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I agree with your first sentence, Dan, and don't necessarily disagree
with the rest. However, for additional perspective, see this article on
the excellent "Ask the Headhunter" web site: http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/hasalary.htm, in particular this
excerpt:
"Salary surveys can hurt employers.
Now, some may argue that a company must know what other companies are
spending for a given constellation of skills, if the company is to be
competitive.
Hogwash. The use of human resources salary surveys can actually hamper a
company's efforts to be competitive because these surveys drive job
offers toward the mean. If you want to hire the best - and doesn't every
company? - by definition you're seeking the tail of the curve, or to be
off the curve. You don't want to hire - or pay for - average workers.
The recent controversy over the "I.T. worker shortage" proves the point.
The information technology industry publication Computerworld recently
reported that IT managers in some companies snatched the hiring process
from their HR departments when they realized good candidates were being
lost because HR was basing job offers on "industry standard pay scales."
These scales - which are descriptive of past trends rather than of any
job candidate's value - were serving as a poor substitute for sound
judgment of the worth of a good job candidate in a competitive market."
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Dan Goldstein
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 8:25 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: STC Salary data collection
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pinkham, Jim
> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 8:58 AM
> To: Pro TechWriter; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: STC Salary data collection
>
> ... I am far from convinced that most HR personnel want salary data
> chiefly in order to make sure I get paid what I should be paid, even
> assuming that the data could really tell them that. There's an
> intrinsic interest on their end in containing cost and, as an
> ancillary benefit, making HR look good by doing so...
>
And it's in the interviewee's interest to help HR look good. One way is
to provide them with something on paper that helps explain why you're
asking for a given salary. Since HR has a responsibility to contain
costs, it's important for them to see that they couldn't hire someone
with your attributes at a much lower salary.
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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