When a colleague asks you how much your salary is, a simple person says it straight, and a smart person knows these 4 reply routines
Now, most companies keep the salary situation secret, but because of the inexplicable comparison psychology of human beings, they will especially want to know the salary situation of others. So what should you do if your colleague asks about your salary?
Before we talk about it, we should understand an unspoken rule in the workplace: don't ask people's wages.
When you join the company, HR will remind you not to talk casually about salary. Some companies make it clear that employees are not allowed to talk about wages, and may even be fired if found out.
I once saw a leader say to an employee, "Your salary depends on your ability." So in the workplace, don't ask what you shouldn't ask and don't say what you shouldn't say.
Next, let's talk about it. If someone asks what your salary is, what is the most appropriate answer?
- Take the system to block the arrow
If you're new to the workplace, it's really hard to say no or prevaricate. At this time, you can talk about the company system, and you tell him that the company system is not allowed.
Companies generally require that wages be kept confidential, even if not explicitly stated. Because no matter where you are, wages are sensitive information in the workplace.
The reason many people ask others about their salary is that they want to have a reference to measure whether they have reached the salary level, and then they want to satisfy their curiosity and comparison psychology.
When someone asks about our salary, all we have to do is change the subject, with a polite refusal and a friendly reminder.
- Rhetorical question method
When your colleague asks how much you make a month, you can answer him like this: "Like everyone else, how about you?"
After giving him a rough answer, throw him a question. If he doesn't want to answer you, he won't follow up with your specific answer, and the conversation is over. If he answers you, you can say a similar number based on what he said, and you can avoid the problem well.
Don't be foolish to say your real salary after asking the question. Because in the workplace, wages are often a taboo topic.
If he asks about your salary, he may already have his mind on you. Maybe he is jealous that you are paid more than him and you have the same job as him, so why does he pay less than you? Maybe he'll go and ask the boss for an answer. If the boss finds out, he will think that you are easy to cause trouble and have low ability, and you will be very passive.
But if you use rhetorical questions, you'll regain the initiative and even your boss will praise you.
- Learn to change the subject
Generally speaking, according to the company's salary distribution system, you can still guess whether a person's salary is higher or lower than yours based on his ability. If you don't know each other's salary range, try to change the subject and talk about something else.
The last time Xiao Liu saw me in our office, he complained to me that his salary was never enough. He asked me how much I earned every month and he wanted me to lend him the money. Of course I didn't dare to tell him how much my salary was. I just said, "I'm also very poor. Hey, by the way, what's your monthly rent, how much is my monthly rent?" Then you might be fine. He changed the subject and politely declined the loan from his colleague.
If the person who asks you knows that your salary is higher than his, he may get very angry and do something he has no control over himself.
- The role of salary confidentiality
resolve internal conflicts
The most obvious function of the wage secrecy system is to resolve internal conflicts. In management, there is such a proverb: employees have a superior attitude and feel that they have made a great contribution to the company. I feel that the company's achievements today have a lot to do with myself, and in this case I would overestimate my position in the company. The trouble with this is that each employee feels that he should be paid more than other employees in the same position.
The salaries of employees at the time of entry are the same as those of the company's senior management, which has a lot to do with the eloquence of the employees and the accuracy of selecting senior management.
Protect employees themselves
This protection is mainly for two groups of people, one is the low-income people in the company. Under the traditional idea that wages are power, wage income shows the ability of the person. If everyone's wages were disclosed, it would create unnecessary negativity for low-earning or low-performing employees.
The second is the company's high-paying talents. For employees in the same position, other people's wages are much higher than themselves, which will cause low-income employees to get emotional. This sentiment is not only reflected at work, but also behind the scenes doing things that hurt high-paying talent.
In conclusion, don't compare and ask about salaries in the workplace. If you are not satisfied with your current salary, you can apply for a raise. But the premise of these is to do a good job, as long as the ability is enough, the salary is not a problem.