How Companies Can Help Close the Income Gap
As I continued researching the income gap for this campaign, one thing became clear very quickly. While individual action matters, and while government policy plays a major role, companies themselves sit at the center of the issue. The decisions businesses make about pay, promotions, hiring, leadership, and transparency have a huge impact on whether wage inequality grows or shrinks. That realization inspired one of the key messages of the #LevelThePayField campaign: support companies that truly value equality.
One of the most interesting examples I found was Salesforce. Several years ago, they conducted a company wide audit and discovered that men were being paid more than women in many roles. Instead of ignoring it, Salesforce chose to correct the problem by adjusting salaries and committing to repeat the audit every year. Their story is shared on their website at https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/our-pay-philosophy/. What stood out to me was how openly they talked about the issue. They did not claim perfection, but they made fairness part of their long term plan.
Another source that helped me understand the importance of internal pay audits came from the World Economic Forum. Their research shows that companies that review pay data and track hiring patterns see measurable progress in reducing wage gaps. The report explains how self examination helps leaders spot problems before they get worse. The World Economic Forum article can be found at https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/04/how-pay-transparency-help-close-wage-gaps-in-workplace/.
What I also learned is that diversity alone is not enough. A company can hire a diverse group of employees, but if those employees are not given equal opportunity to advance, the income gap remains. The McKinsey and Company report titled “Diversity Wins” shows that organizations with diverse leadership teams perform better and are more likely to create fair pay practices. Their research is available at https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf.
All of this made me think differently about the role businesses play in shaping fairness. When companies choose to value equity, they are not just acting responsibly. They are improving their culture, strengthening employee trust, and building a place where everyone has a chance to grow. Fairness is not just the right thing to do. It is good business.
Through the #LevelThePayField campaign, I want people to feel empowered to support workplaces that prioritize equality and transparency. Whether you are a job seeker choosing your next employer or a customer deciding where to spend your money, your choices matter. Companies pay attention to what people value. When we choose fairness, we encourage them to do the same.