Salary negotiation advice
Discussion
I started a new job with a company i'd worked for previously just under a year ago. At the time I'd been out of work for a while and was grateful for the opportunity, so took a salary that was lower than ideal but not terrible. The company is fast growing so since I started I've ended up doing a totally different and significantly more senior job than the one i was originally taken on to do. I love the job and enjoy having a lot of responsibility.
Around a month after I joined another person joined the company who works along side me in the same role. I suspected that they earned quite a bit more than me did to their age/experience, but i'd accepted the salary I was on and it was early days, so I kept my head down and cracked on. During this time, I was given the majority of the importan work and managed a significantly bigger and more stressful workload than said colleague.
Before Christmas I was notified that my work had been noticed and that they were going to review my position/salary. At this point I started preparing - looking at what similar jobs got paid, gathering evidence of the work i'd done in anticipation of a meeting where I could make my case and we would have a negotiation about my role and salary. Instead of this I got a phone call and was informed of my new salary, with no wider discussion of my role, prospects etc. It was a decent raise in the context of what I was on previously, but didn't reflect salaries for the role that I now do.
The company is now advertising for a new person to work in our team and do the same job as me. I've seen the job advert and the salary is significantly more than i'm on to do the same job. A new starter won't have any of my experience, knowledge of the company or relationships i've established with clients and the team. I had a catch-up with my line manager today and he's gone straight to the MD, who is going to sit down with later this week. The MD is a seasoned professional negotiator.
I love my job and have no desire to move anywhere. I'd just like to be paid fairly for the job I do, and not be working harder with more responsibility along side those who earn significantly more. I feel as though I have a valid argument based upon the above, but at the same time I know that I'm navigating a delicate situation, it's less than a year since I negotiated my original salary and 3 months since I had a pay rise. Frankly, I enjoy working hard and would much rather never have to think about this kind of stuff. At the same time, it's demotivating to be working quite literally twice as hard as someone who is earning more. The company is very successful and growing fast. It's in a competitive growing sector.
I'd appreciate advice on how best to approach this.
Around a month after I joined another person joined the company who works along side me in the same role. I suspected that they earned quite a bit more than me did to their age/experience, but i'd accepted the salary I was on and it was early days, so I kept my head down and cracked on. During this time, I was given the majority of the importan work and managed a significantly bigger and more stressful workload than said colleague.
Before Christmas I was notified that my work had been noticed and that they were going to review my position/salary. At this point I started preparing - looking at what similar jobs got paid, gathering evidence of the work i'd done in anticipation of a meeting where I could make my case and we would have a negotiation about my role and salary. Instead of this I got a phone call and was informed of my new salary, with no wider discussion of my role, prospects etc. It was a decent raise in the context of what I was on previously, but didn't reflect salaries for the role that I now do.
The company is now advertising for a new person to work in our team and do the same job as me. I've seen the job advert and the salary is significantly more than i'm on to do the same job. A new starter won't have any of my experience, knowledge of the company or relationships i've established with clients and the team. I had a catch-up with my line manager today and he's gone straight to the MD, who is going to sit down with later this week. The MD is a seasoned professional negotiator.
I love my job and have no desire to move anywhere. I'd just like to be paid fairly for the job I do, and not be working harder with more responsibility along side those who earn significantly more. I feel as though I have a valid argument based upon the above, but at the same time I know that I'm navigating a delicate situation, it's less than a year since I negotiated my original salary and 3 months since I had a pay rise. Frankly, I enjoy working hard and would much rather never have to think about this kind of stuff. At the same time, it's demotivating to be working quite literally twice as hard as someone who is earning more. The company is very successful and growing fast. It's in a competitive growing sector.
I'd appreciate advice on how best to approach this.
Edited by GBDG on Tuesday 17th March 21:44
What's your position within the company? Is it quite specialised or not?
I would arrange a meeting with your line manager/MD and be honest and polite. As you said, if he is a negotiator then he will be open to discussion and appreciate your confidence and willingness to bring things up like that.
It sounds like you would be silly to carry on for less money when you work harder anyway. It's your right to bring up this discrepancy.
I would arrange a meeting with your line manager/MD and be honest and polite. As you said, if he is a negotiator then he will be open to discussion and appreciate your confidence and willingness to bring things up like that.
It sounds like you would be silly to carry on for less money when you work harder anyway. It's your right to bring up this discrepancy.
