How to approach HR for salary increase

gaz_jones

Hello everyone, I'm after a bit of advice if you'd be so kind I'll give you a bit of background info:

I started working for my company as an IT apprentice in Sept 08. I'm 21 years old and this was my first proper IT job. Last month we had our yearly review and my manager agreed to take me off my apprenticship.

I started my apprenticship on £12,500 in sept 08, and after completing my first 6 months I got a salary increase to £13,000.

When I had my yearly review he asked me how much I was looking at getting, and I said something like "I'll see what you guys offer then go from there".

Now I've received a letter from HR today saying that I will come off my apprenticship as of the 1st August, and will become an 'IT Assistant'. They have offered me £15,000 which I'll be honest is not quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for a minimum of £16/£17k really.

What is the best way to approach HR? Should I go down with adverts for similar jobs or should I go in there and just say "I was expecting a bit more really"?

This is the first time I've had to do something like this so a bit scared :rotfl:


Thanks everyone.

maninthestreet

gaz_jones wrote: »

Hello everyone, I'm after a bit of advice if you'd be so kind I'll give you a bit of background info:

I started working for my company as an IT apprentice in Sept 08. I'm 21 years old and this was my first proper IT job. Last month we had our yearly review and my manager agreed to take me off my apprenticship.

I started my apprenticship on £12,500 in sept 08, and after completing my first 6 months I got a salary increase to £13,000.

When I had my yearly review he asked me how much I was looking at getting, and I said something like "I'll see what you guys offer then go from there".

Now I've received a letter from HR today saying that I will come off my apprenticship as of the 1st August, and will become an 'IT Assistant'. They have offered me £15,000 which I'll be honest is not quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for a minimum of £16/£17k really.

What is the best way to approach HR? Should I go down with adverts for similar jobs or should I go in there and just say "I was expecting a bit more really"?

This is the first time I've had to do something like this so a bit scared :rotfl:


Thanks everyone.

You've been given a very generous increase of over 15% - accept it and be very grateful. I've worked in the IT industry for 25 years, and my last pay increase was over two and half years ago, and then it was only 3%.

gaz_jones

Whilst I don't doubt that the pay increase is a fair chunk, The £13k a year was an apprentice wage. Similar jobs in my area are offering pay of between £18,000 and £19,000 so I think £15,000 is a bit low. And before you say "Go get one of those jobs then", I like my company and I would prefer to stay with them for the foreseable future. I just feel a bit used on my wage.

Whilst I was an apprentice, I didn't once go on any college courses or training courses. I just worked at the company 8.30-5 Monday to Friday like any other worker. I think they just put me on an apprenticship to pay me a lower wage.

Judas

gaz_jones wrote: »

Whilst I don't doubt that the pay increase is a fair chunk, The £13k a year was an apprentice wage. Similar jobs in my area are offering pay of between £18,000 and £19,000 so I think £15,000 is a bit low. And before you say "Go get one of those jobs then", I like my company and I would prefer to stay with them for the foreseable future. I just feel a bit used on my wage.

Whilst I was an apprentice, I didn't once go on any college courses or training courses. I just worked at the company 8.30-5 Monday to Friday like any other worker. I think they just put me on an apprenticship to pay me a lower wage.

Can you now work completely indepedently and have comprehensive knowledge and experience? This is what would be expected for 18-19k.

I suspect the answer will be know and whilst you may no longer be an apprentice you will still be learning hence the offer.

As you suspect if you dont like the salary the advice would be to move on. £15k isn't a particularly low salary for someone like yourself who is on the whole unqualified.

maninthestreet

gaz_jones wrote: »

Whilst I don't doubt that the pay increase is a fair chunk, The £13k a year was an apprentice wage. Similar jobs in my area are offering pay of between £18,000 and £19,000 so I think £15,000 is a bit low. And before you say "Go get one of those jobs then", I like my company and I would prefer to stay with them for the foreseable future. I just feel a bit used on my wage.

Whilst I was an apprentice, I didn't once go on any college courses or training courses. I just worked at the company 8.30-5 Monday to Friday like any other worker. I think they just put me on an apprenticship to pay me a lower wage.

So what recognised qualifications do you have?
£15,000 is a reasonable wage for a 21 year old with less than 2 years experience. There are tens of thousands of skilled IT professionals currently unemployed looking for jobs - don't become one of them.

gaz_jones

Judas wrote: »

Can you now work completely indepedently and have comprehensive knowledge and experience? This is what would be expected for 18-19k.

