talent retention

team building

newsletter

During our team building work with client organizations, we've compiled a collection of barriers that we see creating enormous stress for individuals, blocking performance in teams, and robbing organizations of productivity.  Each issue, one of these barriers will be addressed in our newsletter.  We'll include some suggestions for breakthrough thinking to give you ideas for how you might begin busting through these barriers.

Free Team Building Newsletter

Barrier #6:       The pay in this organization makes no sense at all.

Breakthrough #6:  Salary is only a small gauge of career success today.

“It doesn’t matter how hard I work, my raise was pre-determined long ago.”

 “They use salary increases to punish people.”

 “They think that just because I’m here they can give me a tiny raise - and I won’t look elsewhere for a job.”

 “My salary increases have never reflected my performance.”

Many of us obsess about the size of our pay cheques.  Of course, salary is important.  But if you’ve been looking at salary as the chief measure of how important you are to the organization, you will continue to be frustrated.

For example, what’s the monetary value of an understanding and flexible manager who tells you to work from home when your child or partner is ill?  How do you account for the fact that the organization pays for you to take training courses?  Where do you factor in such things as extra days off or flexible hours, special employee discounts, on-site services, co-workers who are caring and supportive, and a pleasant working environment?

Compensation today is about a lot more than just salaries.  Most organizations do try to pay you what you are worth.  That’s especially true today when there are fewer knowledge workers than the market requires.  

Maybe you feel you are worth more than you are being paid, but all the organization can afford for that position is x, no matter who fills it. 

Here’s what you do:  Find ways to get more value from your time on the job:  attend courses; acquire new skills; express an interest in a lateral promotion. 

Be creative … and negotiate for benefits other than salary.  Maybe you want to have your parking paid or a laptop computer that lets you work outside the office.  Maybe you can get an extra day or two of paid holiday, or a better deal on the company retirement plan. 

Think beyond of the net figure on your pay cheque and you’ll find other benefits that are worth real money to you.  

   Remember:    Compensation today is about a lot more than just salaries. 

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