Update (Friday night): thanks for all your response. I haven’t checked Blind since I posted this poll, it’s interesting to see a lot of the mixed responses. I finally received an offer from two companies I have been interviewing at. Because of long weekend, it took them awhile to get back to me since their HMs were on pto. Offer 1: series c fintech 230k base + 30k paper money per year for next 4 years (Senior Manager in Sales Strategy and Ops) Offer 2: series d saas 275k base + 30k paper money per year for next 4 years (post-mba role Director of Business Ops) I plan on telling my manager on Monday but I don’t think he’ll be able to match either of the offers. Update 2: people asked questions about my education background. I studied math in undergrad. Got 750 on gmat but decided against mba for various reasons. Also, I’m in a bizops (strategic ops) role with some strategic finance angle to it and responsibilities because our company doesn’t have a dedicated strategic finance team yet (so I report up to head of finance). Update 3: more about my background, I did investment banking for three years post-undergrad, 3 years in sales strategy for saas company, and joined current company right before covid. Update 4: I’m an Indian woman, if that helps. I don’t think I was underpaid because I’m a woman but it is true that women have a harder time getting raises under male boss unless he can be her advocate Update 5: I did not expect to jump to >200k as I was expecting 175 or 180 since I don’t code like most people here. I think 175-180 in my role is very reasonable but am Very happy with the offers Update 6: Location is San Francisco Bay Area. Official role is Revenue Strategy and Operations Manager (I’m not an engineer) Original Post: I’m currently employed at a 200 person series b startup. I worked here for 2 years. I have 7 yoe and current salary is 150k. I manage a strategic operations team with 5 directs under me who get paid 130-145k (for people with 2-3 yoe coming from consulting or banking background). I do people management and some IC work, such as building the team, driving key decisions and culture. I think I should be paid a little more considering my yoe and the amount of responsibilities (30-40k). It’s not like I’m doing a bad job - actually get a lot of recognition for work but just not the pay. The previous department head (my previous manager) made the call on salaries when we were hiring my directs. I’m still fucking pissed at how he lowballed me and gave me peanuts when I asked for a raise. When I asked for a raise at my 11 month, he said I should be grateful for going from 130 to 150 because he was not planning to give me a raise until the end of my 2nd year. Also he made some sexist remarks which I won’t say here He now moved on to a new company so I have a new manager as of last month now. First, am I right to be pretty pissed off about how little I am paid? Or am I not underpaid - I know I am underpaid or lowballed (compared to where I should be within this company) because people who are level below me and the same level as me are offered more money than me. I know this from offer discussions, where they were being offered 180-200k. Attached a poll for people . Thanks Edit: 1. Equity is the same as most of my directs. Actually get less than two of them and less than my peers (who manage fewer people) 2. My peers are offered more money than me. And one of my directs also got offered more money. Someone we interviewed to be my peer also got offered more money.
Not uncommon in tech for directs to make on par with managers and sometimes more, if you are that upset VWYF.
But why would they pay one of my directs more than me? And peers higher?
There’s two scenarios where this happens. 1. You’ve been there a long time and starting salaries have grown faster than your raises or 2. Your directs and peers negotiated starting salaries better than you.
What is your TC (base + paper money) compared to the newer people you have hired? If that is low, you have the right to feel pissed off. In startups, early employee gets a very low base salary, but will have higher percentage of company ownership. Secondly, (and respectfully) I would seriously recommend doing some soul searching. Being a people manager require you to think more about driving the overall productivity, and you are the only one with insights into team members’ compensation. It is not a good look if you go to your new manager and ask for a raise just ‘cause Brian and Tom are making as much as me. You make your case for your worth without referring to others’ TC.
And for the record, I used to make more than my manager in my previous organization. I know this because 1) he was transparent about it, and he has nothing to gain by lying to me 2) staff engineers in the company make director level pay and my boss was a Sr manager.
But engineering is different, and staff engineers are pretty senior so I can see them making a director level pay. But my salary is on par with people who have 2-3 yoe. And the fact that they’re willing to pay more for the new hires who come in as the same level as me or below just makes me really angry and lowballed/underpaid
I would recruit and leave. Especially with your current experience of 5 directs, you’ll find something better
Just interview and jump off the ship.
Welcome to the world.
What do you get out of leaving such useless comments?
It’s the classic Amazon response
If you were lowballed, why did you accept the offer initially?
A lot of people who have never worked at a startup think that their compensation will grow with the company. They don't realize that once you're locked in you're pretty much stuck there until the fat lady sings.
Yup, time to jump ship.
Leave
Who even does a counter offer??? Why even ask your manager? Just go... Don't even discuss it...
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What happens when most of your team is Indian?
Since you are at a startup, the equity is the deciding factor. Noone joins a startup to compete on the base salary
I have the same equity as everyone (and less than 2 of my directs and peer)
Ouch that bull💩 , just starting looking else where.