New direct report earning higher salary

[InAWorkPickle]

Currently navigating some changes at work following a recent restructuring. I’ve taken on additional responsibilities and as well as that, now oversee a department of two people.

However, one of the team members is currently earning significantly more than I am, despite having fewer responsibilities and tbh skills. There are definite issues with productivity etc from the department, which is why I think I’ve been put in there.

Have been told that remuneration will be discussed in a couple of weeks time and I came here because I want to be sure… the salary situation is not right? I can’t be expected to manage someone with less responsibilities and a greater salary?

To me, this seems obvious, but anxiety and imposter syndrome are issues with me and I’d like to get some feedback and discuss here before having the conversations at work.

Not yet, why do you ask?

This does happen for a range of reasons. A couple of examples: a department may have been formed with people from two companies (merger etc) and the people from one company could be on very different terms and salaries (as has happened to me). I've also managed a team in the US and they were paid a lot more than me! Or the person may have negotiated a higher starting salary, been there a longer time etc. It's normal and need not affect anything around managing them.

We’ve both worked for this company for a number of years? I work in an adjacent department and have had to rely on my colleagues work to do my own role. I have years of first hand experience of their work.

We have American colleagues too! Their salaries are eye watering! 😂 But their working environment is not worth the money. Not as many holidays, and they seem to be afraid to even take the ones they are given, working at all hours of the day/night….

Hang on, so you don’t even have a job description yet, know how much the job is paid etc? You said in your op you now do it, then started to complain someone you managed earned more, but that’s not the case, you have not started, don’t have a job description and haven’t been told pay yet?

I have worked for my employer for 31 years. In that time I have had excellent appraisals and extra salary increases as a result.
my last 2 Managers have only worked at the operation for around 5 years and have earned considerably less than me. The starting and mid salary range for a Manager is less than the top banding for my grade.
but long service and experience has to count for something.

Honestly, I’m not sure why you or @Frenchfrychic find it odd. I had a lengthy conversation on Monday about the ins and outs of the new role. While I’m still awaiting official job spec and salary negotiation, I’m clear on what this role entails, it was discussed at length with me and I have verbally agreed that I will take this role on once remuneration is agreed upon.

I inherited a situation like this once. One of my team was earning less than one of the staff he managed. The situation had arisen because she had negotiated hard in the past, whereas he hadn't.

I increased his salary to address the issue, because I felt uncomfortable with it, but I could have very easily left it as it was without being challenged on it!

Because I’d have the salary discussion before eviscerating someone who has to now work for me.

So I shouldn’t think about it, or discuss salary negotiation until they make me an offer? I should go into that process blind?

As I’ve said, I can’t help but use my colleagues salary as an internal benchmarking point in my head. If the company are prepared to pay my colleague what they do for far less productivity, skill and responsibility, and I will now be accountable for their output then it’s clear I need to prepare myself better for this round of salary negotiations. My colleague obviously had much better negotiating skills when they were recruited than I did.

No of course not, but if you’d said I’ve been offered a new role, I’ve not had any salary discussions, one of the team earns more, the others earn x, the salary range is x - y, I’m on z, how do I handle discussions, it would have been more honestl

I honestly don’t see the difference between what I’ve said on this thread, and what you’ve said I should have said?

Honestly, this thread has been so weird. Strange questions like posters are looking to ‘catch me out’, on what exactly I really don’t know. Needlessly aggressive and insulting posts to the point a bunch have been deleted. With no need for any of it, I’ve been polite, factual and grateful for the feedback.

MN can be great at times, but this thread is one that would make a person think twice about ever posting again. This isn’t AIBU, it’s the Work board, people need to chill.

My main concern now I know you don't actually manage this person yet is how you've completely written them off. You think they wouldn't have got feedback from their old boss, but you haven't even tried managing him before deciding that he'll never improve and will be an awful burden to you for which you deserve extra compensation. That's not the attitude or actions of a decent leader.

The posts, in the main, that you don't like stem from the fact you appeared overly focused on the person you will be managing being paid more and describing it as leverage. It may be annoying but it's not leverage and shouldn't form any part of your negitiation.

Your salary negotiation needs to ne fully independent of that.

