A pay philosophy is a company's commitment to how it values employees. A consistent pay philosophy gives the company and the employee a frame of reference when discussing salary in a negotiation.The goal of a pay philosophy is to attract, retain, and motivate employees. For companies in the private sector, this usually requires a competitive pay philosophy. For companies in the public sector, this means a well-rounded philosophy, with a focus on benefits and work life.Companies attract, motivate, and retain through total compensationThe purpose of a good compensation philosophy is to attract, ... view article details

Just like an interview, a job offer can tell you a great deal about a potential employer. An offer can reveal how serious the employer is about the offer, how valuable you are to the company, and most importantly, whether you should make the move.You'd be wise to think over an offer carefully and negotiate if necessary. Your goal is to make sure the compensation and benefits in your job offer exceed or at least meet your current status.Jobs are customarily offered over the telephone or in person. The employer should offer more than just, 'Congratulations, you've got the job.' He or she should ... view article details

The Hidden Savings of Working from Home A recent comparison of the salaries of in-office jobs and work-at-home jobs found that working from home typically comes with a slight pay cut. But that’s not quite the end of the salary debate when it comes to telecommuting jobs versus in-office jobs.While telecommuting jobs may pay slightly less than the same job done from a traditional office, there are a number of cost-savings associated with working from home that more than make up the difference.Here are 10 ways that working from home saves you money, including the obvious costs and some t... view article details

Pay Yourself Right When Being Your Own Boss The dream of working independently is a reality for almost 10 million people in the United States, or roughly 10 percent of the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rewards of self-employment include independence from supervision, the ability to set your own hours, and the satisfaction of knowing you are writing your own ticket. And yes, if you want, you can often work in your bathrobe. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you go. With an up-front investment of a few thousand dollars in a computer, bandwidth (telephone,... view article details

Q: I am the IT manager at the local newspaper. I had no experience and settled for a lower wage than the position should have paid. I now have been here two years and am wondering whether I should ask for the salary your site and others say I am worth. I have a two-year degree in information management, and an A+ certification, and I'm working on my net+. I am the network administrator and implement and troubleshoot all their software systems. It's much more work than they first described. To get me to the average in our area they would need to give me a $20,000 increase.A: Even after two year... view article details

Is Transparency Good or Bad? Transparency is one of the most misunderstood concepts in executive circles. Clear to all ranks however, is the notion that a perceived lack of it can have a crippling effect on a leader’s reputation.Consider both current U.S. presidential candidate and incumbent, on the issue. When the latter, Barack Obama, took office, his Administration promised that it would be 'the most open and transparent in history.' All evidence to the contrary, say prominent critics who point to the government’s alleged disappointing track record in processing Freedom of Informat... view article details

As your own agent, you've done some salary research, you've visited Salary.com, and you know what you’re worth. You know what combination of compensation elements will make a prospective position your dream job. Now you need to negotiate to get those compensation goals and nail down your dream deal.Your Dream DealWhat’s in a dream deal? It’s that combination of statistics and characteristics that, taken together, make up your dream job.Learn the typical range of base compensation for your dream position in your industry, in your area.Find your fabulousness factor: where your compensation ought... view article details

Both Finance and Accounting Revolve Around the Management of Assets. Finance and Accounting are two separate disciples that often are lumped together (as we obviously have done). At a high level, Finance is the science of planning the distribution of a business’ assets. Accounting is the art of the recording and reporting financial transactions. People tend to group Finance and Accounting because both functions deal with the administration of a business’ assets. Those who work in the financial department of a business are concerned with planning the distribution of the business’ assets. This... view article details

Q: I have been an estimator for a plumbing and mechanical company for two years. I am also a project manager. I have produced about $747,000 in sales this year and am managing about $1 million in construction projects. My salary is $32,800 per year. Should I be outraged?A: Maybe a little outraged.Let's assume that when you were hired, you were not expected to bring in sales. But perhaps your job has changed a great deal since then. I recommend that you ask your supervisor to review your current job responsibilities.Bringing in $747,000 is a significant amount of revenue. Typically, people resp... view article details

Figure Out Which of Your Employees Are Causing a Problem Interested in good employee morale, team chemistry, and improved retention. Then you'd better realize your employees don't have to be best friends, but they do have to at least get along for productivity's sake. Quality coworkers can be the reason some people stay at a job, while horrible colleagues can make every day in the office a living hell from which they'll almost certainly want to escape. If you’ve spent any time managing employees, you’ve no doubt experienced a cornucopia of annoying workers. But have you ever wondered which one... view article details