Strategic Pay

Book excerpt: Make Your Pay System Pay Off A comprehensive look at not only the choices surrounding the development of a pay system but also the pros and cons associated with each choice....Thorough. --HR Magazine In this seminal work, acclaimed compensation expert Edward Lawler III shows companies that the way they pay can be an important source of competitive advantage. He reveals how pay strategies that draw a clear connection between pay and performance can support an organization's strategic objectives by communicating unmistakably what that organization values most. Moreover, he examines a wide range of performance-based pay practices--from piecework incentive systems to merit pay and skill-based pay--to demonstrate how compensation systems can be tailored to fit a variety of business strategies and management styles. Both traditional and nontraditional pay strategies are examined, with special emphasis given to designing pay systems that support participatory management and other innovative practices.