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Why Abandoning Lockstep Can Lead to Disgruntled Associates

Posted Nov 6, 2009, 10:27 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

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… Continue reading...



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