When to ask for a pay rise?

[Needadoughnut]

Dear MNs in your infinite wisdom when could I ask/expect a pay rise? I started at this company only three months ago. They've always known I was over-experienced/qualified but I like them and it was more or less my same industry. I decided to give it a go even though it was entry level and a massive pay cut from my previous job. In this region wages aren't as high and in average I wouldn't expect more than £25-30k when my previous salary was £50k. I passed my probation and my "project" of becoming a "head of operations for EMEA" was approved. The role doesn't exist but I would have to do/learn from many different areas including PR, CS, and Copyright issues (I have no legal background but it would come with the job). I assume something like this in London would be at least £80k . I definitely feel like £18k is not enough for all the responsibility I will eventually take but even £7k seems like a massive salary jump. When would you ask for a pay rise? I think I would have to be in this role for 6 months at the very least. And I'm going on maternity leave in October but that should be irrelevant.

Our salary policy is that we define the remit of a role, and the experience/qualifications required for it, then benchmark locally for similar roles to give the salary band when advertising the role.

We give a salary based on how well the candidate fits the advert, an overqualified person would get the top of the band but not more. We support people to hit the top of the band. Once there, all staff get a cost of living % payrise annually.

Any other rise would be given due to a significant change in their role, increasing the salary band of that role. I argued successfully for an increase on those grounds after six months in my current role.

There's no actual rule, but six months gives them a solid foundation of respect for your abilities.

If you're paid £18k you're not head of operations for EMEA.

@Hollow I was never hired as such. The role that I'm evolving into (and for which I will write some sort of development plan) is that. They were always very clear I had to start with the entry level position and take it from there. We're a small company but our services/clients are worldwide.

IMO you need to clearly define what you’re doing that is above and beyond your current job profile, cross-check it against similar roles in similar companies before you even think about approaching your manager or HR or whoever. I think you’d be laughed out the office if you say you ‘assume’ in London what you’re doing would be £80k.

I also think having only been there for 3 months you are massively chancing your arm. It’s hardly a consistent record of your capabilities and work ethic; it’s more showing that you’re willing to pull out the stops to pass your probation.

@eliza absolutely! I would never go and ask the owners (we're big enough to have an HR department but one of the owner does that) and ask for an £80k salary. As ridiculous as it sounds 25% of their clientele is Spanish speaking and whenever they've dealt with them (including possible lawsuits) they use Google translate. But now they've seen I'm a huge addition to the team and that's why they're letting me pick and mix my responsibilities.

If you can really do a EMEA ops role then go somewhere else and get paid 3x more. £18k is what we pay our cleaners

Nowhere here pays that type of salary. I was on £50k and had to have a massive pay cut to be able to work remotely. Three years later I was made redundant with no possibility to move back to London. My language skills (and experience which is fairly niche) is what makes me employable but over here such jobs don't exist.

Do they have a policy on pay review cycles that defines when and how salaries are reviewed? Our process is something like managers will go to the nominated Director in a specific month with suggestions of raises for their team and the Director will approve or negotiate on the figure. In practice, they'll just go in with blanket amounts e.g. 3% for high performers, 2% for medium.

If your company is similar, I would speak to your direct manager about 6 weeks out and provide them with an evidence-based, benchmarked figure that they can utilise in the process. Supplement this with your achievements and perhaps objectives of what you'll be delivering at the level of salary you're suggesting.

If there's no official policy, you can probably just go in with this. But it's really important that you back it up with data.

Asking for a 7k pay rise from an 18k salary is a huge ask, really. Even if you are very, very underpaid. It'll come across as a very big ask!
Did you discuss a rise in salary wh2n you discussed the promotion? Are they expecting you to ask or are they under the impression you're ok as Head of EMEA on just over NMW?!?
Can you bring it up when you get the new job spec?

Well I already got a pay rise of £1k! No salary expectations were discussed. Right now I'm just supposed to be exposed to all the different bits of the business I can take on and then pick and choose. Once I have this experience I can define my new role properly. It looks like it will be mostly focused on legal, media relations, localisation, and customer service. Although I can choose to focus more heavily on some areas once I have experience.

I'd be tempted to either: take the bull by the horns and ask now. Or don't ask, get the experience and be prepared to leave if a raise isn't forthcoming.
If you were on £35k Asking for £80k praps not but you're on £18k fgs. They must know you're cheap? And they are bloody lucky!

They're absolutely aware I came in with bags of experience and know-how! The top end of salaries in this region is £35k so I know I definitely can't expect more than that (that goes for any company here TBF). They just advertised a software developer role (not entry level at all) and the pay range is £18-25k. I estimate I would end up on £23k not amazing but hopefully would get all the way to £35k in a couple of years.

You're very patient! A developer for 18k... Really?? Gosh!!

I don't have much of a choice. Over a whole year I only found 3 jobs that paid £25-35k that I could potentially do. I was very close with two but because I'd have to transfer most of my skills (rather than being very similar to my previous role) I always came second. I think the majority here is happy to get low salaries for living a "seaside/surfing lifestyle" something I couldn't care less about but unfortunately I can't move somewhere else and have to make the most of what's Infront of me.