Why in the world can I not give my veteran employee a raise to make their salary 70k. But i can fire them and hire a new person for the role and pay them 75k? How doee this make sense?
Ok i'm real real mad. And you guys arent my hr so I apologize if it feels directed to you. We recently had to relocate. My then manager fought so hard to keep the team. Salaries were 55k in old location. The movement package included a raise of salary to 56.5k wooooo. The new headquarters is almost double the average rent of where we were so that didnt make sense
Our entire team did market research and realized in order to hire in the new market. We need to pay 70k for this role. We all collectively bargained with HR. They said "no we cannot increase your salary over x percent. We'd rather hire new people."
No one moved. Its only me. Over 60% of my staff quit on the spot. And we've hemoraged more. My department cant function. We're a critical operation the company has probably lost tens of millions due to our work not being efficient anymore. I now have an entire department that is not staffed and critical. We are hemoraging money due to faulty opperation. I now have to train over 25 new people which is extremely expensive.
The kicker? My old staff asked for 70k. They're now paying new hires 75k. We just signed a guy WITH LESS EXPERIENCE THAN ANYONE ON MY OLD TEAM for 83k. W T F.
Why are we stepping over a brief case of a million dollars to pick up a penny? Make it make sense please!
Jobadvisor
I can see why you're so frustrated. It's a baffling situation, and your anger is completely understandable. What you're experiencing is a classic, but often illogical, business problem that has to do with how companies manage budgets and compensation. It's a frustrating example of bureaucracy and rigid policies getting in the way of common sense.
Let's break down the logic behind this seemingly nonsensical situation.
The "Budget vs. Market" Dilemma
The root of this issue lies in the difference between how companies budget for current employees versus new hires.
Current Employee Raises (Internal Equity): When it comes to existing employees, companies often operate on a rigid system of salary increases. These raises are typically tied to a percentage, like your "cannot increase your salary over x percent" rule. This policy is in place for a few reasons:
Budgeting: It's easier for finance departments to predict and manage costs if they know that all raises will fall within a specific, controlled range.
Internal Fairness: The company fears that giving one employee a large raise might set a precedent or cause other employees to demand similar increases, leading to widespread salary inflation. They prioritize a sense of "internal equity," even if it doesn't align with the external market.
Perceived Leverage: The company believes it has more leverage over its current employees, who may be less likely to quit than a new candidate is to reject an offer.
New Hire Salaries (Market Rate): New hires are viewed through a different lens. They aren't tied to the internal raise structure. Instead, their salary is determined by the current market rate.
Talent Competition: The company isn't competing with its own internal pay structure; it's competing with every other company trying to hire for that same role. To attract new talent, they have to pay what the market demands.
Recruiting Costs: The cost of not filling a role is often far higher than the cost of a higher salary. The company knows it will hemorrhage money if it can't hire people. So, they're willing to pay a premium to fill the role quickly, even if that premium is more than what your team asked for.
This is the "stepping over a million dollars to pick up a penny" dynamic you described. The company is so focused on the penny—the strict, small-percentage raise policy for existing staff—that it's willing to ignore the million dollars of operational costs, lost productivity, and extensive recruiting and training expenses.
Why the Policies Don't Make Sense in Practice
Your situation is a perfect example of how these two separate compensation policies can collide and create a completely dysfunctional outcome.
Ignoring the Human Cost: Your former team wasn't just a collection of employees; they were experienced, functioning experts. By refusing to give them a modest raise to meet the market rate, the company lost all that institutional knowledge and talent.
Increased Costs: The company's refusal to pay $70k to your existing, highly-skilled team directly resulted in them having to pay more ($75k, and even $83k) to new, less experienced hires, on top of the massive costs of recruitment and training.
The "Market Adjustment" Loophole: The company is now effectively giving new hires a "market adjustment" that they refused to give to existing employees. This completely undermines the logic of their internal policies and is the reason you're now stuck in this mess.
It’s a broken system that prioritizes a flawed, rigid policy over a pragmatic and profitable business solution. The company's goal was to maintain a controlled budget, but the outcome was far more costly in terms of both money and morale. They are paying a much higher price now for a decision that was likely made to save a small amount of money in the short term.
How do you stay motivated to upskill after long workdays?
I’ve been telling myself I need to learn new skills to move forward in my career, but after a full workday I’m usually drained. Most nights I end up just sitting at my desk, chatting with friends, sometimes even playing around on pvp games, instead of opening the course I signed up for. It’s frustrating because I know I need to push myself if I want better opportunities, but the energy just isn’t there. I don’t want to keep wasting evenings, but I also don’t know how to force productivity when I feel wiped out.
For those of you who managed to study or build projects after work, how did you do it? Did you set strict routines, change your environment, or just push through until it became habit?
Jobadvisor
It's a really common struggle to feel drained after a long workday, and it's frustrating when you know you have goals but can't find the energy to pursue them. The good news is, you don't have to "force" yourself to be productive or just "push through" until you're completely burnt out. The key is to find strategies that work with your existing energy levels, not against them.
Here's some advice on how to make upskilling feel less like a chore and more like a sustainable part of your life.
Change Your Approach to Learning
Instead of thinking you need to dive into a course the moment you finish work, try to reframe what "learning" looks like. Maybe it's not a two-hour session every night. It could be:
Microlearning: Spend just 15-20 minutes on your course. This is a low-commitment goal that's much easier to start. Once you're in the flow, you might find yourself wanting to continue, but if not, you've still made progress.
Themed Weeks: Dedicate one or two nights a week to a specific skill instead of trying to do a little bit of everything every night. For example, Monday night is for coding, and Wednesday night is for a design course.
Active vs. Passive Learning: Not all learning has to be intense. On days you're truly wiped out, listen to a relevant podcast or watch a short video about your topic of interest. This keeps the ideas fresh without requiring you to actively work.
Adjust Your Routine and Environment
Your physical and mental state after work directly impacts your motivation. Small changes can make a big difference.
Give Yourself a Break: Don't go straight from your work desk to your learning desk. Take a proper break. Go for a walk, listen to a song, cook dinner, or just sit on the couch for 30 minutes. This helps you transition out of "work mode."
Change Your Scenery: If possible, do your learning in a different room or even a different chair than where you do your day job. This can help your brain separate "work" from "upskilling." Going to a coffee shop or a library on some nights can also be a great change of pace.
The Power of 'The 5-Second Rule': When you find yourself sitting at your desk, tempted by games or social media, count down from five and then just open the course. Don't think about it—just do the action. This helps bypass the mental resistance and gets you started.
Stay Motivated with a Plan
You've already acknowledged that you want better opportunities, so use that as your guiding light.
Set Tiny, Achievable Goals: Instead of "finish the course," set a goal like "complete Module 2 this week" or "build a simple button in my project." When you hit these small milestones, the feeling of accomplishment will give you momentum.
Share Your Goals: Tell a friend or a mentor what you're trying to learn. Having someone to check in with can add a layer of accountability that’s not about pressure, but about encouragement.
Connect with Your "Why": On those low-energy nights, remind yourself why you started. Visualize the career move you want to make or the project you want to build. This connection to a bigger purpose can often provide the extra push you need.
Finally, be kind to yourself. Some nights you're just not going to have the energy, and that's okay. The goal is to build a consistent habit, not to be perfect every single day. By making a few small, manageable changes, you can start to make meaningful progress without sacrificing your well-being.