Rewarding Steady Performers Versus Stars

In his article Does Your Company Need More Ditch Diggers or Stars?, Kris Dunn of the HR Capitalist calls our attention to the often overlooked and underappreciated employees who turn in solid, even if unspectacular, performance day-in and day-out for their employers.  Kris dubs this group the "Ditch Diggers" and highlights the important role they play in his and other organizations:

My take is that most of us in the talent sector understand the value of the ditch digger, which I define as a steady, unspectacular performer.  We don't talk about them enough, though.  The need for ditch diggers at all levels is never more apparent to me than when I have a big block of vacancies for a specific job.

In the past year, my company has worked to fill classes of 12 to 15 new hires for two specific professional roles in our organization.  Filling a big job order puts me in compare-and-contrast mode, and in those circumstances I always appreciate the steady candidate who may not be a star.  Invariably, I find that the hiring manager for a block of professional-grade vacancies is thinking the same thing.

His point is an important one, particularly with respect to pay programs.  In our haste to recognize and reward the top performers, we may miss the opportunity to reinforce the "Steady Eddies" who show up and meet the expectations of their job on an ongoing basis.

The challenge is to develop and implement performance and compensation programs which thoughtfully capitalize on what all performers bring to the table - the stars as well as the ditch diggers. And that means determining and spelling out our intent with respect to how they are treated by the different elements of the total reward program; base salaries, incentive compensation, recognition, etc. 

The truth is, as Kris wisely points out, that our organizations depend on both groups for their success.