Leeper Lingerie Keith Is Correct

Leeper Lingerie

Keith is correct in that the job and not the person should be evaluated. The objective of the exercise is to evaluate the characteristics of the job in terms of job responsibilities, performance measures and value to the company. These facets of the job transcend the person doing the job. The role of evaluating Geneva on her performance specifically falls to her supervisor, not on the compensation manager or the job evaluation committee. The committee must stay within the boundaries of its defined role in the conduct of the job rather than favoring some employees and positions over others.

By focusing evaluation on the job rather than the person, the company gains a number of different benefits. The company is able to deflect charges of inequality in pay as all members in that job are measured on their performance not their personality. This can be critical when managing legal risk at the firm because discrimination occurs when some classes of workers are treated differently than others. If pay is determined strictly by job description and performance, there is little room for discrimination and inequality (Armstrong et al., 2005).

2. I do not believe that there is a maximum rate of pay for every job within an organization. Compensation should be based on an economic arrangement. The company hires employees based on the stated compensation policy, which can be motivated by any number of considerations (cost reduction, talent attraction, etc.) the employee negotiates pay on the basis of his or her worth to the organization. This is a condition of at will employment, the situation under which our society operates.

Wages, therefore, will find an equilibrium point at which both parties in the negotiation are satisfied. One critical component -- the worth of the employee to the organization -- is subject to two key factors. These are the position itself and the performance of the employee within that position. While some positions will by their nature have a ceiling on the degree of influence the person in that position can have on profitability -- receptionist being a good example -- many positions do not have such a ceiling. These positions are not restricted to executive level positions -- a sales representative may not have much ceiling to the economic impact he or she has on the company. Even in positions where there is a theoretical ceiling on the value of the employee to the company, that point may be well above the company's pay ceiling for that position.

3. Geneva cannot obtain a raise under the current conditions set forth in the company's human resources policy. There are, however, different ways for Geneva to obtain a salary increase. The first of these is through having the job reclassified, which is what is on the table at the job evaluation committee meeting -- or least that is what should be on the table. The second means is that Geneva could pursue other tasks within the organization. If she does other jobs as well, or changes the nature of her job, then her role in the company should be subject to reclassification.

In addition, Geneva can also obtain an increase through the use of bonuses. These bonuses may allow her to earn more than her maximum salary should she achieve the needed performance measures. That there are at least three different means by which Geneva can obtain a higher salary indicates that there remains some flexibility within the company's human resources policies to allow for excellent employees to be compensated for their superior performance.

4. Geneva can be rewarded in many ways for her outstanding performance. The salary is the most basic extrinsic rewards that can be bestowed upon an employee. There are a number of other rewards both extrinsic and intrinsic that can be utilized to reward Geneva for her performance. Among the extrinsic rewards are performance bonuses, reclassification of her role, prizes and gifts. Anything of value that the company gives to Geneva as a reward for her performance can enhance the value that she gets from the company.

In addition, intrinsic rewards also can serve to reward Geneva for her excellent performance. There are four different types of intrinsic rewards to help reward and motivate employee behavior. They are fostering a sense of choice, fostering a sense of meaningfulness, fostering a sense of competence and fostering a sense of progress (Thomas, 2009). Of these the most relevant for Geneva are likely the first two. For choice, Geneva could be offered more freedom in structuring her role in the company. This may mean the continuation of her current duties, but it may also allow her to fulfill some objectives that she may have but has not pressed with management. Giving her more control over her job helps to encourage future high performance as well because she will be more engaged.