How to not let other's pay/title/etc affect myself? (employee, employer)

[unknown00]

My specific example right now (though this is not the only example) - I am the top person in my team. My company is growing and we need to urgently hire more people. We are paying above market salary to acquire good talent. However, since I joined the company couple years ago and company was at a different stage then, I am paid less than these new unproven hires are. When I ask about getting a salary adjustment, I get canned answers like "soon soon" and just push back. At this moment, I was super unmotivated to do anything.

When I vent to other people (such as you reading this), a common reply I get is "you should not worry about other people's pay or title and just worry about yourself and how you're doing"

This is something I struggle with. Any advice? Besides "don't worry about others" or "find a new job"

[sas318]

Oh yeah? I make $40K in California while my family members are making $100K also in California. How do you think I feel?

Do you feel better now?

I feel like an incompetent idiot who cannot handle a high-paying job. It's a terrible feeling of inadequacy. Fortunately, the subject doesn't come up very often, so I don't feel like a pile of dog hooey all the time. When I do, I vent to someone. They tell me the usual: having money does NOT mean they're smarter than you or better you. In fact, people with money are often so STUPID. It makes me feel better for a second.

What angers me is when people who make the big bucks don't do seemingly obvious things (well, it's obvious to me) or do things that I think are so idiotic. I roll my eyes and think, "And they make the big bucks??"

But I usually just let the feeling pass. There's not much you can do.

[rensational]

You're not thinking.

Since this company needs new people so much they're willing to pay them more...and, according to you, you're tops on your team...you should be telling these people that you're going to need more money to continue working there, i.e. "If you don't pay me more/what I'm worth, I'm going to find an employer that will." I'm fairly certain they don't want to have to replace good people for currently filled positions on top of trying to fill their needs at open positions.

[Suburban_Guy]

So tell us OP, what DO you expect us to advise you outside of looking for another job?

Obviously they keep blowing you off in terms of pay raise/adjustments.

[AnOrdinaryCitizen]

I feel for you. I know someone who worked for this big company for over a year and ask for a raise. The boss said: "You should feel lucky you have a job." Oh my goodness! I felt so sorry for that person. I feel lucky I have a good Union.

I'm not an expert, but I suggest you to look up Google on the subject how to ask for a raise.

[joe from dayton]

Assuming the new hires have the same job description as you, meet with your boss and ask why he thinks it is fair that a new employee is paid X amount per year more than you. If he doesn't adjust your pay, either find another job and walk out the door, or take solace in the biblical parable about the vineyard workers.

[Vision67]

Play "stick 'em up".

You really have to be prepared to leave.

[stan4]

Youre asking 2 different questions.

You should bail if they don't hike your wage.

[the minx]

This is pretty common. I found out I make about 10k more than some of my coworkers because I negotiated up. I was also hired after all but one of them.

It's the way of the world, unfortunately. You have to know your worth and fight for it.

[tnff]

Most managers see higher value in the people they haven't hired yet than the ones they already have. It's not uncommon for them to be willing to negotiate with a new hire, but unwilling to negotiate with a current employee. So the reality is you often have to move in order to move up.