Controls Are Promises, Not Decorations
Evaluate whether a proposed statistical control is a legitimate pay driver before using it in a pay-equity model.
The reframe: a control explains variation only if the organization is willing to stand behind it. Core controls Use factors with a clear business and policy basis: level, job family, location, work schedule, tenure, and documented performance where ratings are reliable. These explain pay architecture, not personal history. Sensitivity controls Use controversial or unevenly measured factors in alternate views. Prior salary, negotiation history, manager discretion, retention offers, and legacy allowances may reveal how the gap was built, but they may not justify preserving it. Excluded fields Exclude variables that are outcomes of the pay decision itself or proxies for protected-class…
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