When to ask for a raise?

[Momager]

So here’s the background…

You’ve been at a job for 6 months. It’s a large, 6 office (medical) practice. You are in the workers comp section. Never see actual patients. You’re more on the legal end.

Since you started, 1 person in your department has quit.

They are now looking to hire 2 new people because your office is growing and understaffed.

You asked about your up-coming review, and you’re told there’s nothing on the horizon.

You look at the ad for the new hires, and notice the starting salary is above what they hired you at, just 6 months prior.

Can you ask for a raise? If not yet, when?


PS Be nice. I’m sick as a dog

 

[sam_gordon]

So here’s the background…

You’ve been at a job for 6 months. It’s a large, 6 office (medical) practice.

Since you started, 1 person in your department has quit.

They are now looking to hire 2 new people because your office is growing and understaffed.

You asked about incoming review, and you’re told there’s nothing on the horizon.

You look at the ad for the new hires, and notice the starting salary is above what they hired you at, just 6 months prior.

Can you ask for a raise? If not yet, when?

Sure you can ask for a raise. However, unless you're absolutely KILLING it (going WAY above and beyond), I don't know that it's justified. IMO, 6 months seniority is basically nothing.

 

[Micca]

Provided you're doing a good job I can't see why you couldn't ask about the discrepancy.

 

[robinb]

Sure you can ask for a raise. However, unless you're absolutely KILLING it (going WAY above and beyond), I don't know that it's justified. IMO, 6 months seniority is basically nothing.

I disagree that 6 months is "basically nothing". They have already sunk 6 months of training into the OP and now new hires are coming in at a higher salary? That's not right. The OP should be making at least the same as a new hire, not less.

OP, I would ask about the difference in pay and ask that they match what they are paying the new hires. Tell them how much you like the job, blah, blah, blah but express disappointment that you will not be making as much as the new people they are hiring.

 

[soccerdad72]

Some of this is just based on the current market at the time - and for what it's worth, candidates who are in the job pool now are looking for higher salaries than ever before.

Granted, since you've only been there 6 months, it's not as drastic, but I have open positions right now that I'm needing to pay more than I planned and, in some cases, will possibly make more than the person they will report to. When I asked my upper management to review my manager's salary in comparison to potential new hires, I was simply told that it's just the way it is right now.

It's like the fast food worker who is hired right now when they are desperate and are offering like $18 a hour - those who started prior to the new hires are unlikely to get raises accordingly.

 

[_19disnA]

6 months in the bigger scheme of things is not that long at a company. If they give you a raise after 6 months, then what about 1 year from now? I think it is reasonable to ask why they are offering higher salaries to new hires, but likely the answer will be due to the market conditions and they are having trouble finding new workers. Unless you are willing to quit, I think all you can do is ask, but doubt it will change anything. You also don't know if they plan to structure the new jobs in such a way that these people will have additional responsibilities.

 

[sam_gordon]

I disagree that 6 months is "basically nothing". They have already sunk 6 months of training into the OP and now new hires are coming in at a higher salary? That's not right. The OP should be making at least the same as a new hire, not less.

OP, I would ask about the difference in pay and ask that they match what they are paying the new hires. Tell them how much you like the job, blah, blah, blah but express disappointment that you will not be making as much as the new people they are hiring.

Sorry, I misread. I thought the new employees were at the same pay. I agree OP should be making as much as the new hires.

 

[sam_gordon]

Or better yet... put out a tip jar.

 

[momz]

This is a new job for you, but did you bring any experience to the role? compare that to the people they hire. If you have no prior experience and the new hire has 10 years....well, that could make a difference.

 

[jennyq87]

If the job duties/qualifications/etc are identical, and new hires are being offered a higher salary than you're currently making for the same job, I would 100% ask about it. We had this happen recently at our firm and got ahead of it by increasing salaries before posting the new job listing. But I would have absolutely expected employees to come to me about the discrepancy if they saw the job posting before we addressed it. Just be professional about it. Don't make it personal. It's only fair for your work to be valued at least equally to new folks if all other variables are the same.

 

[tvguy]

I disagree that 6 months is "basically nothing". They have already sunk 6 months of training into the OP and now new hires are coming in at a higher salary? That's not right. The OP should be making at least the same as a new hire, not less.

OP, I would ask about the difference in pay and ask that they match what they are paying the new hires. Tell them how much you like the job, blah, blah, blah but express disappointment that you will not be making as much as the new people they are hiring.

Not sure how every company works, but many places 6 months would still be within the probationary period. And it just seems many companies assign no cost to training.

 

[unrequited23]

I'd apply for the jobs I saw posted with my company and look forward to a super awkward interview with HR. (Plus start looking for another job, because I wouldn't want to work somewhere that would pull this nonsense.)

 

[tvguy]

I'd apply for the jobs I saw posted with my company and look forward to a super awkward interview with HR. (Plus start looking for another job, because I wouldn't want to work somewhere that would pull this nonsense.)

I have always felt the time to set a pay standard is when you are hired. As for nonsense, well, it's the reality of the labor market right now. Employers are now having to pay signing bonuses for minimum wage jobs.

 

[GreatLakes]

Provided the new hires are doing the same you should talk to your boss and ask if you can be bumped to tje same pay they are being hired in at.

If this was a position reporting to me I would bump you without you having to ask. It is cheaper to bump you than to lose you, end up having to pay the same amounts anyway, and then having to pay to train the new hire.

 

[focusondisney]

If the job duties/qualifications/etc are identical, and new hires are being offered a higher salary than you're currently making for the same job, I would 100% ask about it. We had this happen recently at our firm and got ahead of it by increasing salaries before posting the new job listing. But I would have absolutely expected employees to come to me about the discrepancy if they saw the job posting before we addressed it. Just be professional about it. Don't make it personal. It's only fair for your work to be valued at least equally to new folks if all other variables are the same.

My DH is management at a food production factory & has been dealing with hiring issues for years. Of course, everything is more pronounced now. This is exactly what they did when the company executives were finally convinced they would need to increase starting salary offers for all job categories. Current workers got an additional raise to bring their salaries above what new hires were going to be offered.

 

[ronandannette]

So here’s the background…
You’ve been at a job for 6 months. It’s a large, 6 office (medical) practice. You are in the workers comp section. Never see actual patients. You’re more on the legal end.
Since you started, 1 person in your department has quit.
They are now looking to hire 2 new people because your office is growing and understaffed.
You asked about your up-coming review, and you’re told there’s nothing on the horizon.
You look at the ad for the new hires, and notice the starting salary is above what they hired you at, just 6 months prior.
Can you ask for a raise? If not yet, when?


PS Be nice. I’m sick as a dog

I'm curious - is it common for the want ads to specify a salary? It's never done that way here for anything but minimum-wage type jobs. It certainly doesn't seem like a very clever thing for an organization to do unless they are planning to address the inequity with their current staff.

Our hiring process doesn't include talking money until second-interview. It certainly doesn't print numbers in the ad. Over the years there have been lots of times people have been hired at higher salaries than existing staff and it can be for any number of reasons. It's never happened but if an existing staff member came to me about it wanting a raise for that reason alone, they probably wouldn't get it.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd apply for the jobs I saw posted with my company and look forward to a super awkward interview with HR. (Plus start looking for another job, because I wouldn't want to work somewhere that would pull this nonsense.)

Yeah, I would apply to the new positions, too, and when asked why, say I figured they were a promotion since they included a significant raise from your current salary and you felt like you were ready and able to meet the challenge of the new positions.

 

[goofytinkerbell]

1

 

[Momager]

Thanks everyone.