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Owners will not look at pay unless I am able to show I add value to the business...

Good morning, 

I'm looking for some advice. 

I am currently employed as a HR assistant, and will progress into HR Advisor in the next few months - which the company is happy to do. 

I deal with LTS ( I have got this from 25 to 6 people on LTS in 5 Months ), STS, Advice, Probation Reviews, FWA, Maternity, Guidance notes for managers

the owners will not consider my pay, unless I am able to provide them with evidence that I add value to the business.

we currently use Peninsula who provide us with a lot of HR areas. 

My question here is how can I show some form of evidence that I am of value, and worth being paid more. They do not offer the market rate. 

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  • Well it’s an interesting question. Certainly some of the data you reference “might” be evidence of adding value. If you managed the 19 people back to work from LTS that could be quantified if you are no longer paying sick pay. However ( unlikely) if you paid them all off it might not.

    Some of the other areas are more problematic but you could use engagement data or other soft metrics.

    However even if you are “adding value” that wouldn’t necessarily in my book equate to a pay rise. I think what you need to show if you are adding considerable value over and above the level you are being paid at the moment.
  • In reply to Keith:

    Hi Keith, I am currently doing way above my role. I was took on as a HR assistant, yet I am doing more of an Advisor role now.

    The business is happy to change my role title, but not my pay as they say I need to provide some evidence of me adding value.

    My only thing I can think of is that this was a new role in the business and in my offer letter it said it would develop over time - so I'm worried they will use that wording against me.

  • In reply to Karren:

    OK, so imagine I'm your employer (never mind!).

    OK give me some proof of your value :- , financial, money saved, money spent well, things you've done to save us ££s , time you've saved others wasting their time doing.

    You could as Keith said, compare your original role with that you are doing now and point out the difference between the two giving 'proof' as I've mentioned above. You've given one example you can directly equagte with loss of company income v costs regarding the reduction is sickness costs you made by reducing the LTS down to people. How much time did the others have off? How much productivity did the company loose by their absence ??? How much time would it have otherwise cost a senior? manager to do if you were not otherwise engaged.

    You might also consider how much you could save in paying Penninsular if you could state that some of their role could be undertaken by you directly.
  • You could also provide them with some benchmarking, by looking online at roles similar to both the one you are in now and the one they are 'promoting' you to (a promotion in name if not salary!). It might not change their mind, but it will give them some info to think about in terms of the local market value of your role.

    Also, you are showing as a Student member of CIPD - if you are part-way through your Level 3 or Level 5 qualification, could you agree that you will receive a pay review once you have completed your qualification?

    If all else fails, perhaps you will find in the course of your benchmarking research that there are roles out there that you might like to apply for - after all, we all know that it's very much an employee's market at the moment!
  • I have to admit that if I worked somewhere that didn't pay the market rate, accepted that I was doing a higher level role, but were not willing to pay me the salary that went with that role and took so little notice of what I was doing that they couldn't see the value I added, I would probably be looking for a better employer. The reduction in people off LTS is an excellent example to include in your CV :)
  • Congrats on the job title change and if that pleases you, helps you to get the recognition you want and is a better reflection of what you do that's great. Title promotion without a change in pay gives a mixed message in my opinion.

    They are an owner, perhaps they are thinking of total costs, how they'd explain an out of cycle rise or don't want to change pay at this time. As well as collecting data and evidence, I'd ask questions.

    -What needs to change to see a change in remuneration?
    -What other factors are preventing them from increasing pay? - You might want to ask that of yourself ....do you have evidence they don't have budget or considering this across the piece.
    -What evidence would show I add value to the business?
    -If I provide evidence of this or ways to save money, what might be on the table?

    Yes as HR we are inputting into other people's pay and influencing comp & we are also individuals with needs to, for fair pay.

    If you like the business and don't want to rock the boat you might want to avoid the direct conversations for fear of conflict but things don't usually change unless you say what's important to you and remind the company of your presence in a way they understand. Good luck.