Feeling Anxious About Salary Talks? How to Address Pay Gaps with New Joiners

Hello everyone, I am anticipating a performance appraisal discussion this month, and I am quite anxious about speaking with my manager. I have been with this company for three years, yet I've discovered that my colleagues who recently joined with the same job title as mine are receiving 85% or more of my current CTC. On the other hand, those who have been with the company for years are given an annual hike of only 15% to 25%.

This situation is challenging for me to accept. However, I am committed to this company, and I am also seeking a significant salary increase. I am wondering if it would be appropriate to ask for a comparison of my CTC with that of the new joiners during the discussion. I would appreciate any advice.

Regards

Have patience! What is the nature of your company? Is it small-scale? Usually, established companies don't hurt the existing staff by any such act. Hope this is your first company. What is the profile of your colleague? It might happen that designations are the same, but he is given additional responsibility. Get the full information with you. Also, the appraisal is not yet effective.

Yes, during appraisal discussions, you can politely ask what is the rationale behind framing salaries, especially for new joiners. But your approach should be very humble, as if you want to know the information rather than talking specifically about your case. You have expressed a desire to continue with that company, so keep an attitude that you want to do the best in your work and get substantial benefits too. All the best!

Regards,
Vaishalee Parkhi

Reasons for Higher Salaries of New Joiners

Some of the reasons for higher salaries of new joiners are:

1. Educational backgrounds
2. Skills, experience, and exposure in key result areas
3. Demand and supply of those particular skills
4. Critical need to fill open vacancies, among others.

To increase your salary in the competitive world, focus on learning and expanding your area of responsibility.