It’s the oldest high-ranking trick in the world.
Pit the mid-ranking against the low-ranking and let them fight it out amongst themselves. Keep them blaming each other so they never join forces against the high-ranking.
Obscuring salaries is a great way to keep the mid-ranking and low-ranking distrusting each other. Obfuscating rewards keep them grinding away, head down instead of looking up for a better way forward.
Income inequality might help a Chief Financial Officer hit his numbers and pick up a bonus. But at what expense? It ultimately erodes unity and corrodes culture.
In the past few months, creative folk have been publishing their salaries for their peers to see. Two recent spreadsheets within journalism and advertising are a real-time reality check.
Check them out now to see how you fare.
And how fair your salary really is.