Was I right to ask for a potential comp recalibration?

[Anonymous]

I joined a company 8 months ago, let's say to run birds. Since I joined I inherited also: lions, tigers and owls. I have a larger team (by a factor of 2-3) and much more responsibility and volume of work than anyone else at my same level. This is all great, but I am comped the same as if I just ran birds. Today I very politely asked my boss if, should comp recalibration come up at any point, I might be considered for it due to my greatly expanded scope from when I took the role. I kind of thought she would have very much seen this coming, and while she didn't exactly react with surprise, she did say 'it would have to be done at the time in the year when these things are done' and gave the air of a little bit of 'oh!'. Now I am paranoid that I should have said nothing...

[Anonymous]

No thats weird...what time of year is that?

[Anonymous]

You are perfectly justified in asking for a raise if the job responsibilities have increased. It sounds as if yours have. If the company can't/won't do anything, then you need to start looking for another job or ask for some help with your additional responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No thats weird...what time of year is that?

it was a little confusing bc this is the time of year that we flag anyone for comp calibration or promo, albeit it doesn't happen for a few months. so it felt like the exact right time...

[Anonymous]

She was taken aback because you’ve been there less than a year. I don’t mind when my employees proactively bring up their compensation at all, but if it’s been 8 months and the additional work was not presented as a step up in any way, it’s possible your manager perceives it as just part of the job you took even if you don’t. Which doesn’t say great things about the workplace culture but is what it is.

But if someone at the one year mark said to me “I realize I’ve been here for a year and I really like it here, however I was hired to do X and now I’m also doing Y and Z. I don’t mind these additional responsibilities but I’m hoping my comp can be adjusted to reflect them,” it would be well-received. For me as a manager, under 1 year is too soon for an employee-initiated conversation about comp unless there are some pretty extreme circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was taken aback because you’ve been there less than a year. I don’t mind when my employees proactively bring up their compensation at all, but if it’s been 8 months and the additional work was not presented as a step up in any way, it’s possible your manager perceives it as just part of the job you took even if you don’t. Which doesn’t say great things about the workplace culture but is what it is.

But if someone at the one year mark said to me “I realize I’ve been here for a year and I really like it here, however I was hired to do X and now I’m also doing Y and Z. I don’t mind these additional responsibilities but I’m hoping my comp can be adjusted to reflect them,” it would be well-received. For me as a manager, under 1 year is too soon for an employee-initiated conversation about comp unless there are some pretty extreme circumstances.

op - A. It will likely time out to a year (you have to flag early or you miss the window where the decision is made, is why the timing) and b. it was actually quite extreme. A bit like being hired at GM to oversee chevy sales and then being given Buick, Cadillac and GMC, and commensurate workload and responsibility.

[Anonymous]

As a boss I would wonder if you have looked at the news lately. Job market is crap and you have been there a hot minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a boss I would wonder if you have looked at the news lately. Job market is crap and you have been there a hot minute.

This is a horrible response. Don’t be that guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a boss I would wonder if you have looked at the news lately. Job market is crap and you have been there a hot minute.

This is a horrible response. Don’t be that guy.

DP. But absolutely true. If you aren’t in AI, you are on thin ice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a boss I would wonder if you have looked at the news lately. Job market is crap and you have been there a hot minute.

This is a horrible response. Don’t be that guy.

DP. But absolutely true. If you aren’t in AI, you are on thin ice.

op - I am in AI.

[Anonymous]

If you're in AI, are you in an organizationally immature company?

Either way, I don't think you were wrong to ask. If nothing else, you put this on her radar screen for consideration during annual reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're in AI, are you in an organizationally immature company?

Either way, I don't think you were wrong to ask. If nothing else, you put this on her radar screen for consideration during annual reviews.

op - def a big, mature company, but i suppose to your point in my area, like anything new, there is a steep ramp and learning curve and high expectations and a lack of structure. it's behaving more like a startup. I am working till midnight each night and we are scaling rapidly. I like it but i realized when my boss suggested we hire a SME specialist at xxx level (which is my level) under me, that she might not even realize or remember I AM that level bc I've taken on so much more responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Totally fine to have asked. But I wouldn’t push it as your manager is probably not at liberty to make it happen out of band. I did the same (asked for comp adjustment) when I was hired into one role, then transferred to an expanded role within the first year and much greater responsibility. The comp increase and raise took like 18 months to catch up. Raises at my employer are basically decided by committee and you can’t hop the queue. However, it would have been very shortsighted of me to have walked over this issue because I have since been granted tons of stock, steady pay raises and promotions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally fine to have asked. But I wouldn’t push it as your manager is probably not at liberty to make it happen out of band. I did the same (asked for comp adjustment) when I was hired into one role, then transferred to an expanded role within the first year and much greater responsibility. The comp increase and raise took like 18 months to catch up. Raises at my employer are basically decided by committee and you can’t hop the queue. However, it would have been very shortsighted of me to have walked over this issue because I have since been granted tons of stock, steady pay raises and promotions.

op - ty! And oh gosh yes am def not going to bring it up again. Bringing it up at all involved many many weeks of working every single hour of every day and ignoring my children and having friends and husband give me pep talks about not assuming my boss 'just knows' that I have a much bigger remit than I got hired for. I am generally a huge weenie about this type of thing but it's sooooo so much bigger of a scope that it just seemed insane to say nothing. I really thought she'd be like 'OH I KNOW'. But i suppose that's not what people say.

[Anonymous]

You were smart and right to ask. Don't be afraid to ask for what you're worth. Good for you. I hope they give you the salary you deserve and ensure that you will stay.