Hi.
Name changed since I don't want to risk being outed too easily. I'll try to keep this brief.
At my previous employer, I left after a few years of service because I was being paid at close-to my original graduate salary despite taking on some key (high profile, high value) responsibilities over the years. I'm talking running client accounts, when my job title/salary suggested I was little more than a new graduate role. When pressing for pay raises to reflect my actual job responsibilities, rather than job title, I was told that I was topped out on the pay grade, and - unofficially - the fact was that it was dead man's shoes. I'd probably get a pay grade bump if my line manager retired at the planned time/etc. and that's about it. So they were happy for me to take on a raft of new duties, and go above and beyond my basic job duties, but after a year I got sick of it (phrases such as "we stick to the salary bandings here" when I requested a higher salary at review time, armed with job advert printouts to prove the market rate for my actual job tasks) and looked elsewhere. It was a shame, because I liked working there, but the salary just didn't reflect the huge amount of extra stuff I'd been running, volunteering for, etc. They weren't even willing to give an extra few days of annual leave instead. Which was strange, because I got nothing but glowing reviews, and my manager seemed genuinely grateful / valued my work, and had approved the extra duties I'd suggested - I hadn't been cutting him out or anything. He seemed genuinely upset when I left.
(And in case I sound up myself, I noticed that six months after, they advertised my exact job (the core duties plus the extra workload I'd been doing) with a totally different, much more senior job title. I'm guessing the salary would have been at least around ÂŁ10k - ÂŁ15k more to attract applicants as a result. )
So. I started in a new job 14 months ago, in a very large company. I was hired in a professional role for which I wasn't technically qualified, but have qualified in since. So it was a bit of a risk hiring me, and my salary reflected that. Let's say the established market rate for this role is easily 35k-50k - I was hired on 29k.
In that time, I've helped to build up a team (new office of a national company opened, I was the second hire - I've trained the 8 others who've joined since, and I've been line managing 2 of them for a few months now) and acted as the 2nd in command for the manager. I'm the "go to" person when she's not in office/unavailable. In August, I received the highest employee review ranking at my 1 yr review ("significantly exceeding expectations"). My manager is "exceptionally happy" with my output.
However, I'm getting a raise of 2.5%. That's well below market rate even if I was just performing as expected. And a colleague that's on a performance review plan appears to have got the same, judging by a comment or two she's made in confidence. Heck, it's not even in line with inflation!
I feel like I've jumped ship in order to move to an organisation that might actually value my "goes above and beyond" work ethic (and have the capability to, as a large, national employer), and here I am in the same position as before. Doing loads more than my official job role, and being paid very poorly for it.
I don't know whether to:
- Move on again, and in my next role just do the bare minimum (as my naive understanding of work hard and get rewarded just isn't doing me any favours).
- Stick it out and hope that my next year's review is better? Maybe request a review in 3 months time or something?
- Something else?
I feel that it's me that's made mistakes in the way I've handled work - I should have been smarter than to fall for this a second time!
I'm seen as very eager and very capable - "a safe pair of hands" - maybe too eager? Happy to take on extra responsibilities, but now (for the second time) I just feel like I'm having the piss taken out of me. My partner is extremely supportive (he works part time to care for DC, and is, and always has been, my rock), but since he's only ever worked NMW jobs (he works in Tesco on the tills), he doesn't have much advice on how to handle these salary/office problems I have. And I feel like I'm handling things badly for the second time around.
I suppose what I'm really asking is: does anyone have any tips on how to progress in companies, with regard to taking on extra responsibilities, whilst ensuring you get fairly rewarded for doing it?