My manager has been deflecting me up weighting a team member’s job profile.

10 Comments

1. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 8:39AM UTC

   although being a hero is a noble act, it’s not always wise so tread carefully and consider the dynamics.

   If you are not careful, you might end up being the next target. Consulting HR to move your money to his will not work to your favor and may go against your companies ethics policies. If you really want to help this person, help them get a job somewhere else

2. Alison KingJune 18,2022 at 12:31PM UTC

   Don't transfer your own salary--that's not going to be an appropriate solution.
   Keep advocating for him, but also be very frank with your teammate. He may not know that he is being undervalued. It will be much more helpful for you to help him find a new job and give him a stellar recommendation than to try to change the culture of a whole company. It will probably take a while to help him see his worth, but you're obviously invested, so just make it part of your work with him. Help him figure out the accomplishments he has had over that time so he can include those on his resume and in his interview STAR stories. Heck, you could help him practice interview questions. Once he starts getting interviews, it may help him realize that he has value elsewhere. If he gets an offer, maybe your company will match to keep him. You sound like an amazing persont to work with!

3. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 1:04PM UTC

   First, I applaud your willingness to advocate for your co-worker; not many people care enough to look out for their co-workers. Second, I would love to tell you to take it to HR but HR isn't there to look out for your interests as employees, but to look out for the interests of your employer. I, unfortunately, learned this the hard way and I don't wish that on anyone. Other than focus your efforts on assisting your co-worker find better employment, I don't know that I have any other relevant advice, I apologize. I wish the both of you the best and I hope the situation gets rectified for the better.

4. AnonymousJune 19,2022 at 12:15PM UTC

   Be careful. They obviously do not favor this guy. Your advocating for him, might make your life at work problematic. The way it is.

5. AnonymousJune 19,2022 at 12:46PM UTC

   They like him because he is easy to work with, very diligent and as mentioned the low self esteem means they can push work on from their teams that no one else wants to do and he earnestly takes it on and delivers it in a bow back to them. He works for two others managers, one in my division and one outside who is a level higher than my manager (and this guy directly reports to the CEO). He is officially my direct report but they make use of him without any development, feedback, advocacy for better conditions for him (they don’t even care). I’m new to the company less than 5 months and watching this unfold… My own manager and her manager have a crap r’ship with that senior leader that this guy has a good working relationship with and they appreciate he might be the only guy who has an ‘in’ to that entire significant division.

6. AnonymousJune 19,2022 at 1:19PM UTC

   The best way to help is to encourage him to get counseling for his low self esteem and find a new job. They will never treat him right. Also take notes as they will do it to anyone.

7. AnonymousJune 19,2022 at 7:09PM UTC

   I don't understand the title of this post and the situation - your coworker is getting a low salary because of his supervisor, a woman who is also your supervisor?

   For the most part, nobody else's salary is any of your business. He may have a wife with a huge trust fund or something, or just doesn't care. After only 6 months, you don't have the political capital to try to make any changes at all, let alone something as important as salary.

8. Heather BinghamJune 20,2022 at 12:34PM UTC

   I think the best approach would be to evaluate his job - not him - in the market and then present to your manager what you believe his role is worth. I've had a manager once in the past who wanted to do the same as you and I can imagine it's coming from a good place, but you have no idea the co-dependency that would land you and him with. You don't know him, you don't cannot know him and you just cannot predict how that would turn out, well or, more likely, otherwise. It is a really bad idea.

   By all means benchmark his role, not him as an individual, and highlight any discrepancies, but otherwise leave him to fight his own battle. That, in my view, is all you can and should do.

9. Kristie WhiteJune 20,2022 at 1:00PM UTC

   Based on the info that has unfolded in comments, it sounds like the employee you are referring to is your direct report. If he is, as HIS manager, you have every right AND obligation to benchmark his job and advocate for him. So as a new manager for this employee, and based on my experience in HR and as a manager, I would follow these steps:

   1-review his job description with him and ensure it completely describes all of the work he does - including the additional ad hoc work that is frequently part of his job. His current salary may have been based on a job description when he was hired 16 years ago that has never been updated or realigned with market. And if the company frequently gives minimal raises (like 3%), he will not get ahead much by staying in that position. ALSO!! be aware that because of the labor shortage currently, YOUR starting salary is possibly inflated which makes the gap between your salary and his look even larger. And no, it is not a good idea to "offer" to give $10k to your direct report. That is not how a fair and equitable pay structure is created - he should be paid a fair salary based on market and his skill set - not charity, which would be demeaning to him.

   2-Once you have a good job description, benchmark it in the marketplace. Look up similar jobs online - there are lots of resources such as GlassDoor and others.

   3-Determine what your budget and abilities are to advocate for a change or "re-classification" of his job by discussing it with HR. If you go there first, they will tell you to complete Steps 1 and 2. What should happen when you go to HR is they validate the work you have done in Steps 1 and 2 objectively and prepare an argument for the reclassification.

   4-Socialize this with your manager once you have Steps 1-3 completed - or at a minimum 1 & 2. Who's budget is going to be impacted by this increase in salary? Is it only yours or does it roll up into your manager? HR will tell you what the approval process is for this reclass as well as the timing to get it in the budget.

   This is the process for a manager to advocate for their direct reports.

10. SamanthaJune 20,2022 at 4:37PM UTC

    I love that you are advocating for him. Please keep doing so. I wish I had a boss who recognized how little I was getting paid and how much I did and tried to advocate for me. I guarantee there is a budget to give him a larger salary, so don't take away from yourself. Instead of going to senior leadership, could you discuss this more with HR? Also I like what some other people said, what is his position actually worth? If he were to leave (which honestly it sounds like he should) how much would someone coming in likely get paid? How much is it actually going to cost the company. They don't want to lose an employee that's been there for 16 years, that's a lot of knowledge that would just be lost.