You need to include:

• your skill set
• the additional responsibilities in the new role
• how you are equiped to carry them out - experience, skill set etc.
• Industry benchmarks with sourced and credible data.

Offer zero suggestiond or guidelines before they do.
Get them to name the figure they have in mind before you do.

Practice responses for if it's what you expect (skill ask for more!)
Pratice for if it's too low but you'll accept it while sesrching elsewhere
Practice response for if it's completely unreasonable.

Know what the next best alternative is - less money, but more annual leave, flexibilty or pension contributions, health benefits, job title (important in some sectors only & may be something you need to make the next external step)

Build in next pay review with targeted parameters and required results for same.

It's a comoany restructing and going through redundancy. You may not have much leverage anyway but dhoukd still absolutely seek what yiu are worth and require.

There's also nothing wrong with saying "that's not in line with my expectations do can I have 48 hours to reflect on it" etc.

Salary negotiation is a skill in itself and a lot of people don't realise or work on that as much as they should.

Good luck

No one is trying to catch you out, I understand you don’t like our message but that’s not we are trying to catch you out.

you need to focus on you. In this thread you’ve not even discussed others in the team and as you call it a department, there must be many, you have heavily focused on this one person, been utterly brutal about them and how awful at their job they are, focused exclusively on how much they earn and how you should get more than them, it took multiple people telling you to focus on your own skills before you moved to that position, and even then still wanted to focus on how shit this employee was and how much they make.

if I was your manager and knew of this I’d have grave concerns about my choice.

Have you even read my posts? I’m not getting into the minute detail on this thread but I am fully aware that this person has not received the required feedback or guidance and their previous manager has done them a disservice in that regard.
Where have I said they’ll never improve? I’ve specifically said I like my colleague, and will be taking a ‘from scratch’ approach and wiping the slate clean for them. I’ve also said that I will offer all of the guidance and upskilling required to effectively do their job, but having worked with this person for a number of years, I am familiar with their work ethic and lack of enthusiasm for the role and have doubts they will accept this opportunity. This is all additional work for me, so yes it will be a burden for which I believe I deserve extra compensation.

Good god, there’s such glaring inaccuracies in your post. I’ve explained everything in previous posts, I’m just not going to bother responding to you anymore.

People are genuinely trying to help you but it's unfortunate that you aren't seeing that.

They are trying to highlight the importance of a mindshift before you negotiate.

Every manager will have very strong teams and very difficult teams to manage over their career. Salary isn't determined, in most cases, by the quality of the team. Some times you get lucky and it's easy. Sometimes you don't. It all falls under management responsibilty.

The fact you may have to put skmeine on a PIP and manage that process is largely irrelevant.

The bit that people are trying to help you understand is that this persons salary isn’t the significant reference point you’re conveying that you think it is.

Time and time again you reiterate that if they’re willing to pay this individual who is a poor performer (in your opinion) that much, then that’s an input to your remuneration negotiation.

The way you’re articulating things in this thread comes across as you seeing that as a major factor. We’re trying to help you realise that it’s not. If anything it’s an outlying data point and should be treated as an anomaly. Failing to consider the data point in context and using it inappropriately undermines every other point you make in your negotiation.

Try thinking about it from another angle. Have you ever overpaid for something - massively overpriced cup of coffee, disappointing massage, entry ticket that you thought included stuff and didn’t? Most people have at some point. If not, let’s pretend you have.

Picture the scene - you go to a nice cafe. You see lovely pictures on the menu of a three tier platter with sandwiches and scones with cream and mini mille feuille . The menu lists Fancy Cafe name cream Tea special at £19.95, and a pot of tea at £4.95.

You order the cream tea, expecting the fancy picture.

You get an underwhelming scone with cream and jam and a pot of tea. (Cream tea). You don’t think that’s worth £19.95

You overpaid because you misjudged the situation at the start.

You don’t then use £19.95 as your reference point for cream tea going forward. You realise you made a mistake and make an effort not to repeat it. If anything, you’re more cautious about understanding properly what you’re getting and whether you think it’s good value than you were before you got burned.

Your apparent determination to keep this guys salary as a major feature in your evaluation is like the that person using £19.95 as their reference point for cream tea going forward. You’d think they were bonkers.