In my first blog post, I addressed the state of pay transparency in Australia, particularly why we are falling behind and what we can do to implement new pay practices more quickly.
A few people raised the question, “What are some simple steps that a company can take to be more transparent?” Here are my ideas:
- Share how we do things, not just what we’ve done (or plan to do)
Open source projects, NGOs, and some government departments tend to be good at this. In their Digital Standards document, the UN Development Agency explains that “building solutions ‘in the open’ allows for better collaboration and reduces silos. This applies both to the methodologies of the work and the digital solutions we use and build.”[1]
A good HR example is compensation benchmarking. Almost without exception, everyone I’ve demonstrated the process to has been surprised and impressed by the rigorous steps around elements like job matching, adjusting pay ranges, determining salary increase budgets, and more. I’m not referring to the actual numbers, simply sharing how we do our work increases trust. - Implement small, simple process changes and improvements, share them quickly, and seek feedback
It’s tempting to try to fix all of our process issues in one go, especially if they seem to align with big investments like a HCM upgrade. It’s important to remember that systems (norms, practices) already exist, whether they are documented or not. Try to think about how decisions are made in real life, not how they are transacted in a database. You don’t need to wait for your HCM or whatever other big project launch to make better decisions. It’s easier to be transparent with small scale changes. There’s more time and space to conduct research and test ideas, and to make further changes after implementation. - Involve employees and managers in your creative process
I’m not just talking about seeking feedback or asking for their ideas, I mean working with them on the design. Some of the best HR process creation I’ve seen is where leaders come together to discuss their challenges as a group. Sometimes leaders can be resistant to new ideas that HR throws at them, but they tend to listen to and enjoy debating each other’s ideas. Most of the strong HR leaders I’ve seen in action are great facilitators. They ensure everyone’s ideas are shared, and they can identify themes and areas of alignment on the fly.
What are some other easy ways to work more transparently? It would be great to hear your thoughts
If you’d like to learn how I can help your organisation take some simple actions to increase transparency and deliver programs that your employees love, please get in touch.
I am available as an independent contractor on a daily rate or project basis.
[1] UN Development Program Digital Standards, Default to Open https://www.undp.org/digital/standards/9-default-to-Open