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Subject:Re: Quoting Salary schedule from STC From:Rahel Bailie <rbailie -at- CASTLETON -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 10 Jun 1998 10:09:16 -0700
You're falling into the classic "their stats" versus "my stats" trap.
I've been there before.
I'm surprised they didn't even say, "That's a survey by a tech writing
organization for tech writers." (The implication being that the survey
could be biased toward tech writers.)
The "neutrality" factor plays out in Canada, as well. STC survey results
are far lower than going rates. CATA (I think it stands for the Canadian
Alliance of Technology Associations) did its own survey for salaries in
the high-tech industries -- mainly engineers, IT types, and tech
communicators, with the results shared only between employers who paid
to participate. The results are "real" insofar as actual salaries are
reflected. What I found (because I sneaked a look over the HR person's
shoulder) is that while some employers know the going rates are higher
than what they pay, they ignore that fact as long as possible. Usually
it takes a crisis (their department is decimated and they can't seem to
recruit people as senior as they'd like for the money offered) before
management bites the bullet.
