Renegotiating salary after probation?

LegacyUser

Hi all,

My probation is over at the end of this month and is when I'll have my formal review.

When I started (It's a recruitment company, btw), I had been unemployed for nearly two months and didn't risk negotiating my initial salary, which is honestly too low for my level of experience.

After probation, we start to earn accelerated commissions which will eventually earn me quite a lot of money, so I'm concerned that when I bring up a pay increase, the response will be 'but you're getting commissions now - that is an increase!'.

The problem is that I don't want to play hardball, I LOVE this company and wouldn't leave even if they didn't offer me a higher salary. I could start interviewing somewhere else and force them to counter offer... but I'd just consider that to be bad faith.

How do I tackle this gracefully? Is it normal to ask for a renegotiation after a probation, even if I didn't negotiate initially?

Thanks guys!

davo10

thisisausernameirght wrote: »

Hi all,

My probation is over at the end of this month and is when I'll have my formal review.

When I started (It's a recruitment company, btw), I had been unemployed for nearly two months and didn't risk negotiating my initial salary, which is honestly too low for my level of experience.

After probation, we start to earn accelerated commissions which will eventually earn me quite a lot of money, so I'm concerned that when I bring up a pay increase, the response will be 'but you're getting commissions now - that is an increase!'.

The problem is that I don't want to play hardball, I LOVE this company and wouldn't leave even if they didn't offer me a higher salary. I could start interviewing somewhere else and force them to counter offer... but I'd just consider that to be bad faith.

How do I tackle this gracefully? Is it normal to ask for a renegotiation after a probation, even if I didn't negotiate initially?

Thanks guys!

What does your contract say? Typically they will have a clause in the Remuneration section outlining when wage/performance reviews take place. It's usually yearly. Did they say when you started that wages would be reviewed after probation period ends?

LegacyUser

Nope, nothing like that. The only mention is that there are ad-hoc benefits available.

It's my understanding that a new contract is produced after probation as my job title changes from 'trainee consultant' to 'consultant'.

I know for a fact that I'll get health insurance + pension benefits, but that's not listed in my probation contract.

Also, I'm considering asking for the possibility of remote work (Totally doable for my job - no need to be in the office every day).

I suppose I'm just wondering how I should phrase these requests? It might be fine to ask outright, but I want to be professional about it.

malkmoose

It is good that you really enjoy working at the company and this is really important. I think you should be honest in your review but also build a case for a pay rise. I would say something like

"I really enjoy working here and I am very happy with my colleagues and management. However, I would like to discuss my current salary in comparison with market average. I am earning x and typically the average for someone in my role is y (according to glassdoor, irishjobs etc.)"
"I was not happy to negotiate in the beginning as I wanted to prove my professional standards first"
"I understand that I will get more in commission but this is not guaranteed and the fact still remains my basic is not at industry average"
"If I would be paid at industry average then this would be a strong motivator/acknowledgment and I will happily commit myself to the job for a long time"
In saying all this, in any job I have had the probation review is not a salary review are you sure it is on the table for discussion?

malkmoose

Also forgot to say, if they give a blanket refusal and are not budging on a pay rise. Then ask

"what do I need to do to get up to the average industry wage in the next year. How will I be able to prove I have achieved this in a years time"

Mrs OBumble

thisisausernameirght wrote: »

my initial salary, which is honestly too low for my level of experience.

Your level of experience is immaterial.

What matters is what you're contributing, and what actions you'd take if they said "no change".

What have you found out about how the company pays overall. Perhaps everyone's base salary is very low by industry standards, and they all make it up with commission.

mrDerek

if you dont mind me asking, what is this "accelerated commission"?

Wabbit Ears

Good life lesson learned here OP and its kinda surprising that, considering you work in recruitment, that you dont already know this!!

Your pay should be negotiated at the beginning as, simply put, once you are working for the agreed wage they have absolutely and utterly nothing to gain by giving you more.

They don't owe you industry standard, you agreed to work for less. If you have done due diligence on the role you'd have known what the job was worth and how much you should be paid.

You sold yourself short and are trying to backtrack.

What are your reasons for a pay rise? Like, what do they get out of it?

Also, the counter offer thing very rarely works and only really applies to situations where you are a subject matter expert and the company will be at a huge disadvantage to let you go. Generally also its used mainly in cases where you are headhunted.

malkmoose

I disagree, I believe it's possible to negotiate for a pay rise while in a role. In fact, I have managed to negotiate a pay rise in the past.

Wabbit Ears

What sort of percentage pay rise are you referring to?

Say you go for a job and take 45k but should have really negotiated for 55k as that would have been in line with industry standard for the role and your experience.

It would take years to get pay increase increments of 10K and no way would your current employer just give you that unless you were exceptional.


Even if you went from 45 to 50 K on initial negotiation. 5 K is way more then a pay increase of 2-3 percent would gain you max 1.3 K.

A company has no reason at all to just give an employee a 5 or 10 % + pay increase just because an employee asks for it.

Stheno

thisisausernameirght wrote: »

Hi all,

My probation is over at the end of this month and is when I'll have my formal review.

When I started (It's a recruitment company, btw), I had been unemployed for nearly two months and didn't risk negotiating my initial salary, which is honestly too low for my level of experience.

After probation, we start to earn accelerated commissions which will eventually earn me quite a lot of money, so I'm concerned that when I bring up a pay increase, the response will be 'but you're getting commissions now - that is an increase!'.

The problem is that I don't want to play hardball, I LOVE this company and wouldn't leave even if they didn't offer me a higher salary. I could start interviewing somewhere else and force them to counter offer... but I'd just consider that to be bad faith.

How do I tackle this gracefully? Is it normal to ask for a renegotiation after a probation, even if I didn't negotiate initially?

Thanks guys!

thisisausernameirght wrote: »

Nope, nothing like that. The only mention is that there are ad-hoc benefits a

I know for a fact that I'll get health insurance + pension benefits, but that's not listed in my probation contract.

Also, I'm considering asking for the possibility of remote work (Totally doable for my job - no need to be in the office every day).

I suppose I'm just wondering how I should phrase these requests? It might be fine to ask outright, but I want to be professional about it.

Hold on a sec, have I read this right? You've just finished potentially six months probation and will be getting a greater package that includes commission, health benefits, and pension contributions, and you want to ask for a salary increase and to work from home?

I'd say you've two chances tbh.

BizzyC

thisisausernameirght wrote: »

How do I tackle this gracefully?

Don't try renegotiate so soon.

You agreed to those terms when you got the job, but as soon as you're past the uncertainty of probation you want more money and remote working terms?
I'd come out of that meeting thinking "we've hired the wrong guy"....