“Our market rates are based on Chicago… So whether you live in Tennessee or Arizona or Alaska or Illinois, we pay the same.”
Paying salary rates based on the market the company is headquartered in, rather than squeezing employees when they live somewhere cheaper is a great way to redistribute wealth around the country. It’s also self perpetuating, as more people are encouraged to move to less expensive markets to capitalize on lower costs of living, or to enjoy the peace of less urbanized areas.
The digital market / remote workforce doesn’t really have a headquarters geography, either, so it’s nice to see companies like BaseCamp choose to price their employees at the top for the country.
BC is obviously in a position that many companies are not, which affords it the opportunity to make choices like this. But it’s important to talk about models that other companies can strive for. Thanks for sharing so much detail, especially around the position of the company, and how you’re aligning business goals with employee professional and personal life goals.
