perform certain task the program, which is in place may be different from those for which they are familiar. This does not mean they are not capable of performing the required functions. It cost money to train individuals to do a job and companies must work to show their appreciation. Taking this initiative may not always keep workers in place as sometimes openings occur for other jobs for which some employees find satisfaction.
In summarizing the principle discussed in this article companies must realize the importance of the individuals they have, especially in key positions. Employees have a right to expect appropriate pay for the functions/responsibilities they are performing. To do less sends the wrong signal to not only employees in key positions but all employees. Corporate knowledge is something that companies must strive to keep. Saving a few dollars on less pay is outweighed by the cost of retrieving the corporate knowledge and training new employees if key employees leave an organization. Today people change jobs at the drop of a hat and I feel that part of this scenario involves the lack of respect, lack of adequate pay and a lack of appreciation for the job employees do on a daily basis. Granted there are things, which cause employees to change jobs such as their spouse being transferred or family issues.
An employee who is happy will perform better and stay longer thereby increasing the retention ratio of employees. Today it seems employees no longer feel they owe their company anything and this comes from a lack of respect for an organization and a lack of appropriate pay for their responsibilities. Individuals who stay for years at one company have now become the exception rather than the rule. Companies and/or organizations who are going to survive in the economy as it is today will need to address the needs of their employees in greater depth. This involves recognizing those individuals´ who provide quality and integrity of service. It also involves the need to provide appropriate pay for the level of work they perform.
There are financial concerns, which are sometimes involved within an organization concerning the lack of appropriate pay for specific positions. Many times there are key individuals in key positions that make a department work to the best of their ability. These are the kind of people companies should want to keep. This involves treating them with respect and giving them appropriate pay commensurate with their job responsibilities, training and experience. Many times whole departments perform their function in a team environment on a daily basis and they help each other when needed. Departments who perform critical functions can make or break an organization. While financial concerns are important, a company or organization earns more respect when they respect their employees as individuals and pay applicable rates based on experience, responsibilities and knowledge. Pay for employees should be comparable to industry standards for the positions involved. Those who hold positions in making decisions related to pay should remember that workers are individuals and deserve to be treated as such. They should not forget the human element of an organization.
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