Hello All,
Title sums it up best. Summary below:
I work for an engineering firm with under 1000 employees and was recently promoted to a senior position within the production staff. I've worked hard for this, am a heavy lifter on our team, and regularly contribute to things outside of my job description to help run our branch. I was very excited to receive the news of the promotion. My immediate manager has been generally supportive throughout my tenure under him, and any complaints I have are minor and "water off my back". I think we have a great personal and professional relationship overall. I am very happy with my job with respect to the day-to-day work and, in general, the company benefits. There's been other recent positive developments re: training and involvement with staff hiring that lead me to believe I have a future here, too.
The exception over the last two years is compensation. I've felt underpaid the last two years and have shared this during my recent performance review, supported with plenty of qualitative (clients and subordinates like me) and quantitative/financial data illustrating the breadth and depth of my contributions across many areas of the business. I also have some outside evidence to support this, but haven't shared with my employer...yet (i.e. recruiters reaching out for similar positions as that I was performing before my promotion: having the low-end of their salary range be a bit above what I was/am making now). I am not the job market, but am considering dropping more frequent hints re: recruiters seeking me out regularly and some of the glimpses of salary they've given (I've dropped a few hints over last few years).
I've been given new business cards, email signature, department announcement was made, and clients are being billed for my new rate for some time now (~2 months). But I'm not seeing the pay yet. After explaining to my boss very recently, politely but firmly, that with each passing week I am feeling a bit used and why...I found it interesting that I was told during the conversation, in a wishy-washy fashion, that this is standard practice at our firm re: promotions...to have compensation changes at one defined time during the year. I do admit our annual review/raise process is fairly rigid (occurring within the same month each year). I sensed understanding with my side of things, but also that I may have slightly ruffled some feathers during the conversation. Later, follow-up was made with me and I was told that upper mgmnt wasn't sure what was taking so long for me to see the pay increase and accounting was given special directive to give the adjustment to my paycheck. Should take effect in two more weeks.
I find it very frustrating and unfair that even in the special case of a promotion occurring 'off-quarter' from normal salary adjustments, the pay increase would have to wait. Especially when I'm being billed out. Perhaps it's a corporate "strategy" that I just need to accept if I'm going to stay here? I don't entirely believe the stories I'm getting, but want to be open minded to my immediate supervisor possibly being caught in the middle. I'm interested in making things work with him...yet I don't know what my coming salary increase even amounts to yet. I'm feeling like no matter the amount, I should be asking for slightly more $ just to "get myself a win".
Have others run into similar situations? Suggestions for path forward? I think I know how to approach tactfully, but certainly will require some careful contemplation ahead of time. Admittedly, I'm really just looking for some outside perspective or a pep talk.
Title sums it up best. Summary below:
I work for an engineering firm with under 1000 employees and was recently promoted to a senior position within the production staff. I've worked hard for this, am a heavy lifter on our team, and regularly contribute to things outside of my job description to help run our branch. I was very excited to receive the news of the promotion. My immediate manager has been generally supportive throughout my tenure under him, and any complaints I have are minor and "water off my back". I think we have a great personal and professional relationship overall. I am very happy with my job with respect to the day-to-day work and, in general, the company benefits. There's been other recent positive developments re: training and involvement with staff hiring that lead me to believe I have a future here, too.
The exception over the last two years is compensation. I've felt underpaid the last two years and have shared this during my recent performance review, supported with plenty of qualitative (clients and subordinates like me) and quantitative/financial data illustrating the breadth and depth of my contributions across many areas of the business. I also have some outside evidence to support this, but haven't shared with my employer...yet (i.e. recruiters reaching out for similar positions as that I was performing before my promotion: having the low-end of their salary range be a bit above what I was/am making now). I am not the job market, but am considering dropping more frequent hints re: recruiters seeking me out regularly and some of the glimpses of salary they've given (I've dropped a few hints over last few years).
I've been given new business cards, email signature, department announcement was made, and clients are being billed for my new rate for some time now (~2 months). But I'm not seeing the pay yet. After explaining to my boss very recently, politely but firmly, that with each passing week I am feeling a bit used and why...I found it interesting that I was told during the conversation, in a wishy-washy fashion, that this is standard practice at our firm re: promotions...to have compensation changes at one defined time during the year. I do admit our annual review/raise process is fairly rigid (occurring within the same month each year). I sensed understanding with my side of things, but also that I may have slightly ruffled some feathers during the conversation. Later, follow-up was made with me and I was told that upper mgmnt wasn't sure what was taking so long for me to see the pay increase and accounting was given special directive to give the adjustment to my paycheck. Should take effect in two more weeks.
I find it very frustrating and unfair that even in the special case of a promotion occurring 'off-quarter' from normal salary adjustments, the pay increase would have to wait. Especially when I'm being billed out. Perhaps it's a corporate "strategy" that I just need to accept if I'm going to stay here? I don't entirely believe the stories I'm getting, but want to be open minded to my immediate supervisor possibly being caught in the middle. I'm interested in making things work with him...yet I don't know what my coming salary increase even amounts to yet. I'm feeling like no matter the amount, I should be asking for slightly more $ just to "get myself a win".
Have others run into similar situations? Suggestions for path forward? I think I know how to approach tactfully, but certainly will require some careful contemplation ahead of time. Admittedly, I'm really just looking for some outside perspective or a pep talk.