Cruise thru the help wanteds and you are sure to see companies offering a “Competitive Salary“. The people writing the ad think they are being shrewd and, well, competitive.

What “Competitive Salary” really means is “We want to pay you just enough so you won’t  go somewhere else”.

I would like to see a study someday comparing the turnover rate for people who got the “Competitive Salary” job vs. the people who got the “If you make us a lot of money while making our lives easier, we will in return pay you an above average salary” job.

Problem is, most companies are too busy being “Competitive” when they should be trying to be “Extraordinary”. If for no other reason than it is cheaper in the long run.