I found out a colleague has a higher salary. Should I use this information to get a raise?

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Question: I found out that a colleague in the same job category makes more than I do. Should I use this information when I ask for a raise?
We asked Permpreet Soomal, chief people officer, Capital One Canada, to tackle this one:
You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you’re comparing yourself to others when you are discussing and negotiating your salary. I don’t think it’s the most professional way to approach a conversation, and you’re already setting limitations on what the outcome could be because you’ve put a comparison to it. Focusing on your own skills is the best approach when broaching this conversation.
Compensation is such an emotional topic, so leading with the punchline is maybe not always the best strategy. Rather, it’s about laying the groundwork by saying, ‘Here’s the impact that my work is having on the organization. Here is where I’m adding value,’ and having that lead to the compensation conversation.
Do your research ahead of time to understand the internal pay philosophy – companies often publish that. As well, it’s a good idea to know what your skills pay in the broader market. There’s a wealth of information out there on external websites that provide benchmarking. It’s not that you’re going to find a dollar value and anchor to that, but understanding what skills are valued in your organization can put you in the driver’s seat.
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Even if you aren’t successful in getting a raise, it’s a good conversation to have regardless of the outcome. It could open the doors to other career and development opportunities, and it allows you to be really clear about what your motivations are in a role. So, when it is time to reward and pay for performance, it will be top of mind for your manager, who will think, ‘This person’s doing a really great job, and I know that this is their motivator.’
There’s an interesting point of self-reflection as well in this scenario. You’re thinking, ‘Others are getting paid more than me.’ The question that you should ask yourself is, ‘Why is that? What are these colleagues doing that warrants that and how might I build those experiences? How might I get visibility for the impact that I’m having?’
One thing I see people fall into when negotiating salary is looking back too much and saying, ‘Here are all the reasons why I think I deserve that raise because I’ve done this and this in the past.’ I think there’s value in talking about where your skill sets will continue to add value in the future, to give you a leg up in the context of future salary conversations.
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Having been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) in childhood, Lauren Martin grew up knowing that her neurodiversity made her different, and it was especially difficult once she began her working life. (Characteristics of ADD, also known as inattentive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, can include being easily distracted, having difficulty following directions or focusing on a task.)
The Winnipeg resident says that for years she faced challenges in the workplace, particularly when navigating the nuances of communication with co-workers and bosses.
”I remember getting into trouble for emails all the time,” Ms. Martin says of early jobs. She says she might interpret a single e-mail five different ways and may need to ask several times for clarification. “I’m often misunderstood as being curt or having a tone, but that’s often because I’m in my own head.”
Read how companies are adjusting their processes and environment with neurodiversity in mind.
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Workers are putting a lot of energy into looking busy in the wake of return-to-office (RTO) mandates, but those efforts may ironically be distracting them from accomplishing meaningful work.
According to a recent survey of 1,500 American workers by human resources software provider BambooHR, most are employing tactics to appear busy at work, regardless of whether they’re in person, remote or hybrid. Eighty-eight per cent of remote workers and 79 per cent of those who work in person say they’re taking actions to prove they’re on the job. Meanwhile, 42 per cent of hybrid workers say they come into the office just to be seen. On average, employees spend about 76 per cent of their eight-hour shift working, and 2 hours focused on something other than work.
”[The ways workers try to look busy] varies from just walking around so co-workers will see them to planning meetings with other co-workers who are also in office, to showing up earlier or leaving later,” says Anita Grantham, BambooHR’s head of human resources.
Read why these kinds of tactics may be necessary, especially since the rise of remote work.
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”As much as we want to believe that our workplaces will have a plan for us, typically they don’t. Moms at Work is working with companies on return-to-work programs, and we know that most companies do not have a transition plan in place. You may believe that your workplace is thinking about you all the time you’re gone. But they’re not.”
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”You can anticipate how they will act and engage with other people and trust they will act in a way that’s consistent with your own ethics,” says Rebecca Reuber, professor of strategic management at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto.
And while relationships – whether business or personal – are seldom without any kind of conflict, the bonds between a parent and child mean there’s significant motivation to make it work, both in and out of the office.
“Since the family relationship is a long-term relationship that you don’t want to mess up, there’s an incentive to keep the relationship a happy one,” Dr. Reuber says.
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