What is the outcome you would be happy with.
You have seen the advertised salary, is that what you are looking for?
I fear you maybe disappointed.
But be honest with yourself, what do you really think you deserve? As said, speak to the MD say to him you have seen the advert and the salary, ask him directly what performance does he need from you in order for you to earn that money.
Is it a skills gap, is it experience, what is the factor, tell him you are happy I with the job, the opportunities and the work, but you want to understand how you progress.
Honesty and authenticity are best
You have seen the advertised salary, is that what you are looking for?
I fear you maybe disappointed.
But be honest with yourself, what do you really think you deserve? As said, speak to the MD say to him you have seen the advert and the salary, ask him directly what performance does he need from you in order for you to earn that money.
Is it a skills gap, is it experience, what is the factor, tell him you are happy I with the job, the opportunities and the work, but you want to understand how you progress.
Honesty and authenticity are best
MattHall91 said:
What's your position within the company? Is it quite specialised or not?
I would arrange a meeting with your line manager/MD and be honest and polite. As you said, if he is a negotiator then he will be open to discussion and appreciate your confidence and willingness to bring things up like that.
It sounds like you would be silly to carry on for less money when you work harder anyway. It's your right to bring up this discrepancy.
It's quite specialised in that it's technical and complicated. It takes a long time for someone new to understand what we do and how it works. I would arrange a meeting with your line manager/MD and be honest and polite. As you said, if he is a negotiator then he will be open to discussion and appreciate your confidence and willingness to bring things up like that.
It sounds like you would be silly to carry on for less money when you work harder anyway. It's your right to bring up this discrepancy.
Gargamel said:
What is the outcome you would be happy with.
You have seen the advertised salary, is that what you are looking for?
I fear you maybe disappointed.
But be honest with yourself, what do you really think you deserve? As said, speak to the MD say to him you have seen the advert and the salary, ask him directly what performance does he need from you in order for you to earn that money.
Is it a skills gap, is it experience, what is the factor, tell him you are happy I with the job, the opportunities and the work, but you want to understand how you progress.
Honesty and authenticity are best
I recognise that I have a lack of experience doing the job. At the same time, that hasn't been reflected in my work or success, especially considering that the company has employed a number of very experienced people who have failed to do the same job due to the stress and difficulties of our environment. Before I joined the average tenure in my role was 3 months.You have seen the advertised salary, is that what you are looking for?
I fear you maybe disappointed.
But be honest with yourself, what do you really think you deserve? As said, speak to the MD say to him you have seen the advert and the salary, ask him directly what performance does he need from you in order for you to earn that money.
Is it a skills gap, is it experience, what is the factor, tell him you are happy I with the job, the opportunities and the work, but you want to understand how you progress.
Honesty and authenticity are best
In terms of salary, I would be happy at the low end of the salary advertised. At the same time, i'm concerned that if I don't push hard on this then I won't be taken seriously. Ultimately I want to advance and rise up. I feel as though how I come out of this will have ramifications for how I am considered and how that will affect future promotions.
I know exactly what I am billed out to clients at because I write the proposals and negotiate it. So I know there is a lot of headroom in what I am paid and how profitable I am for the business. Somehow it seems difficult to negotiate on that basis when I'm selling myself!
Edited by GBDG on Tuesday 17th March 22:17
In my humble opinion, you need to be stating firmly the following
1) I love the work
2) I'm good at the work
3) I am worth more to you than you pay me
4) My personal circumstances mean that I will be forced to look for something else unless there is improvement in what you pay me.
5) I keep getting approached but so far have done nothing about them.
6) Balls in your Court, please take this seriously.
But don't do that if
1) You are not holding a better offer in your hand (don't tell them that until they fail to give you what you want - Never use an offer as a bargaining position to get a better offer - you put a gun to their head and they will remember)
2) You don't mind moving on.
1) I love the work
2) I'm good at the work
3) I am worth more to you than you pay me
4) My personal circumstances mean that I will be forced to look for something else unless there is improvement in what you pay me.
5) I keep getting approached but so far have done nothing about them.
6) Balls in your Court, please take this seriously.
But don't do that if
1) You are not holding a better offer in your hand (don't tell them that until they fail to give you what you want - Never use an offer as a bargaining position to get a better offer - you put a gun to their head and they will remember)
2) You don't mind moving on.
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