Pay and play fair
Satisfaction among employees can also be closely tied to how fairly employees feel treated — both by management and amongst each
other. That’s why Tackett has made what she called “internal equity”
a priority at Delta.
“We go to great strides to ensure that everyone in the organization
is treated fairly in terms of compensation,” she says. “The pay scale
corresponds directly with the scope of work and the level of responsibility and accountability that the job requires, rather than tenure.
“I have been in situations where individuals with more service were
paid more and underperformed when compared to their counterparts with less service,” Tackett says.
“Although, ideally, salaries should remain confidential, it seems that
is impossible in the real world. As a result, if high-performing employees realize that they make less than others with more service, their
motivation to go above and beyond could be
diminished.”
In addition, Tackett has made sure the
physical space in which employees work is
also seen as equal across the board.
“We all sit in open cubes the same size,
making it easy to communicate — and
throw footballs,” she says. “My view is that
when you come into our offices, it doesn’t
matter what your title is or how much
money you make; what matters is taking
care of our suppliers and customers.
“And, if one individual feels unappreciated,
that negativity can spread like wildfire and
quickly destroy the culture of a company.”
That’s why Delta management actively
looks for opportunities to keep that internal
equity scale in balance — even anticipating
problems and creative solutions.
“We have several golfers in our company
that entertain suppliers and customers on
the course during the summer months,”
Tackett says. “Since most of our female
associates don’t play golf, they don’t seem to
get out of the office very frequently.
Realizing this, we organized a lunch and a
trip to DSW to buy shoes. What female does-n’t always want or need a new pair of shoes?
“My opinion is that if employees don’t feel
appreciated, they are not inspired to work
hard and work smart for our customers,”
she says. “As humans, when we are unhappy, it is very difficult to hide it and, therefore,
it will come through when dealing with a
customer or a co-worker.”
Keeping things fair around the office can
go a long way in avoiding those problems.
