Hi HN<p>I work at a famous global tech corporate. We have a employee career mentor program, where mentors are responsible for managing performance reviews and communicate salary outcomes. As fate would have it, my newly assigned "mentee" have been earning 30% more than me last year and 26% higher than me this year. I'm at manager level and this person at consultant level. I'm a bit stuck in terms of what my attitude should be to get it fixed. What should I do? What's the right approach?
I've always found the idea that the manager <i>must</i> earn more than the managed a little odd. Fundamentally, those are completely different jobs. It's not like the rather more insidious version where "Software Engineer level 4" is making a higher base than "Software Engineer level 5" because discrimination / nepotism / negotiation skills or lack thereof / ...<p>Consider e.g. a bank or hedge fund - it's perfectly imaginable that some of the star traders earn multiples of their manager.
Who do you think earns more: An actress, or the actress' manager? A basketball player, or the basketball player's coach? A boxer, or the boxer's manager?<p>Is it easier for the consultant to leave for another company and get a new manager, or for you to hire another person at his/her level to be your "subordinate"?<p>Market forces are at play here -- the productive members of society rightfully make more than people who go to meetings.
You failed to negotiate an adequate salary when you got the job. Either apply elsewhere or ask for a raise. If you ask for a raise and get denied, you will have to quit.<p>Edit: For anyone reading, don't tell your coworkers your salary, no matter how close you are, it causes resentment.