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My job role is "senior developer" but I am also a software architect, database developer and internal It consultant.

I recently underwent an exercise with HR to get my job description redone and had the job sizing panel sit, the outcome of which is that they want to do more research themselves (e.g. We don't believe you...!)

I have used the HAYS industry salary manual to prove that even as just a senior developer I'm underpaid by £8,000 or so. The company argues it is a registered charity (it is, but a large one with good revenues) and that they have rigid structures in place.

I like my work and I'm good at it. Having just had to recruit a mid level developer its obvious that the company has lost track of market rates.

I'd rather not leave, but I am prepared to. I'd like to point out to them that at the very least it will cost them what I'm after as a payrise just to replace me and then they have a long period of training and upskilling to go through, so it's to all our benefits to pay me the market rate, but...

... That's a tricky place to come back from. Even if they agree, will they simply resent it and hold it against me I future? How can I have a simple conversation with the without causing a massive problem for myself?

Surely I'm within my rights to have an adult conversation with my company about pay?

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Surely I'm within my rights to have an adult conversation with my company about pay?

If it's "rights" you are worried about here, then you are correct - it is your right to have a conversation.

Of course it's also the company's right to have a rigid pay structure. And it's their right (correctly or incorrectly) to decide that you are becoming unhappy with their structure and that maybe you can't be counted on to stick around.

It sounds like you have already tried to use the "industry standard" argument and didn't get anywhere.

You may be better served to point out your value to the company and not worry about the industry outside of your company (which isn't really relevant to them it seems).

None of this may matter. Often we reach a level that doesn't fit within a particular company's pay structure and have to either get promoted or leave. So it goes.

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  • I suppose so. It's frustrating as hell as I recently lost a mid-level dev (hence having to recruit) and it cost us 3-4 months, thousands of pounds and 2 years of lost product knowledge, so still more costs getting the new person up to speed. All the mid level dev wanted was a raise of a few thousand and it cost us more than that to replace him. And the new person isn't as good a developer! Having had that experience, if I was in charge I'd be making darned sure the same thing didn't happen again but, as you say, maybe I've outgrown this place and need to move on.
    – TheMook
    Feb 2, 2017 at 9:19
  • @TheMook Did you explain the costs of replacing the mid-level developer to those who have the power to set wage levels? Perhaps make this about more than just you - the entire team is underpaid and replacing anyone will result in a higher wage bill for less qualified replacements (not to mention recruitment costs).
    – Trebor
    Feb 6, 2017 at 15:22
  • It appears it's complicated. The wage structure has been in place for a while and is supposed to offer parity to people at the same level (in different jobs) across the entire organisation. Currently external consultants are being, well, consulted in order to establish if the market price has shifted for my role. It undoubtedly has, as can be simply evidenced by salaries being offered on job sites, but whether or not these consultants have been secretly instructed to be conservative with their response or not, I should find out within a week or so.
    – TheMook
    Feb 7, 2017 at 8:44
  • Oh and the reason quoted by finance for agreeing to go to external consultants was because they recognised the difficulties and costs that the company had recently faced in recruiting the mid-level developer so, yes, they are aware and it looks like my representations did, at least, get noticed.
    – TheMook
    Feb 7, 2017 at 8:46

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