The incentive is a big fat paycheck. There are people willing to work just as hard under equally crappy conditions for a lot less.Objection wrote:And we are just circling back to my original points here. The pressure and incentives are seriously misaligned.dingbat wrote:Forget about how much they bill. Why should a firm pay a first year more when there are plenty of people who want biglaw and can't get it who are more or less just as qualified?Objection wrote:Yet the continue to raise associate rates. Mine went from $425 to $475 in two months just because the 2nd month was when our billable year reset.
Basic economics: an employer will try to pay an employee as little as they can get away with, in order to maximize profits. Just because they can make more profit off you doesn't mean they're obligated or incentivized to offer you any more than they would at a lower profit point.
Look at it differently. If the firm has a rough time and is making a lot less money, would you be just as willing to have them cut your paycheck in half? I was at a company that had a change of fortune and was losing money. I accepted not getting a bonus, but I certainly did not accept a pay cut.