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Why do you feel like you need to justify your pay requirements? Does your CEO need to invoke inflation to justify his multi-million pay package? If other comp

Why do you feel like you need to justify your pay requirements? Does your CEO need to invoke inflation to justify his multi-million pay package? If other companies are offering you +25%, then that's your current market value. You do not have to justify or apologize for it, no more than your CEO apologizes for the far higher pay package required to hire and retain them.

blitzar 5y ago
Personally playing the "I have kids to feed" justification just acts to remind me (coldly) that you can not afford to not be collecting a pay packet from me or someone else. The market for me is $X, you are paying $X*0.5 - that is unsustainable
- linspace 5y ago
  It may sound cold, but it's so true. With or without kids, never let others think you have no option
dzikimarian 5y ago
Depends if you care in any way about the outcome. If you in general want to stay, just with a higher compensation, it's good idea to help them rationalize your salary. Especially if your manager will have to argue for you with his boss. If you simply want a raise and don't care where, indeed that will not benefit you.
- michaelt 5y ago
  I think you and NeverFade actually have different definitions of "justify" If you can point to where you went above and beyond, which improved the company's bottom line by $X, that will never hurt you in salary negotiations. In that sense, being able to justify your raise strengthens your position. But you don't have to defend yourself against accusations of sinful greed, or justify why you should earn 3x what teachers or nurses earn. You're talking to someone who is paid more than you, not speaking at a college anarchists' debate about fat cat bosses. You don't need any special justification in that sense.
  - dzikimarian 5y ago
    In such case - you're right. Good CTO should know if what employee requests is within market range for his position. If so - not much point in arguing with the market - it will come to bite you sooner or later.
ukoki 5y ago
Agreed. I prefer: "The salary and benefits package I'm given is a direct measure of how much I'm valued as an employee. This other company values me 25% higher".

blitzar 5y ago

Personally playing the "I have kids to feed" justification just acts to remind me (coldly) that you can not afford to not be collecting a pay packet from me or someone else. The market for me is $X, you are paying $X*0.5 - that is unsustainable

linspace 5y ago
It may sound cold, but it's so true. With or without kids, never let others think you have no option

dzikimarian 5y ago

Depends if you care in any way about the outcome. If you in general want to stay, just with a higher compensation, it's good idea to help them rationalize your salary. Especially if your manager will have to argue for you with his boss. If you simply want a raise and don't care where, indeed that will not benefit you.

michaelt 5y ago
I think you and NeverFade actually have different definitions of "justify" If you can point to where you went above and beyond, which improved the company's bottom line by $X, that will never hurt you in salary negotiations. In that sense, being able to justify your raise strengthens your position. But you don't have to defend yourself against accusations of sinful greed, or justify why you should earn 3x what teachers or nurses earn. You're talking to someone who is paid more than you, not speaking at a college anarchists' debate about fat cat bosses. You don't need any special justification in that sense.
- dzikimarian 5y ago
  In such case - you're right. Good CTO should know if what employee requests is within market range for his position. If so - not much point in arguing with the market - it will come to bite you sooner or later.

ukoki 5y ago

Agreed. I prefer: "The salary and benefits package I'm given is a direct measure of how much I'm valued as an employee. This other company values me 25% higher".