Nothing is black and white. Or opaque. Sometimes it's transparent, and we're all for transparency, especially salary transparency.
We know that telling the truth is important to building trust and honesty. Why? Because we are human beings. What does that mean? We like to watch reality TV shows, but we will never admit it. And that we prefer predictability. If we know the expected salary, we can do the math and decide whether it's worth betting on that position or whether we might as well scroll down and look for other jobs. If nothing else, we've saved our time.
Since Imaginary Cloud is a human-centric company, we don't like anyone to waste time. Unless it's to watch an episode of The Kardashians, it's a blasphemy to say that this is a waste of time.
So we have decided to embrace salary transparency. What does this mean? Is it good for the employers or for the employees? Grab some popcorn, and we'll explain everything.
Table of contents
Salary Transparency
Why does Imaginary Cloud go for pay transparency?
➤ Trust, motivation, and engagement
➤ Make smarter decisions
➤ Bias sinks
Salary transparency
Is this a new trend for spring/summer 2022? Actually, it is already a trend for some years and is here to stay. There are reports from 2017 that workers are already talking about how happy they are to know how much they will get paid.
So what is salary transparency? This is all about making salary information available to all employees within and outside a company.
According to Glassdoor, 96% of job seekers say it's important to work for a company that embraces transparency. And 70% of employees believe salary transparency is positive for employee satisfaction - 72% believe it's good for business.
Why does Imaginary Cloud go for pay transparency?
We care about people, and that's why transparency and honesty are important to us. We know that transparency is good for all parties involved. It helps ensure that we're all on the same page regarding compensation. And it also allows actual and Imaginarees wannabes to make more informed decisions about their careers.
But this was not our first transparency move. Before that, we restructured the career system so that each Imaginaree knows where they stand, what is expected of them, and the natural career progression. Spoiler alert: moving forward is the way.
In addition, we often fill out internal satisfaction questionnaires, and it's easy to talk freely with our superiors. We also have monthly meetings with the People team to talk about food, fear of bugs, ... and our work and performance (always exceptional, of course). So it seemed natural to us that the next step would be to reveal our salary ranges for each role at our company.
We share this information because:
- Job seekers get to see how we pay across the company and avoid cringe moments in the future
- Access to information about pay whether or not you join Imaginary Cloud so that you know if you're getting paid fairly
- So that Mark Zuckerberg really knows everything about us
Pay transparency is a natural step in aligning with some of our values: respect and care, and excellence through collaboration and empowerment.
We work and grow as a team no matter what. For that, respect and care are essential.
But it's a two-way street. We respect the Imaginarees, so everyone feels good (so good, 'cause we got Imaginary Cloud). And the Imaginarees care more and take more responsibility. Consequently, the more efficient and collaborative our teams are, the closer we are to our purpose of improving people's lives through technology.
So, why do we do this?
Trust, motivation, and engagement
A transparent salary structure improves employee morale and understanding of how we set pay levels. When we're open and honest about it, everyone can feel confident about their salary matching their skills, experience, and performance, being fair and objective.
Also, once employees learn more about senior salaries, their motivation increases, and they can see the rewards of career advancement. Then those who want to advance their careers are motivated to work harder to achieve such remuneration.
Make smarter decisions
We can make better decisions about our lives when we know our salary and what we can achieve. So no surprises!
Bias sinks
We are pro-equality (go humanity!). We believe that pay transparency reduces pay gaps due to racial, gender, and background biases. Pay is determined clearly, with full transparency, resulting in less bias.
Bottom line
When you know what to expect, this predictability empowers you. We believe that people should get ahead based on their accomplishments. When people put in the effort, they deserve to be rewarded.
We also believe when we are open and honest with the Imaginarees, it builds trust and creates a more human-centric environment in which people can thrive.
Being an Imaginaree is more than working at a company called Imaginary Cloud. It's having a workplace that provides all the tools and guidance needed for success and knowing what to expect.
If you are looking for a great place to work and human centric company, we’re hiring. Check out all the open positions. We’re looking forward to receiving your resume and making you a part of our team.
