Salary re-negotiation, based on newly acquired data

[Housey]

My advice is try and come up with a plan of what you would do differently, status quo is not really compelling to most businesses.. Try and find a new angle, new approach (cost savings, capability improvement, speed to delivery improvements etc) as this gives you the opportunity to impress. If you want a job and are trying to create something better (pay and responsibility) then tell them what you bring and show you have thought about it. If it's compelling enough and impressive enough the wages you want can be more under your control.

The "I found out this bloke earns more and I'm annoyed" isn't really going to get you anywhere (not that you are doing that) but a "I've been in the role 5 months and here are the 3 things I think we can do better and this is how" is better.

 

[dowie]

c) I will mention that I will put the wheels in motion to move on if nothing can be done for me.

Why mention that? It is just an empty threat if you don't have anything lined up and you'll look like a chump if they give you a token raise and you stay. If they know you're not happy with your pay they'll know there is a risk you'll leave threatening them isn't constructive IMO.

You should be applying for jobs anyway even if you're not interested in moving - it would be especially useful to find out how quickly you could move and how much others might pay for you. If your current employer isn't going to recognise your additional work/responsibilities then you might well end up leaving anyway.

 

[HangTime]

very clear terms i.e. it is an unacceptable situation and you will walk if you don't see it addressed
.....
very importantly, hold the discussion in a calm, reasonable manner with no emotion, naming and shaming, or ultimatums.

Isn't that a bit contradictory? [FWIW I agreed with most of what you have said btw]

Until recently I had someone reporting into me on over £20k more than me.

This type of situation isn't that uncommon in IT where you can have valued technical expertise in non-management roles. At a previous employer, the System Support Manager had essentially worked his way up from a Support Analyst role and had a Senior Tech Architect reporting into him with 20 years more experience. Having once stumbled across some information that inferred salaries within the division, I'd be very surprised if the manager wasn't on at least £25k less than his subordinate.

That said, the way paradigm has laid this out it sounds like they are taking him for a ride and it sounds as though he deserves more.

 

[Buffman]

I

This type of situation isn't that uncommon in IT where you can have valued technical expertise in non-management roles.

Same in most technical roles I imagine.

 

[Random Guy]

Isn't that a bit contradictory? [FWIW I agreed with most of what you have said btw]

My point was that approaching a discussion like this, since the topic is personal and sensitive, it is easy to be more than a little peed off and to let it affect how you present yourself. Speaking purely from personal experience, such outbursts are not likely going to help. To be fair, it depends completely on OP's personality and many many other factors, so perhaps my advice was a bit superfluous in that regard.

 

[Janesy B]

This has happened to me twice, once because I found an offer letter laying about after they finally sacked someone that I was carrying for about a year and it turns out he was on more than me.

Second time was due to a member of a team that I was leader of being considered for redundancy and he had a bit of an outburst and said 'for x a year I can't be bothered with this trouble'. X was more than what I was on as his superior in terms of skills relevant to the job and in terms of structure.

If you are more capable and can prove so, ask for more. If management don't listen just move on.

 

[theMilitant]

If they know you're not happy with your pay they'll know there is a risk you'll leave threatening them isn't constructive IMO.

Agreed. I think it's implicit enough from your request for a pay increase that you'll be looking elsewhere for a job if you don't get what you want. Saying "I'll leave" directly can make things confrontational, which is unlikely to go well from my experience.

 

[Caged]

I wouldn't use the argument that someone below you is paid more as a way of getting a raise.

Look around at job listings in your local-ish area and try and locate ones for the equivalent(ish) sorts of roles. Use this to fight your corner. I'd almost leave the technical bits to one side for this, you're effectively a pan-Europe IT/IS manager and you need to play the role up appropriately.

 

[DRZ]

What other people are paid in your department/team is pretty much irrelevant unfortunately.

In my previous role I was earning more than my boss, he of course knew this. You have a value to the firm, you have a market value outside in the wider job market. If those two things don't align and you feel like there isn't enough value in the "warm and fuzzy" bits of your current role and/or the stability of working somewhere that you know inside out and everyone knows and respects you, then strike out and find something better.

