PDA

View Full Version : Internal Position



Hrqld
17-05-2012, 08:50 AM
We have a situation where an employee has applied for an internal position that has a lower wage than the employee's current salary. The employee currently is in a supervisory role and the position applied for is a lower level, and paid, role.

Has anyone had this situation occur as I am questioning as an employer, what the implications are regarding offering him the role, with the lower salary if successful?

Can an employee's salary be reduced if appyling for an internal position, willingly, and know that the salary is less?

Cottoneyes
17-05-2012, 09:32 AM
I've seen situations where this has occurred on a few occasions. Generally at the initial stages of the recruitment process, the employee is told that the salary grade for this position is lower than they currently receive, and ask them if they still want to proceed with their application knowing that this will be the case. Better to do it initially and be up front, than allow them to get to the first interview without putting it on the table and risk offending them.

Might be worth also asking them why they were interested in the new role, is there something about the current role that is making them unhappy that needs to be addressed.

Moz
17-05-2012, 10:04 AM
There's no reason it can't be done, providing as Cottoneyes says, they are fully aware of the consequences.

I know people who are in senior roles who wish they could take a lower level role because they think it will improve their work-life balance. However, few if any people I know have achieved this, because there is an expectation within their company (and their industry) that they will only ever take more senior positions.

Also the employer often believes that the individual won't be happy in a more junior role and it will be awkward having the individual reporting to someone who is more junior and/or has less experience. These could be quite genuine concerns.

Neb-Maat-Re
18-05-2012, 08:03 AM
Where I have seen this happen is where the person has taken a supervisory role mainly for the pay rise, and then find they don't enjoy it, prefering to return to being a practitioner.

I agree it is best to explore the rationale for the application up front.