The Words Employees Really Want to Hear

There’s a good post on LinkedIn by Jeff Haden about the communications gap between employer and employee when it comes to pay, and how the imaginative leaders bridge it.

You can read the whole article here.  Here are some of the attitudes to salaries that the employee really would like to hear:

“We really don’t care about pay scales”

Pay scales too often are used as a cop out to end an argument. “Sorry, that’s just how our system is set up”.  The smart leader uses pay scales for budgeting, but common sense in awarding raises or explaining pay decisions.

“Forget polices. We talk”

Some companies require employees to sign agreements stipulating they won’t disclose pay, benefits, to other employees. Doesn’t work. Employees talk and most of the time everyone knows everything.

“When we have to negotiate… we both lose.”

An employee resents negotiating: the boss should know his or her value. And the boss is really saying “sorry, you’re not worth that much.”  So how can either win this one?

And now here’s one the employer would like to hear:

“I’m okay with reasonable pay”

The happiest and most engaged employees feel they work for something more than just money. Once pay is reasonable and fair, other things become important: recognition, respect, challenging work, opportunities for development… basically the feeling that their job is more than just a job.