Churches that give across the board raises are shooting themselves in the foot. Why do I say this? Here are three reasons:

  • No one deserves a raise just because they put in the time during the year. Raises must be earned and deserved, not expected and taken for granted. Raises should be given only when someone effectively does their job. Bonuses should be given only when a person goes beyond the call of duty.
  • Across the board raises promote mediocrity. They say to those who are doing poorly, “We like what you’re doing so keep it up,” and they say to those doing well, “Mediocrity is okay with us, so slack off. It doesn’t matter to us whether you do well or just put in the hours – we will pay you the same as those doing poorly.”
  • Across the board raises take the punch out of evaluations and says to everyone, “Our evaluation process is a joke, so don’t take it personally.”
Across the board raises promote mediocrity.
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The next time you are ready to discuss salaries, tie the raise to the performance and don’t reward ineffective work.

Question: How have you used raises or seen raises used effectively in a church setting? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.