Recently, one of my direct reports was promoted.

37 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 7,2023 at 10:24PM UTC

   "Now that Jan's promotion is finalized, let's talk about how my scope of work has changed by supervising a higher-level staff member and how we can best leverage that for my next raise/promotion." I make sure I'm looking out for all of my staff, but it doesn't necessarily occur to everyone that changes for one person often justify changes to others. If you can write your updated job description (either added duties or promotion to the next level), that would be even better. I try to make these things as easy for my boss to agree to as possible.

2. AnonymousMarch 7,2023 at 10:38PM UTC

   Thank you! That's a very good way of putting it. Hopefully won't be taken the wrong way (you never know with some managers, but mine is pretty reasonable, so i think it should be ok to approach...)

3. Zayda HernandezMarch 7,2023 at 10:26PM UTC

   Did this employee join the company recently it’s possible due to pay adjustments their starting pay was higher than when you commenced. I would approach your employer and discuss this. They should give you a pay adjustment given that the position is junior to yours. At least allow them to correct the error or explain the increase variance.

4. AnonymousMarch 7,2023 at 10:35PM UTC

   Thanks for your response. The salary was changed to match the previous post-holder (the role didn't report to me before but will now, but it is still more junior than my role). Thank you for sanity checking me, it's not even so much the pay which bothers me, more the principle of it (i know it's a bit petty!) Will have a chat with my boss and see how it goes

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 7,2023 at 10:44PM UTC

   If she reports to you, were you not part of her hiring process?

6. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 12:21AM UTC

   Folks are paid much more these days so if she was recently hired and then promoted, companies are doing their best not to lose their Rockstars. So while you may be in line for a pay adjustment, she may be exactly where market value is.

   This happens when someone stays at a single company fir several years. Their pay does not reflect the current market rates.

7. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 4:15AM UTC

   Instead of worrying about this coworker and her compensation, I would push to be adjusted to the current market value you should be at. Clearly you are not being paid correctly. The company clearly values this person and decided to pay her accordingly. Your boss will pretend not to have understood the inequity but trust me, this raise was absolutely not a,mistake, miscalculation or an oversight.

   Now it's your turn.

8. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 12:10PM UTC

   Thank you. I had a suspect feeling that it might not have been a mistake. It’s a bit disappointing but I guess the business needs to do what is in its best interests. I’ll have a chat with my boss and see what she says. I agree that I shouldn’t be worrying about my colleagues salary. It might be that I’m more valuable somewhere else which is just a sad truth really but hey ho

9. IntentionGirl136408March 8,2023 at 4:08PM UTC

   I absolutely think it's worth the conversation! If you don't ask, you don't get!

   I would state (factually!) your credentials, and note that hers are less and she's making more. This is not a comparison, it's level setting.

   Good luck to you!

10. AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 5:28PM UTC

    Definitely worthy of a conversation. If you do not at least discuss it with your boss and understand the reason behind it, you will not be content. Take it from someone who was in a similar situation. Good luck!

11. Jennifer WuolletMarch 9,2023 at 1:55PM UTC

    Have a discussion with your boss, sometimes they need a reminder that you are due for a raise. Good luck.

12. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 6:23PM UTC

    If you do not ask for a raise, you will not get one. I sat in an office next to a VP that had paper-thin walls. I was shocked and appalled to hear the requests made by my male counterparts on the daily. Not always the hard workers, the ambitious guy, or the ones giving it their all.... there were some real bonofide lazy bums walking in and asking for the raise or the promotion. DO NOT WAIT. ASK!

13. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 2:39PM UTC

    Just curious...how did you find out the salary amount?

14. Kia HarrisMarch 9,2023 at 3:11PM UTC

    If she’s her boss and does her merit increases she will see her salary

15. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 6:19PM UTC

    This is hard to hear, but "he´s just not into you". I hear you explaining it away, giving the benefit of the doubt, wanting to comfortably right the wrong.... I was that person. The fact is that this is a difficult mistake to make. He did not give you a higher salary because a) he does not believe you are a flight risk, or b) he is not afraid of the consequences of your departure. Does not mean you are not valued. Just not valued in a way that requires a salary hike.

    Take it as a wake up call and start thinking about taking your skills elsewhere.

    If you do not believe your expectations are clear, by all means speak up, but prioritize updating your CV and getting out there.

16. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 7:35PM UTC

    I think it's worth considering the differences between her role and yours. For example, I've been in leadership positions where a team member has made more than me, but their job was more "technical" or they had an international role that required global travel and business knowledge, as well as language proficiencies that I didn't have. There are other things to consider other than just a direct line of reporting. However, if you see your roles as similar and you are in the leadership position, it's worth a chat with HR.

17. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 9:20PM UTC

    You are not being petty at all. People work for money. That is the simple truth of it, and we can but icing on top about passion and collaborations, etc, but in the end, we work for money to survive! Go and get yours. Do your research on the market, know what the benchmarks are for your experience, then back it all up with the awesome work you've done, and make your case.

    I believe 'junior' in position also translates to junior in salary, so this sounds weird and pay transparency is a legitimate movement. The pay gap is real. (or pretend you're a man and just go in there entitled like you deserve it no matter what, haha, if only)

18. AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 10:46PM UTC

    You might just ask what your boss will be adjusting your salary to when discussing the new promotion person

19. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:17PM UTC

    This isn't that uncommon (unless you work in, say, academia, where people work within salary bands). It's when people come in from the outside or are promoted that they either get more money (bc again they're new, or new in a role, as opposed to those of us who stay in a role for a number of years). They can often negotiate then, though I don't know what happened with this employee of course. I think what you do, as others have said, is to go to your boss to talk about a salary adjustment.But not really in light of this other employee if you can help it---or not about her specifically at first at least. Make notes about everything you've done in your role. How long you've been there, any growth/promotion, how many people you supervise (which will be more than the other employee) and then do some research at salary.com and other similar sites about the going rate for your position. SOmetimes you have to make your bestguess with those sites b/c the job titles or roles aren't exactly the same, but if the numbers are good, and above what you're being paid, then cite them. Write up an actual proposal. You won't read that aloud but you'll memorize it to make your argument (and if you need or want to send a follow up message, you can use it then). Don't feel like you're being jealous for being paid at work. Would a man feel bad about asking for more money? You may find your boss is expecting you to come and talk with her/him (prob not but you never know!). Best of luck.

20. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:21PM UTC

    I think I wasn't overly clear--do not frame your talk with the boss as 'hey, what happened here?' That will put the boss on the defensive and perhaps she/he didn't even pick or suggest the amount of money. Making your boss defensive will not help your cause. Go in to talk as though this other woman doesn't even exist. You can certainly bring her up, but not in a 'hey what happened' way, just a parity way, nearer the end of the conversation. Don't lead with it. Put yourself in your boss' shoes. How woukd you want someone to come to you in this situation?

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22. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:29PM UTC

    If you have been in the same company for a while, chances are your salary is not at the true market rate for your position and is lower. I remember when we hired my colleague who reported to me for a while and that person got a 27% increase over what I was making. I did speak up to my boss but unfortunately due to corporate politics nothing was ever done so I left the company to get my massive increase in salary other wise you’ll get stuck. It was a lesson learned that every 3-5 years you should switch your company to get a true salary boost. Good luck, hopefully your management will give you something!

23. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:35PM UTC

    I have been in that situation and I brought it to the attention of my boss and HR partner. They adjusted my salary as I was clearly not within the appropriate range.

    However, big companies struggle to keep up with all of this - it is up to your boss to pay attention to these things. Sometimes their hands are tied - no budget, etc. And I agree with one of the comments. Sometimes highly technical employees are paid more than their supervisor.

24. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:35PM UTC

    There have been times that I've been paid less than other team members when they reported to me because of their role and their certifications/additional education. Does this person, for example, have a Master's degree and you have years of experience instead of the degree? It doesn't sound or seem fair, but it does happen. It's also true that demand for certain roles and the difficulty of hiring for them in an industry (especially post-pandemic) can raise the minimum salary for the position in a shorter period of time. Meanwhile, you've been working in that role and your increases haven't kept pace with what the market bears now. Finally, some people are better self-advocates and negotiators. I think it's worth having a discussion about compensation, but not just as a comparison to this individual. Let your boss know that it surprised you, but first do your own homework on what you are worth in the market based on education, years of experience, etc., and present that as DATA, not feelings. Provide them with a number 8-10% higher than what you want so you are positioned well for an exchange and coming to the number you actually expect.

25. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:53PM UTC

    Well said.

26. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:54PM UTC

    Nope. We need to stop trying to be "polite" and go for what we deserve. This happened to me at my last job. The person who reported to me made 20K more!!! I went, got another job offer, and then they found 25K more for me. Don't wait around for employers to do the right thing, because they won't. While everyone is mentioning more credentials, if the person reports to you, I am guessing you have a larger responsibility, more direct reports, etc.

27. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 2:21PM UTC

    Yes, credentials matter. I had nurses report to me who made more because I don't have an RN and they are in demand everywhere. Employers, if they want you and think you are worth it, may be able to "find" additional money, but it is unfortunately not the norm. It is also the case that budgets handled by location don't just magically have more sales to offset your additional cost. Industries are different. Always ask and be prepared.

28. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 2:17PM UTC

    If it's really the same job skill set, it's reasonable to ask that your salary be reconsidered with the "current market rate of this position" which apparently, is higher now than your salary has kept up with. In other words, if her position was open and YOU applied for it, would you be the most qualified? You could go with the approach of "I didn't realize that open position had a higher salary than my current position with less direct reports. I would have applied for that role if that was the case." Because they are only thinking about what they'd have to pay to hire that position right now.

    However, if it's truly a different skill set (you would not/could not have applied for her new position), then it's a different ballgame. I work in marketing and have programmers who report directly to me. They have less education (no college degrees), less direct reports and less tenure at the company. But their salary is higher because their skill set is in short supply/high demand and it would cost that much to replace them. And even though they report to me, I can't do their job.

29. Julie Chatman, MBA, CISMMarch 10,2023 at 3:21PM UTC

    Framing the conversation around a market adjustment for your compensation probably makes the most sense

30. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 6:01PM UTC

    In some industries management roles pay less than technical roles below. Ask for a review find out the why and then you can decide whether it is a long term problem that causes you to reconsider staying there. If you don't get the response that you like you can ask for a short interim review to get you over into a higher catergory based upon achieving some milestones that you set in place. I am a bit confused as to why you were not in this conversation to make the raise and promotion happen as if you were in my organization to have shut you out of that before the change happened would never happen.

31. surfnwriteMarch 10,2023 at 10:06PM UTC

    There is no valid reason for a person who reports to you to have a higher salary than you.

32. Stephanie F, MSHRMMarch 11,2023 at 10:35PM UTC

    My thoughts exactly!

    That's a salary compression issue. We have a policy in place that your salary must be at minimum 15% above your direct reports. They won't even approve a change in supervisor if there is salary compression.

33. AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 10:55PM UTC

    Something similar happened to me. I was promoted after a few months and two people reporting to me made a higher salary than the offer I accepted. I didn’t say anything for about a year. When I finally did bring it up to my boss, she corrected it by going to HR and defining my achievements in my new position. It was a complete oversight. My suggestion is to ask your boss in your next 1:1 if it’s typical for your direct reports to make more money than you. Unless your direct reports have specialized degrees or training, pay grades aren’t usually built like that. I wish I would have said something sooner. I would have been $30K richer and wouldn’t have doubted my boss’ confidence in my performance.

34. Susan NicoleMarch 11,2023 at 10:47AM UTC

    I agree with anonymous that the sooner, the better to speak to your boss. Because you used the words “polite” and ‘discuss”,I sense that you possess the humility needed here. You don’t want to risk sounding jealous. By this, I know that you want to continue good relationships with both your boss, and your direct report, and be true to yourself.

    Meditate, pray before you greet your boss that all negative thoughts about you will leave her mind. In my work, we call this the Holy Spirit. Also, prepare your own

    heart/mind to hear what your boss has to share--that is prepare for the unknown.

    I praise your approach. It’s hard to know what to do with annoyed feelings.I’ll save that for another time.

    My husband adds that in his experience, he found out that the direct report had a

    higher qualification. His response ( in the Armed Forces) was to re-muster, meaning

    study and achieve the higher qualification. He lost the rank for awhile, but soon regained it. We’re praying it’s a win-win -win. Keep strong.

35. AnonymousMarch 11,2023 at 9:40PM UTC

    This is very interesting. How did you know about the salary raise? Did she get extra responsibilities , or does she have a specialized skill that falls into a higher paying grade? Talking to your boss can be the best course of action. During your discussion.with your boss highlight your unique skills and experience. Also highlight your special achievements. Then ask for a raise.

36. AnonymousMarch 13,2023 at 9:55PM UTC

    I work in HR so access to salaries is all a part of the job. I wasn’t told directly but processed the payroll so couldn’t help but notice it!

37. AnonymousMarch 13,2023 at 9:48PM UTC

    Hello all. Thank you all for your support. Update on my situation: I had a chat with my boss today and she recognised that the salary my direct report is on is unfair on me. She said that the decision was made based on a need to fill the role quickly, and nothing to do with skill or experience. She offered to review my salary now and give me a raise, or otherwise pay me a bonus in addition to the standard salary increases that everyone at my company gets in July (though she couldn’t say how much it would be). But went for the second optio. It was more about the principle than anything else for me so I’m glad I had the conversation and that she put her hands up to the oversight, although it was a little awkward! It’s a bit of a personal win for me as I in the past I’ve struggled to stick up for myself so I’m pleased with the outcome ?