I did exactly this last summer - critically evaluated my skills and was honest with what I could and could not do and then went and looked around. I had 4 competing job offers within a couple of weeks, all paying +£10k more than I had asked my then-current employer for to stay...

"Loyalty" is often a one-way street and does not generally benefit you in the long term.

 

[paradigm]

Finding jobs does not appear to be difficult. Quick re-word of my CV and the calls and interviews have indeed flooded in. Fingers crossed at least one materializes into a firm offer, but all are currently a £10-15K increase in salary.

 

[Hutchy]

Finding jobs does not appear to be difficult. Quick re-word of my CV and the calls and interviews have indeed flooded in. Fingers crossed at least one materializes into a firm offer, but all are currently a £10-15K increase in salary.

Happy days then!

 

[DRZ]

Finding jobs does not appear to be difficult. Quick re-word of my CV and the calls and interviews have indeed flooded in. Fingers crossed at least one materializes into a firm offer, but all are currently a £10-15K increase in salary.

People who are genuinely good are incredibly difficult to find! If your CV looks good and you stand up to scrutiny in an interview you'll find it a very buoyant market at the moment.

You looking to stay in the North West?

 

[paradigm]

People who are genuinely good are incredibly difficult to find! If your CV looks good and you stand up to scrutiny in an interview you'll find it a very buoyant market at the moment.

It certainly looks like that's the case, my phone is a none-stop symphony of ringtone at the moment. I'd like to think I can stand up to the scrutiny, but we shall see!

You looking to stay in the North West?

If at all possible, yes. Family ties and an upcoming wedding unfortunately dictate that I need to be around here for the short to medium term anyway!

 

[theMilitant]

Finding jobs does not appear to be difficult. Quick re-word of my CV and the calls and interviews have indeed flooded in. Fingers crossed at least one materializes into a firm offer, but all are currently a £10-15K increase in salary.

Congrats paradigm. Did you just put your cv up on the usual sites like totaljobs/cvlibrary etc? Or send it out to individual recruitment firms?

 

[GinG]

Finding jobs does not appear to be difficult. Quick re-word of my CV and the calls and interviews have indeed flooded in. Fingers crossed at least one materializes into a firm offer, but all are currently a £10-15K increase in salary.

This is something I am becoming to see more and more apparent.

As a 'young' sales guy within my field of work (certain packaging materials) at 30 years old I have the knowledge of people much more senior than me and the guys in the market are coming to retirement age.

I find myself going into customers to sell certain materials, and coming out having had an interview and declining job offers on the spot.

It was only the other week I asked for peoples advise on a job which would give a ~£10k payrise which I actually rejected due to the work life balance required.

Have you actually spoken with your current employers about the wages? If people reporting to you are on more the cash must be there for the higher wages to be paid.

 

[paradigm]

Well, that's a firm offer on the table from a prospective new employer, plus two more through to 2nd interview. Should be enough leverage next week.

Dropped an email to the relevant people today, not heard back yet regarding getting a face to face discussion, but at least now I have the opportunity to walk away into something just as interesting and with a 34% pay increase, assuming I'm not enticed to stay put.

 

[blairw]

I would go if I was you - a change of scenery and some new challenges. If you accept more money now from your current employer you will be OK for a while but they will always view you as a leaving risk / not be willing to invest in you further.

34% increase is a good improvement and would have me very interested - you may even be able to get that closer to 50%

 

[alx]

Congrats .

Wait and see what the other 2 hopefully offer assuming the 2nd interviews go well.

 

[BennyC]

I would go if I was you - a change of scenery and some new challenges. If you accept more money now from your current employer you will be OK for a while but they will always view you as a leaving risk / not be willing to invest in you further.

34% increase is a good improvement and would have me very interested - you may even be able to get that closer to 50%

Congrats. Also this ^

Money is no reason to stay. You could be inclined to take a counter offer from your current employer as a bit of an insult, if they value you more highly than they are currently paying you...

 

[paradigm]

I appreciate what's being said, however being given an official promotion and taking on more responsibility across our EMEA estate wouldn't be that bad.

A simple payrise won't be enough to keep me on.