- 14 August 2024
- |Change, Leadership, TLC, Uncategorized
‘What was your first job?’
It is a simple question, but one of my favourites.
For people of my age and background, our early employment was rarely high flying. In fact, it was often – at least in hindsight – amusingly demeaning, tedious and poorly paid. The kind of thing that is euphemistically described as “character building” (translation: “It’s hard and it’s gnarly, and given other options you’d rather be doing something else”).
The reason it’s such a good conversation starter is not because of the actual jobs people did but because these early experiences of the workplace are often some of our most formative, filled with vivid memories of the characters we met, the injustices we suffered and the lessons we learned.
Like thousands of other kids, my first job involved dragging myself out of bed to deliver newspapers so the good people of the village I grew up in had something to be outraged about over their morning cup of tea – I was 11. Newspapers were big back in those days, both literally and figuratively, a fact which was to my severe detriment as the paper bag was about twice as heavy as I was.
Lifting the bag was so eyeball poppingly hard that I quickly gave up and built a makeshift trailer from two old skateboards so I could wheel it along the pavement.
Other jobs would follow.
Regular readers of this blog may remember the crash course in selling I received from my grizzly bear of a boss at a Skipton gift shop one summer (along with the occasional threat to give me a good hiding) – and at about the age of 13 I also worked as a pot wash at a local gastropub in the evenings and at weekends.
The pot wash job was particularly “character building”, not to mention physically exhausting. It involved long hours of incessant scrubbing in the steamy fug of the kitchen, assailed on all sides by dirty dishes and language which was just as filthy.
These jobs were all hard work, for laughable pay, often in poor conditions and occasionally with a healthy dollop of verbal abuse thrown in for good measure. Yet they still taught me some very blunt, fundamental lessons. One was that by working hard and knuckling down you could win the respect of colleagues and become part of the team. Another was, frankly, that I did not want to do jobs like that for the rest of my life.
A ‘proper job’
Following these rites of passage (and alongside making a tidy income helping local people with their computers) I nailed down my first, and maybe only “proper job” as a 17 year old in the marketing department of the Skipton Building Society – where I would go on to register the domain name skipton.co.uk and beg them to let me set up a web site.
As the most junior member of the team, the first few months mainly involved making tea and coffee for everyone else and there were many days when all I did was walk to and fro delivering brews.
Although preparing hot drinks does not directly teach you a lot about marketing, this was still an opportunity to learn and to demonstrate, on a very basic level, my aptitude as an employee and colleague.
If there is one thing that people are particular about, it is the way they like their tea. It was beholden on me to learn the hot beverage habits of as many as 20 people and prepare them to the correct specifications every time. The price of failure was to endure the minor ignominy of trudging back to the brew-station (in full view of the huge open plan office) to pour them down the sink and start again.
It was a way of my colleagues testing my resolve and my ability to handle the very basic tasks before I was given any more responsibility. It showed I could listen to, digest and carry out instructions, that I was able to communicate with people about what they wanted and cared enough to fulfil the job to the standard they required – even if it was something as menial as making tea.
Of course, there was also an unspoken question which it was up to me to answer: “If you want to do more than just make the tea, then how are you going to prove that you’re up to it?”
This is a variation on the question which faces anyone who wants to advance and make more money in their professional life. It doesn’t matter where you are in your career, if you want to grow your responsibility and increase your pay then it is up to you to generate the impetus to make it happen.
How to get paid more
As the founder of more than 12 startups, I have often been faced with employees who want to earn more.
The answer usually comes down to one prerequisite and three courses of action.
A prerequisite: You are unlikely to earn more if your company is not growing – or at least doing really very well
When you work for a company it can be easy, and perhaps comforting, to imagine that somewhere there is a huge surplus of wealth and certainly enough to make giving you a raise a mere drop in the ocean.
This may even be the case in some very cash rich, blue chip companies. However, the reality is that the majority of businesses in the UK are SMEs. Even an SME which employs a large number of people and is entirely solvent and financially safe can still be operating on quite low margins.
If you want to earn more money working for such a business, it is a prerequisite that the company is growing financially by either increasing its market share or finding efficiencies to cut costs. If there is no spare money, then it is unlikely your salary is going to increase.
Presuming that this prerequisite exists, there are three things you can do in order to get paid more.
Action one: Sit tight (not really taking any action at all!)
The most basic option is to turn up every day, do your job competently and hope that the forces of inflation lift your level of pay over time. This is the path of least resistance. It is also the path of least probability if you are looking for a really meaningful wage increase.
The exception may be for people who have shown real dedication to a company over a sustained period of time. Long, reliable, competent and diligent service over many years does deserve to be recognised with a financial reward and often will be.
However, it is a very slow burn approach if you want to move your career forward quickly.
Action two: Shine bright
The next and much better option is to go above and beyond in your role.
This doesn’t necessarily mean staying late and working extra hours (although this should not always be discounted) but taking the initiative to formulate and put into action ideas to help the company and generate additional revenue or value for the company.
Recognise problems. Develop solutions. Make them happen.
Look for opportunities for the company. Find ways to capitalise. Make it happen.
If you do this enough, in time you should be rewarded for your hard work.
Action three: Upskill
The reality is that the pay scale within certain roles in a business is going to limit how much you can earn, no matter how good you may be at your job.
Ask yourself what skills you need to acquire in order to move to a better paid role. Be prepared to put in your own time and effort and share your ambitions with your employer. Most will want to be supportive because, ultimately, it will be to their advantage.
No matter which of the three approaches you take, the truth is that you can only expect higher pay as a result of your own hard work. No employer is going to increase your salary in the expectation that you then start to work harder, smarter or acquire more skills. Better pay follows good performance, not the other way round.
You can’t expect to be rewarded if you don’t make people notice you
Just because you are working hard and making a difference, this does not necessarily mean the right people in your organisation are going to notice. Usually this isn’t deliberate but simply down to the number of other priorities and distractions in a busy workplace.
Again, it is up to you to take the lead in making sure news of your good work is heard in the right places.
You can’t expect the rewards to be immediate
A relationship with an employer is like any other. You build trust based on a continuous cycle of demonstrating mutual commitment and respect. Excelling in the short term will not garner an immediate reward. You need to keep on proving again and again that you are reliable, talented and willing to grow and learn.
Expect good things to happen
Unfortunately, a bad workplace culture can have a negative effect far beyond the company where it exists. Direct experience of unfair treatment can breed scepticism when you take on a new role, as can secondhand accounts from people who have worked elsewhere.
However, scepticism about an employer’s willingness or ability to support its staff can be self-fulfilling. Until proven otherwise, it is best to take action to stand out or upskill with the expectation that your efforts will be repaid. This is the only way to begin building a mutually trusting relationship.
‘The last chance saloon’
If you do get to the point where you are working for a business which you know is growing financially, where you have been going above and beyond or upskilling for a number of years and you are still not receiving any recompense then it is likely you are entering a ‘last chance saloon’ scenario.
Presuming that you are not willing to continue in a role where you feel frustrated and undervalued, there really are only two options open to you.
Go directly to the leader of the business
Remember, there is no point waiting passively for the leader of a business to notice how good you are. You have to make the point yourself. Feeling unhappy and overlooked in your career is a far worse alternative to having an honest conversation with your boss. This may also involve going over the head of middle management. Again, you have to ask whether this is a worse prospect than remaining dissatisfied in your career.
If you do talk to your CEO or leader and they fail to give you a satisfactory explanation or agree to work towards some kind of resolution then the choice is simple.
Leave and find another job
The reality is that some people are just not suited to some workplaces.
Right now there are countless talented individuals working for equally fantastic businesses. However, they may still feel unhappy. This doesn’t mean that anyone is doing anything wrong. Everyone can be right. It is just that the business and the employee are not right for each other.
Sometimes leaving may feel like the only option. But before doing so, it is important to stop and consider any benefits your job offers beyond pay or promotion.
A new employer may be able to offer you more money. But will they be as accommodating of your working style and day-to-day needs? Will they be as supportive of your personal commitments? Can you rely on them in a crisis? Will they treat you like an extended family member or a number on a spreadsheet?
How do leaders create an environment where people can thrive?
As a leader it is your role to outline a compelling vision and to bring together the right people in the right conditions to achieve it.
You have a responsibility to do this in a way which brings value to the business but also those who work for it. Building a satisfied and motivated workforce should be mutually beneficial for the growth of the company and your team.
A dissatisfied team member has just the opposite effect. Even worse, they risk damaging morale and fostering resentment among otherwise happy and reliable colleagues.
As so often in leadership, the best approach is one of honesty and integrity.
Make it clear to everyone what their role is in the business and the paths that are open to them to progress and earn more money if they want to. If people are willing to either go above and beyond or undertake extra training then you should actively encourage and support them.
If someone is underperforming, do not be afraid to let them know how they need to improve or offer them different paths within the company that might suit them better. Ultimately, if there is a mismatch between the person and the workplace then it is up to you to make this clear and be honest about the fact they may be happier elsewhere.
It is quite normal for people to want to avoid difficult conversations, but difficult conversations can also be some of the most productive. Being frank about your expectations and what somebody needs to do to meet them can be the starting point for positive change.
Challenges for leaders and employees:
The perception gap
Both leaders and those in their team need to be aware of the different ways they perceive the business. As we discussed earlier, leaders – and particularly founders – can be all too aware of the years of hard work that have gone into building a venture and the delicate balance of cash flow, payroll, assets and investment required to keep it moving forward.
Meanwhile, employees can see the same cash flow, payroll, assets and investment as evidence the company is an unstoppable juggernaut.
The growth paradox
One of the most difficult times to manage people’s expectations around pay is during a growth phase. A growth in market share often involves extra financing and investment, combined with more demands on the team but no immediate increase in pay.
The material financial rewards for the company may take months or years to come through. There may even be a financial deficit in the short term.
Dealing with both the perception gap and the growth paradox requires clear and honest communication. Make sure people are aware of the company’s position and what part they can play in taking it forward to reap the rewards in the future.
It comes down to you
Human lives are short and we all spend so much time working. It would be a terrible shame to look back on our career and realise we hated our job.
Both leaders and team members have a responsibility to make a workplace as engaging, productive and fulfilling as it can be. A satisfied team makes for a more successful business.
As a team member it is your responsibility to be open about what you’re good at and where you think you can get better, to improve your performance, learn new skills if necessary and help grow the venture.
As a leader you have an equal obligation to make it clear to people how they can grow and prosper, what is expected of them to create a cohesive team and to support them to achieve their best. If you don’t you cannot expect peak performance from either your business or your workforce.
Employees keen for advancement and greater pay need to be prepared to prove themselves over time to receive it. Employers who want to get the best out of their people must give them the help and advice to achieve it.
However, this only goes so far. If a point is reached where either or both are struggling to work with the other then they should not hold back from making their feelings known.
There are far worse things in the world than deciding to look for another job or having an employee leave to go elsewhere. Managing a discontented team member is one of them. Turning up day after day at a job where you feel unhappy is another.
I am not going to pretend it is easy or that I have always got it right! But with a willingness to listen and communicate openly and honestly, it is possible to foster fulfilling careers and better businesses.
Life really is too short not to.