Half your employees think they are underpaid, should you be concerned?
Most employers feel that they pay their employees fairly. It is likely that you will have researched suitable salaries before hiring – however the truth is that almost half of employees still feel they are underpaid. If an employee approaches you to have a chat about their salary, it is important that you know how to deal with the conversation, so we have put together some tips for you.
Understand their job role
Often, people take on more tasks at work than they should, simply because they need to be done. This means that you should find out exactly what the employee does for the company that is above and beyond what they need to do, and you should find that this gives you more of an insight into what you believe their pay should actually be.
Ask them the pay they feel they deserve
If somebody has asked to talk to you about their fair payment, you should always ask them what they think they should be earning, and why this is the case. They may have data about competitors paying their team more for doing the same work, or they may feel that they are doing more than originally stated in their job description. If you find that they could be earning more elsewhere, there is a chance that they could move, so you may wish to consider negotiating the salary.
Don’t dismiss your employees’ feelings
It can be tempting to simply dismiss any salary discussions, as they can be stressful. However, doing this could make your employees feel undervalued, and as such they may feel as though they have no option but to look for another job. If they have presented evidence to you, you should consider it fairly – for example if there are people who are doing a similar job at the company but for significantly more money.
Being open to discussion is something that your team will certainly thank you for, and this will improve your reputation in the future, so there is no doubt that you should think carefully about the value you place on your employees.