Lifestyle

You can’t be afraid to differentiate talent in the office

We have a new performance appraisal system that requires us to grade our employees. It’s hard enough to have difficult conversations — but then to have to grade someone makes it even harder. What’s your advice?

First of all, we’re not in school anymore — we’re adults. If adults wanted grades, they’d go to graduate school. Secondly, what employees need from their supervisors is candor. They need to know what’s expected of them, what the company values and where they stand. As a manager, you can’t be afraid to differentiate talent. It is a business imperative. Strong performance must be recognized and rewarded, and poor performance needs to be addressed. The conversations don’t have to end with a “grade” — as if there is some objective quantitative method for reducing a highly qualitative discussion to a grade.

I just discovered a colleague of mine makes more money than I do, and we both perform the same job. And here’s the kicker, she’s a woman. So on top of everything else, if I complain I will sound like a sexist. What to do?

Oh my friend, you don’t have to wonder whether or not you sound like a sexist. And I mean, c’mon, no wonder the economy is still so sluggish: Just imagine — WOMEN making more than men. For the rest of us who live in the 21st century, a little primer on compensation. There are several legitimate reasons why any two people doing the same job could be paid differently, including different tenure with the company, general experience, tenure in that specific job and job performance over time, to name a few. Most evolved humans know that gender (or any other protected classification) is not a basis for employment decisions. If any “group” is singled out and treated adversely because of their gender, race, religion, etc., then that is discriminatory, and an employer should be punished severely. As for you, I’m sentencing you to sensitivity training and I advise you not to confront your boss. Trust me, I am saving you from yourself.