Why Abandoning Lockstep Can Lead to Disgruntled Associates

Abandoning lockstep promotions and salary hikes for associates can hurt morale if the system is perceived as unfair, according to a consultant who is an organizational psychologist.

Writing for the New York Law Journal, Larry Richard of the legal consulting firm Hildebrandt warns about the dangers of moving to a competency-based rewards system that bases promotions and pay hikes on mastering defined competencies.

Richard cites research that shows a perceived lack of equity is the No. 1 reason why workers lose motivation. “For a ‘levels’ system to work,” he writes, “a firm needs both well-functioning infrastructure systems and a widely held perception that these systems are fair and accurate.”

To avoid problems, law firms will need to focus on evaluating associate performance, training associates so they can master the competencies, and distributing work assignments fairly so associates can grow.

Work assignments are “the political ‘third rail’ of law firm life,” Richard says. “Firms where work assignments are based more on individual partners' needs than consideration of fair distribution of learning opportunities should be very cautious about moving to a full-blown levels system.”