Research for a pay rise
Julie has a demanding role in a finance company and has recently asked for a pay rise. She has not heard back about it and has started job hunting to keep her options open.
“I found an ad for a lower position than mine being advertised by my employer and the salary on offer was the same as my current salary — possibly more, depending on experience. I’m very upset and feel taken advantage of. I don’t bludge at work; I have about one sick day a year and am punctual.
“My question is, when I do find a new job and resign, should I ask them why they did not review my salary and tell them how it made me feel, or not bother and try to leave on good terms?”
What a blow. I understand why Julie is upset but my advice is to leverage off this new piece of information. Take a deep breath, suck up the resentment, do some extra research and then send a follow-up email to the manager conducting the pay review. Trade in hard facts, not emotion. Say something like:
Dear X,
Thanks again for agreeing to review my salary. To assist with the process, I have been carrying out research to benchmark my salary against industry norms and I came across [the ad in question].
The role is junior to mine but offers the same salary as my role. This could assist in assessing where my salary level should be. I have also enclosed relevant salary survey information and a list of areas where I have added value to the organisation and exceeded targets in my role.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Julie, keep job searching. If you land a job, tell them that the salary issue was a “push” factor for you but couch it in non-emotional terms.
Generally speaking, salaries move faster in the open market than they do for those staying in the same job. The GFC saw salaries decline or remain static but as employment conditions improve, so will salaries.
Someone staying in a job might move their salary up by 2-5 per cent if they perform well. Someone moving jobs could improve their salary by many times that.
If you need workplace or career advice, submit your question to Kate at CareerOne’s Advice Forums.
