Unpopular opinion: Your worth is what someone will pay you
I was at a party, and LinkedIn came up in conversation. It’s more than likely I brought it up. I told the person I was talking with about how much I enjoy sharing on it and that I regularly share my philosophy on how employees should be treated better. She smiled knowingly and said something like, “I bet people eat that up.” She’s right. They do.
I write about a lot of other stuff, but nothing gets engagement quite like extolling the virtues of treating employees well. And there is nothing wrong with that. I wholeheartedly believe in a workplace that is driven by employee engagement and appreciation. However, I often get tired of my own words and feel that I am in an echo chamber. Leading an organization is also not as tidy or virtuous as myself and others like to make it appear on LinkedIn. So, let me blow it up a bit and share with you some potentially unpopular opinions I currently possess.
The term “know your worth” gets thrown out a lot. First, it is imperative to understand “your worth” in a business setting is not your worth as a human being. We cannot get that confused.
Now, let’s look at the word “pay.” People can get paid in more ways than money. Employers can pay you in extended paid time off, flexibility, gratitude, continuing education, etc. The most money I ever got paid to start a job was the worst job I ever had. They had to pay me a lot, because money was the only thing they could offer.
Graduation is starting over.
Some recent graduates come out of school with a sense of accomplishment that bleeds over to entitlement. Graduation is not a ticket. And, though it feels like an accomplishment, it’s more accurately an invitation. It’s an invitation to your next education. There is so much to learn, and if you embrace what you don’t know, you’re going to do just fine. But if you think what you learned in college has prepared you for the working world, you’re likely in for an unpleasant awakening.
Internships are awesome.
If you’re frustrated that all you can get are internships for $15/hr and you think you can do better, by all means try. But the market doesn’t care about what you think you’re worth. The market cares about the value you can bring. A paid internship at a worthwhile organization is your onramp. It is low stakes with a huge upside to learn, observe, and work. If it doesn’t work out, get another one. If it does, hang on tight and wait for the a chance for a full-time role.
Be patient.
Ok, I truly suck at this one. But, man, it might be the key to the whole damn thing. Patience is one of the greatest virtues you can wield. If you’re in a good place, paid competitively, and truly enjoy your coworkers and work, patience might be just what you need. 60% of our employees were once interns. They knew their worth, too. And, they realized it would take grit, patience, and an open mind to fully realize that worth.
Hire fast. Fire fast.
The old adage is hire slow, fire fast, but we prefer a much more hands-on approach. We can interview someone a hundred times and not know for sure if they’re a great fit. The only way we can know for sure is to get them in here and see what happens. And if they’re not a fit, it’s quickly clear to all. But we don’t "fire" people. I am not an evil emperor. We ask them if they think it’s working. If they do, and we disagree, we communicate to fill in the gap and try and make it work. If they agree that it's not a fit, then we try to help find a better place for them. There’s no need for mystery. Open conversations about fit are critical to everyone’s success.
Leave.
If you think you’re underpaid in any way, you can leave. That’s what cool about the free market. Workers today have more more power than at any other time in history. Don’t get mad, get moving.
Work and managing people can be messy. It’s not all holiday parties and promotions. There’s a lot of tough conversations, and people you care about leave. People you care about may even end up not liking you very much. That hurts. I do my best. Some days, my best is better than others. If you lead with empathy and seek first to understand, you’ll likely end up in a pretty good place.
And, if you’re looking for the right place, and you’re lucky enough to find it, I have one more unpopular opinion. Think about staying put. If you have a place that values you, listens to you, and invests in your growth, it might be worth more than money.
