Should new colleague get higher salary?

[OutofthelineofFire]

Am I being unreasonable to get very upset about a new colleague (all doing same job) who is being offered several thousand more, and has accepted because she is deemed to have more outside experience (but no more than me)? Plus I'm having to train her as is everyone in the team.

NHS work (admin - high level) and we struggle to recruit and retain staff in our team since inadequate manager took over hence the senior management have decided to get decent people in the salary has to be higher at their 'discretion'. What about the sheer dismissal of the feelings of this to the existing team?

I feel completely demoralised and have already complained only to be told it was a fair decision-making process. I am considering taking it to grievance.

What's the point in being a good, loyal, highly effective member of a team when management do this?

Am I being unreasonable being upset?

[sirfredfredgeorge]

You need to refocus your complaints and grievance being about your salary being below what the market rate for the role is and how that will be resolved. Focusing on the new member of staff who is simply being paid what the role requires is the wrong way of looking at it.

[Jumblebumblemess]

It is unfair but it is also market forces and supply and demand. They negotiated a bigger starting salary. Also in the NHS won't they just be capped quicker at the top of the band?

Where I work we have bands and one job recently was advertised 25-29k. If the person who got offered the job negotiated 29k it just means they won't get any pay rises (other than the yearly inflation one of about 1%) as they are at the top of the bracket.

This is why people don't stay in jobs more than 2-3 years these days. They get more money moving around going up a few k each time. Companies need to take note and look at the time, energy and costs to hire and train someone every couple of years.

[roarfeckingroar]

External appointments tend to be on higher salaries. It's why people move around.

[PleasePassTheCoffeeThanks]

This is how it works 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Di11y]

moving externally is how to get the uplift. at a private company you wouldn't know how much a colleague is on.

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

@sirfredfredgeorge

You need to refocus your complaints and grievance being about your salary being below what the market rate for the role is and how that will be resolved. Focusing on the new member of staff who is simply being paid what the role requires is the wrong way of looking at it.

Agree with this OP!
I understand how frustrating it might be, however that’s not the new colleagues fault. You need to arrange a pay rise discussion and / or move around.
As PP said, why do you think that most of us in the private sector do that? External candidate always gets a pay rise!