This company posts everyones salary online, publicly!

29 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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In this monologue, Dan Novaes explains how Buffer, a remote‑first company, made every employee’s compensation fully public and let staff participate in determining their own pay. The company replaced the usual private, negotiation‑driven approach with a transparent salary formula that considers role, experience, and geographic location. Employees could see exactly how their salary was calculated and even propose adjustments based on their contributions. While many expected jealousy and conflict, the opposite occurred: openness fostered trust, boosted confidence in decision‑making, and reshaped perceptions of fairness. Novaes argues that this kind of innovation—removing secrecy from everyday systems—can be as transformative as any technological breakthrough.

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Buffer made salaries completely transparent, even letting employees help decide their own pay. In most companies, salary is private. Employees don't know what others earn. Negotiations happen behind closed doors. Buffer tried something different. They published every employee's salary online. Anyone could see it. The company also created a formula. Pay was based on role, experience, and location. Employees could understand exactly how their salary was calculated. Some could even suggest adjustments based on their contributions. At first, many thought this would cause problems. Jealousy, conflict, conflict, unfair comparisons. But the opposite happened. Transparency built trust. Employees felt more confident in how decisions were made. Buffer didn't just change salaries. They changed how companies think about fairness and openness. Sometimes innovation isn't about technology. It's about removing secrecy from systems people rely on every day.