Why Your Employer Is Not Paying You More

Many people do blame their employer for the state of their finances.  Every time I speak to people and ask them whom they think should resolve their money issues, the employer always comes up.  Everyone thinks they should be paid more. I rarely meet people who are one hundred percent content with their income.  I’m not saying you should not be compensated well but it does take two to tango. Many are complaining about their employer, fewer are asking themselves what they personally need to do to change the situation. That is, fewer are taking responsibility and realising that they have a part to play in actually deriving value from their work. Here are some of the reasons why you are not being paid more.

1. You have no idea how your employer makes money.  Herein lies the entitlement mentality. You feel you should get paid more but you do not want to concern yourself with the bigger picture. Many employers have experienced people asking for bonuses and increases even after losses were declared.  Remember you get a salary and get paid because the business you work in is financially viable. If that viability is affected no one is entitled to get anything. Therefore it is in your best interest to understand how the overall business works and what part you play in it. You may be the receptionist at an accounting firm.  Doesn’t mean you don’t take time to understand the business, the products, how clients are sourced and what each department generally does etc. By doing this you will actually get better at your job and it will be noticed. I personally get very irritated when I call companies to ask for information and I have to be transferred to ten different people.  These are just ten people who chose not to understand their environment. You may just realise that you need to put some extra effort before you ask for a salary increase again.
2. You put the minimum amount effort required to get a salary.  Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of being in a queue at a government office just before lunchtime?  It doesn’t matter how many people are waiting to be served but they will close the office door, leave you there and come back at 2 pm.  It’s lunchtime after all. This is what I refer to as minimum effort.  Your attitude at work should not reflect how much you are being paid.  In fact if you want to earn double the amount you are earning now, put in double the effort you are putting in now first. Let’s not follow the unfortunate example of national leaders who want the perks before effort. By increasing effort I don’t necessarily mean hours at work, though in some cases that may be necessary.  It’s more about adopting an attitude of service. It’s about looking for areas where you can actually be of help even though it falls outside the parameters of your job description.  It’s about being able to respond quickly to the dynamic needs of the environment in which the business operates in.
3. You are holding on for dear life to your position at the expense of growth. So many people are terrified of loosing their jobs or positions that they dare not do anything that would put them in the line of fire. I’m not saying that you should go out purposely looking for drama. I’m just saying we may need to exert ourselves albeit tactfully if need be.  Too many people will not speak up in a departmental meeting for fear of rocking the boat but if you don’t expose yourself, your ideas and the unique value you bring to the organisation, no one really feels your impact and no one feels obliged to pay you more money.  At the end of the day when you do sit for that review, you want to be confident that the decision makers know who you are. They don’t have to look at a piece of paper to remember your name. I believe everyone should actually strive to work themselves out of a job. That way you are moving forward and creating room for someone else.  There is more space at the top than we have been led to believe. They are just few people willing to move in.
4. You ask for an increase without facts.  Inflation is not a reason to get a pay rise. Neither is the fact that you are getting married, buying a car, buying a house or having children.  Your debts are also not a reason to be paid more. All these reasons have nothing to do with the core business of your employer. When you are at a review please have your facts.  What have you done that has contributed to the success of the company, your department, your team, overall efficiency, cost management etc.? Treat and prepare for your review in the same way you would prepare for a sales pitch. If you don’t have the facts then maybe you haven’t done as much as you thought you had. If you don’t keep track of your wins and achievements, no one is going to do it for you.  By all means pat yourself on the back and regularly ask for feedback on your work to ensure you are making progress.

You might be wondering, what if you do all these things and it still does not get me more money.  The biggest beneficiary of changing your attitude to work is you. The wallet is secondary.  You may start using and refining a skill set that you didn’t know you had.  You may tap into a network that you would not otherwise have had.  You may look at opportunity differently both within and outside the organisation you work for.  If you do feel that you need a change in environment and work elsewhere, you have only made yourself more marketable by having an attitude that is vastly different from the majority.