Are you paid fair?

I'm sure this is a question each of us asks herself now and again. Notice, I didn't ask whether you're paid well but fair comparing to a) your colleagues in the company and b) the market. Sooner or later you'll find the answer and if you're underpaid then (this time rather sooner) you'll probably will find that you can't change much now (unless you consider changing job).

If the gap between your and the position's average salary is more than 15% then you're manager can't simply give a fair-fixing increase after the next performance review. If you work in a small company he follows budget restrictions and if it's a corporation - so even worse - Its Majesty HR rules the game. In big companies there are ranks and HR looks at you through the prism of policies, rules, and processes. To give a significant increase the foremost necessary step would be to lift your rank. Now the game becomes really complex - the changing rank process is more demanding than just the increasing salary step. The manager now needs to justify the rank change and he may not have a headcount for that, or you may not fit it, or you may not have worked in the company sufficiently long to make it, or a hundred of other reasons.

Why it all happened? Many possible explanations can apply. But hearing the same story again and again I'm sure that in the majority of the cases the one to blame now is yourself. The mistake you did was to accept the offer you got at that interview when the offer blinded your mind.

When you get an offer you start a game of negotiation - a poker! Who wins the game - one who made the homework better and who's cool-headed in the game. For a company (in the person of its HR) it's much simpler so it's gotten a competitive advantage on you. But the game is not lost. If they give you an offer they value you and prefer among other candidates (tip: by all means try to not reveal your salary expectations). If you play your part right you can get the most out of this situation.

By the homework I meant that you should prepare a few things:

• Figure out how much the position is worth on the market;
• Figure out how long the company has had this vacancy;
• Figure out the current pace (and rate of success) of company's hiring;
• Figure out your absolutely lowest limit, your "ideal salary" answer, and have a contingency plan - if they don't give it to you what benefits you can ask for (including out-of-plan increase in a short time interval).

You may consider to buy this information or to hire an recruiter expert in your realm. Remember - the stake here is not your annual salary but your entry point to the company. Prepare to this poker and play it right. As in any game there is a risk of loosing it but if you've reached the offer phase and made your homework right (be fair, don't be unreasonable greedy) the odds are tiny that they revoke the offer.

What are your tips on safe landing on a new job?

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