I work for a small health care company that was acquired by a massive health care company. Think 300+ employees vs 380,000+ employees. The small company is in an ‘isolated’ small city and was a ‘not for profit’ company when I started and as such generally paid below market wages. I accepted the job 7 years ago because I was desperate and it was a job that was in my degree field. I was hired as an analyst and was promoted to Senior analyst within 14 months. When the acquisition process started 6 years ago, many of our salaries were bumped up to be more in line with the big company. All told, between the promotion, the pre-acquisition pay adjustment and the 2% annual raises my pay is up approximately 35% over the day I started.
This is further complicated by the fact that the big company classified me as a Grade 26 Analyst and not a Grade 27 Senior Analyst.
Fast forward to today and I was just offered a Grade 27 Senior Analyst position on another team with a 20% pay raise.
My problem is that I think I would still be drastically underpaid not only for my contributions but for the position as well, however, I’m ice skating up hill because I started my career with a below market salary. Everything I read tells me that 20% for an internal move like this is really good but it’s not going to make me happy.
Anyone have any experience countering a 20% offer on an internal move? Am I off base?
3 comments
How much of an increase would it be for you to be in line with what you think you should make? How confident are you that you can get that with another employer?
Take the offer and keep your eye out for a new job. What’s the risk you stay where you are and make 20 percent less? It sounds like too large an organization and impersonal management to get them to recognize previous seniority in your current role that you want recognized in this hypothetical negotiation.
You cannot necessarily compare the role to what you currently make but what the market demands for that skill set in your area. If you can get more elsewhere then there’s your answer. Also consider what it means to resign and start over at a new company.