How to Address Salary Expectations When Research Associates Compare Themselves to Analysts

Dear Seniors,

There are two major profiles in my organization:
1. Research Analyst (for postgraduate individuals)
2. Research Associate (for graduates)

When some Associates outperform others, we assign them tasks related to Analysts. During appraisals, some Associates request salaries equivalent to Analysts, citing similar work responsibilities. However, in reality, Associates possess lower competency and analytical skills compared to Analysts.

It has become challenging to convey that their roles are less technical and demanding than those of Analysts. We seek assistance in resolving this issue as their expectations exceed the nature of their current responsibilities.

Regards,
Gunjan

You can create one salary grade range with minimum, mid, and maximum levels to illustrate the growth chart for the same nature of job but with varying levels of experience and expertise. This will help differentiate between positions effectively.

Hi Gunjan,

Baldu is right. I agree with him. Otherwise, you can ask the associates to perform the same job as the analyst. If they meet your expectations, you can offer them the salary they expect, fulfilling all eligibility requirements by qualification. Alternatively, you can follow Badlu's suggestion.

Thank you.

I am totally convinced with Mr. Badlu. In addition to that, you can have a list of key result areas and ask each employee to rank themselves on a scale of 0 to 10 and justify the same. You can have a performance review one-on-one meeting; consider this as one of the areas where one can prove their ability (similar to an interview). The most important part is the immediate boss's ranking on different KRAs. I feel that by following this procedure, you can control your problem.

Harry

Hi Gunjan,

You can create a new designation that falls between the analyst and associate positions. The key result areas (KRAs) of this new position can encompass a combination of job responsibilities from both roles. By providing training opportunities, you can enhance the skills of your team members to align them more closely with the expectations of analysts.

Thanks!!

Dhoop

Dear Dhoop, BadLu, Harry, and Maria,

Thank you all for guiding me. In my organization, every employee is assigned multiple tasks according to their competency. However, during the appraisal process, employees tend to compare their performance with colleagues who may be working on different tasks along with one or two similar tasks as theirs. This comparison often leads to issues.

We are currently working on addressing this matter, and if any of you have additional ideas, please do share them. Introducing a designation in between tasks seems like a good solution!

Best regards,
Gunjan