Replying to LO16685 -
> review/ranking process. In other words, the guidelines are just that,
> guidelines. The manager is encouraged develop the process as is
> necessary to get the best results for each individual reporting
> person. As far as I have been able to tell, HP human resource policy
> is to treat the employee as an individual, giving wide latitude for
> the fact that what incentives may work for one person probably will
> not work for another. This is quite a ball of wax for a manager to
Yes!
James has really addressed something here - "what incentives may work for
one person probably will not work for another." I was in a class with a
professor at Franklin University a few months ago, and one of my fellow
students said something to the effect of "all people want is money" in
return for their working hours.
The professor asked the class how many agreed - several, but not all, did.
Then, to make a point - he said to this student "If I wanted you to do
something, all I need to do is offer you enough money to do it. If I
wanted David (that's me) to do something, all I'd have to do is say
'David, this is a problem, and only you and I can figure a way around it.'
" Motivation is different for different people.
And I think it's a good point. The trick is determining what really
motivates an individual, and having a remuneration system which accounts
for different needs. Everyone needs to pay bills and eat, so it's not
like salary can be replaced - but whereas some people will always want
more salary, others will want more responsibility or opportunities - or
other gratification. (For example, I currently work for the State of Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency. In my field (computers) we are grossly
under-paid compared to similar work in the private sector. But many of
the people I work with who have been here a long while stay in part
because of the intrinsic reward of being a public servant - and of helping
protect the environment.)
Does anyone have/know of a method which allows for these differences while
maintaining the appearance of equity? (I would think that large gaps in
salary for roughly similar work would be problematic in the long run -
witness the issues union pay scales attempt to address.)
Thanks!
- David
--"David H. Sherrod" <mimesis@infinet.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>