I suspect the answer will be know and whilst you may no longer be an apprentice you will still be learning hence the offer.

As you suspect if you dont like the salary the advice would be to move on. £15k isn't a particularly low salary for someone like yourself who is on the whole unqualified.

I've been the only IT guy in the office for two weeks at a time a number of times and there's been no issues I've been unable to sort out. The IT dept I work in has me, and my manager (the IT manager). I obviously don't do any managerial roles, but I am more than competent looking after the support side on my own.

maninthestreet wrote: »

So what recognised qualifications do you have?
£15,000 is a reasonable wage for a 21 year old with less than 2 years experience. There are tens of thousands of skilled IT professionals currently unemployed looking for jobs - don't become one of them.

My only qualifications are an MCDST, a Network+ qualification and also a comptia+ qualification. These were all aquired before I joined this company. So yes you're right I'm not highly qualified unfortunately.

Is the advice to not even to ask for another £1000 on top of what they've offered then? This is why I asked because I didn't want to ask and then hamper my chances of getting a pay rise in the future. But then at the same time I kept thinking 'The worst they can say is no'.


Thanks for the advice guys

DVardysShadow

Say that you were disappointed by the rise and that you don't feel it fully recognises that you are no longer an apprentice. Also say that in the longer term it is not enough to do whatever plans with your girlfriend or whatever. Nothing will happen immediately, but you do need to set an expectation.

Normally, you should try to justify what you do, but in this instance the fact that you have been recognised as more than an apprentice means that the point has been acknowledged - but not with cash. If the going rate is 18-19, then I would say that 16 is the minimum decent amount they should be offering - I think your expectation is reasonable.

scooby088

Asking for more when companies are still struggling is rather foolish, i think when the financial climate starts picking up then state your case and ask for more, or if not more pay then more perks like a company car.

highguyuk

A 2k rise is a good rise, and you should be happy with that rise.

However, if you don't ask for a further pay increase you'll only wonder "what if?", so I'd be asking if I were you but would still happily accept 15k at the end of it. Be polite, professional and make sure you can give calm, detailed reasons as to why you think you deserve more.

DVardysShadow

scooby088 wrote: »

Asking for more when companies are still struggling is rather foolish, i think when the financial climate starts picking up then state your case and ask for more, or if not more pay then more perks like a company car.

How do you know OP's company is struggling?

gaz_jones

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Say that you were disappointed by the rise and that you don't feel it fully recognises that you are no longer an apprentice. Also say that in the longer term it is not enough to do whatever plans with your girlfriend or whatever. Nothing will happen immediately, but you do need to set an expectation.

Normally, you should try to justify what you do, but in this instance the fact that you have been recognised as more than an apprentice means that the point has been acknowledged - but not with cash. If the going rate is 18-19, then I would say that 16 is the minimum decent amount they should be offering - I think your expectation is reasonable.

Thank you for the support. I was begining to wonder if it was me having far too high expectations. I will definitely be using the advice in your first paragraph. That sounds like a very reasonable argument.

scooby088 wrote: »

Asking for more when companies are still struggling is rather foolish, i think when the financial climate starts picking up then state your case and ask for more, or if not more pay then more perks like a company car.

Unfortunately our company only supply company cars to our external staff. No internal staff have the luxury

We have just hired 14 new members of staff though, (From receptionists to department managers) so I think the worst of the recession has now passed our company. Other than no, what could they say? Or would it just be a case of the HR ladies having a grudge against me which in turn would lead to less pay rises in the future?

highguyuk wrote: »

A 2k rise is a good rise, and you should be happy with that rise.

However, if you don't ask for a further pay increase you'll only wonder "what if?", so I'd be asking if I were you but would still happily accept 15k at the end of it. Be polite, professional and make sure you can give calm, detailed reasons as to why you think you deserve more.

I think that's hit the nail on the head. I would always think "What if I'd asked? What would they have said?".

To be honest I'm happy enough with my company that if £15k is the best they will offer, then I'm by no means going to turn it down, but I would definitely like more (wouldn't we all!).

I will make sure I stay calm, professional, and give detailed answers as you've suggested. Thank you very much for the advice


Thanks for your replies everyone. I really appreciate everyones opinion.
One last question. Would it be better to go straight to HR, or do you think I should discuss it with my manager first? Obviously each company will be different, but if you were in my situation which do you think, as a general rule of thumb, would be best to approach first?


Thanks again all :beer: