What do you do when you find out a person on your team with a junior title is getting paid more than you? – Account Executive
I once consulted to a company, where someone left the salary information for everyone in a single department on the copier for me to find. It was eye-opening how different the salaries were at the same title (e.g., comparing VP to VP, Director to Director, etc.). It was also interesting to see that the salaries didn’t correlate exactly with years of experience. There was a wide range, and it wasn’t obvious what the bands were based on.
However, just because salaries can be illogical or inconsistent doesn’t mean this Account Executive should do nothing with their newfound discovery. Finding out that a junior colleague makes more than you should be a wake-up call that you are not getting paid commensurate with your experience and contribution. Rise to the occasion, and earn what you are due.
Step 1 - Take a breath
This unexpected and likely troubling information can be a productive call to action or an emotional minefield. Make sure it’s the former and not something that blows up in your face. Do nothing until you’re calm enough to act rationally. You don’t want to act out of emotion, and do something you’ll regret later.
Step 2 - Confirm the information
If, like me, you saw published salary data, then the information is good enough to inform your next steps. But if it’s hearsay, you want to dig deeper, and confirm you’re not getting worked up and planning next steps based on bad information. Whether you actually uncover your colleague’s salary is less important than confirming how compensation works at your company. Find a trusted ally, who has been at the company for a while, to explain to you how salary decisions are made and how to lobby for a raise. Ideally, you have an ally in HR, who can give you candid advice without opening up an official inquiry (a friend in HR is one of ten people you need in your professional network!).
Step 3 - Leave your colleague out of it
Whatever you do, don’t drag your colleague into your campaign. When you ask your boss for a raise, don’t name your colleague as the reason why you deserve reconsideration. When you work with this colleague, act exactly as you did before. It’s not their fault they make more than you. When you vent to your friend about how you feel, do not name your colleague and cause your friend to look at your colleague any differently (i.e., like them less since they are causing you such grief, or worse, resent them if they are also underpaid compared to the colleague).
Step 4 - Renegotiate your salary
In Step 3, I said “when you ask your boss”, not if. Even if it’s not annual review time, even if your role hasn’t changed, even if you think you’re in a weak position, you can renegotiate your salary. Build a case for the salary adjustment that includes market data showing you should be earning more, as well as personal data about your valuable contributions. Use the information from your trusted ally about how decisions get made, and tailor your argument to what the company prioritizes. Think about how your boss makes decisions and how they communicate, and tailor your request to what will resonate with your boss.
Step 5 - Make sure you don’t let this happen again
You can’t control what others do, so you can never be sure that your company won’t leapfrog some other less experienced person in front of you. But you can control what you do and look out for yourself. Pay ongoing attention to the marketplace for your skills, expertise and experience, and know what a competitive salary is for your role and level. Advocate for yourself to your boss and other senior leaders, so you stay visible and front of mind during raise and promotion decisions. Maintain relationships with recruiters and colleagues outside your company so you keep your options open, if it turns out that your company won’t pay you what you think you’re worth.
Salary and title don’t always go hand-in-hand
I focused this post on the scenario of a colleague making more when they are junior by level of experience. However, the actual question is about a colleague with a junior title making more, so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that title and salary aren’t completely in sync. For example, a manager in one department could make more than a senior manager in another department, if the manager’s department is more of a priority for the company or is in a more competitive market that lifts salaries for all involved. You might be on a team with people across different departments, and you can’t compare titles and salaries across departments. Even if you’re in the same department, that junior colleague may be a shared resource with another department and boosted their salary accordingly. Or, they may have negotiated hard on salary and consented to a lesser title. Regardless, your focus shouldn’t be on making sense of your colleague’s salary, but rather making sure your salary makes sense for your contribution.
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June 26, 2021 at 06:30PM
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5 Steps To Take When A Junior Colleague Makes More Than You - Forbes
"colleague" - Google News
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