Internal job offer made no salary increase

[Lauraadele18]

Hi Ladies,
I applied for a new job role in the same company, before submitting my application I checked the salary with the recruitment agency they use and they confirmed the salary range. I then had an informal chat with the manager who advised the salary would be higher than I am on now - no specific figure. I applied for the job and have been successful. 2 weeks on I have received my offer letter and told my new role will begin 18th Sept. I asked my new boss to confirm the salary. He then came back to advise his boss and HR have advised I will not get a pay increase as the position is a side ways move not a promotion. This means I don't even get the lowest end of the job pay. If I was external I would have got the mid to top end as I meet the experience and skills required. I now have 2 options....accept the job on the salary I am currently on (and I really do want this be job) or tell my bosses boss I want more money (to sit in the salary range even if it's at the bottom. - although I believe it should be higher!) And risk losing the job. Can they do this and does anyone else think this is awful to do this to a member of the company?! Options welcome as I need to tell him my decision tomorrow. Thanks huns

By definition it's not a sideways move if the salary band is higher

Yes they can do this. They aren't breaking any laws.

How disappointing.

I would be tempted to hang onto my current job and start looking elsewhere.

Did you call the interview hun? Perhaps that's where it's gone wrong?

I think you need to stick up for yourself. Personally I would email my manager in advance setting out my case as clearly as possible, as that would make it easier to discuss. Set out the information you have here as briefly as possible sharing that there appears to have been a misunderstanding as your pay has not been increased to the appropriate level. And ask your manager to resolve this with HR.

Have you asked what has changed from the job spec and salary advertised externally? I'd ask. Ask the right person though. Maybe the boss and hr person that you mentioned in your op. I'd also consider asking for a salary increase.

Accept it anyway as the title and experience will only help you if it's the direction you want to go in. You can consider hunting for a new job with the expected higher salary once you have done it for six months.

Decline the role on the basis that the salary isn't what you were expecting. You are worth more and it appears like they are trying to get you cheap (could be wrong). You have the advantage of knowing the organisation as an internal so it is unfair (though perfectly) legal to pay less than their external pay bracket.

The alternative is that you negotiate a higher salary or salary review after 3 months in new role with the new manager in writing/by email.

To be clear my second paragraph would be my fall back option if my request for more money was rejected. I'd definitely ask for more money first.

Decline the role and make it clear you'll be considering your options - clearly this company doesn't value you (harsh as it is to hear) or they would have given you the salary they have budgeted for. Always remember the salary will be in the budget, they just think they can make themselves look good by reporting a saving (my old boss used to do this constantly yet always wondered why they struggled to fill roles by paying less than market value).

Unless the job is going to give you unique experience that will mean you get a much higher paying job elsewhere quickly (to make up your lost earnings) then I wouldn't take it.

Perfectly normal in my company. I'd try and negotiate gently, they may provide something. If not, I'd take it anyway - in that situation in my company you'd then be more likely to get salary increases later (though admittedly only small ones)

Try to gently negotiate an increase to bring you into line with the normal salary bands first before accepting - in my old company you would be very unlikely to get an increase after accepting. However, be aware that in my experience the people who got an increase on the initial offer would have extra clauses placed in their contract e.g. a much longer notice period (e.g. 3 months rather than the standard 1 month notice).

If you just accept without even asking then they will think that you are a push over and you will probably end up resenting the lower salary. The idea of taking the job at the lower salary and trying to move to a competitor after getting some experience is also a possibility provided there is nothing in the new contract to prevent you doing this.

Do not accept anything lower than they advertised. You are telling them you will accept less than you are worth. Be polite and firm, but be prepared to stick where you are or leave.

Don't accept. Say you were told in good faith it was a higher salary band and that's what the job is worth. They may then cave as otherwise they'll have to go through recruitment again - it's possible (though mean of them) that they're trying it on to attempt to save money. If they don't, say you'll stay where you are thanks, and get looking for jobs elsewhere as this lot are shifty.

Do any other people do that role? I wouldn't want to take on a job where I'm paid less than the others doing the same job

Decline the role.

My company has form for doing this. Or giving a tiny increase that is less than the minimum that the job was advertised at.

I declined a job that an external candiate would have been paid at least 5k more a year. I also told them i would look elsewhere for a job and return within a couple of years so i could apply externally.

While looking for work elsewhere a director spoke to me about why i was leaving. I told him. I was offered something else with the pay i wanted.

The original job was filled externally.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that in any deal you need to have a line you won't go below, and be prepared to walk away or the other side will take advantage of you.

In this case, in your shoes, I'd decline the role, and tell them why. Decide what you think you should be earning, add on a bit so they can negotiate you down, and decline unless they meet your salary expectations.

Is this the only role of this nature in your company? Are there others doing this role? For parity businesses often (although many don't) like to keep similar roles on the same pay structure for similar roles. I'm just wondering if you can compare against others in the organisation/market rate for the role. Salary should be attributed to the role. If you have some less experienced who doesn't meet much of the criteria then offering at a lower pay with the view of increasing in the future would be usual. However as someone who meets the selection criteria I'd say you are in a good position to negotiate. In my opinion.

I always hate all this cloak and dagger secrecy about salaries. Half the time you wonder if women earn less because of it and walk away from negotiation. Someone else from outside will then get the job on s higher salary! Why not negotiate? Say you have seen the job advertised for more, so can we open up a discussion about starting salary and progression. It may be reasonable to transfer on a starting salary which is lower whilst on probation but it should be on the lower point of the salary band advertised as a minimum. There could, of course, be a mistake in the info you have been given. You would have to accept the normal pay progression of the company but you should not walk away without ensuring you have tried to get the salary quoted.

Thanks for all your help! I took your advice and told the New manager I wouldn't take the role without being on at least the bottom salary of the range (although I still feel I should be in the middle of the banding) thanks ladies! 💪

The only way you should accept this is if the final payoff is greater, i.e. If it's a Job opportunity you'd ne et get elsewhere, you could take it, gain say 9m experience (or however long) then piggyback off that into a different company earning much more.

I have done this myself - took on a vastly increased set of responsibilities for no extra pay. Was told I was crazy but I was then able to use what I'd learned and get a job on 3x that salary (did require a move abroad but hey ho.) I'd never of gotten the new job otherwise. Dh has done the same - he's accepted position rises without big salary increases and is now in a good position to go above where he would have been otherwise.

Most firms also have a balancing process whereby they periodically look at salary distributions.

However, if you're capable of going into that job at another firm now with the experience you have, then youve done the right thing. The thing to look at is the long game - if the short term loss is likely to be offset by a mid to long term gain, or not.

Good for you! What's was his response? Really annoys me that companies do this. I keep being prompted to go for a promotion, I know I could do it but it's a massive leap of responsibility and I'd get a measly 5% salary increase...why they think I'd even bother I do not know!