Help with deciding salary for crystal trainee (UK)

[chriscboy]

Hi,

I currently have a member of staff who has joined my small IT team. Two years ago she had no IT experience. Now after taking several courses, she has become a competant crystal reports developer and helps with IT support and has become a valuable member of the team. She is only 21 years old but is mature for her age, a hard worker and enjoy's her job.

As her manager I have been asked to decide what her salary for 2005 should be. What would you pay as a salary for this type of person ?

I am not sure, as this is my first time at having to decide a person's wage. Is there any else with similar staff that can help me decide on what I should pay her ?

Please reply in £ as I am UK based.

Cheers

Chris

 

[Thadeus]

I went through a similar transfer years ago... At the time I also went from hourly to salary. The company I worked for provided an equivalent of $1US per hour translated into a salary. So if I had previously been making $10US hourly (roughly 21K/year) I was now making 23K/year (roughly $11US hourly). I am making these numbers up for example purposes only. I don't quite remember what I was making at the time.

I want to note that I thought was severely underpaid, but was told for 2 years that I wouldn't find anything better... When I finally realized my own worth and went looking for a position I almost doubled my yearly salary. Within 2 years I had doubled that initial salary. All of this salary jumping occured in the 1998-2000 time period which is after the bubble had burst for the most part. I can only imagine what I could have been making during the 90's boom time.

My advice, check with a few recruiters in your area and see what they are getting for someone with these skills. That way you have an idea of what it would cost to replace her. Pay accordingly.

~Thadeus

 

[gizmo1973]

I worked for a Manchester (UK) based company a few years ago and was very similar position as your staff member. I came in to do one job, moved departments, took Crystal reports courses (intermediate and advanced), SQL server etc but was still paid my original salary of £14k plus a £3k bonus (paid bi annually) and no benefits, this I now know was well under the standards.

Now I do a very similar job (actually quite easier if truth be known) and am paid £32k
Benefits include, free private health care, company mobile and laptop and an excellent pension scheme amongst other things.
Where I am now I was originally taken on for my Crystal expertise but spend more time faffing with Access and Excel that Crystal.

So anywhere between them two I would say is fair, around the 20k mark in North and 22k-25k in South as it all depends on geographic location as well
It also depends what other course she is willing to take/taken and what other benefits she brings your department

You could also try places like monster.co.uk who publish national average pay surveys from real IT professionals.


Regards, Phil.
C.E.O. Bodgeit, Leggit & Scarper. International.
"Stuffing things up completely since 1973"

 

[webmigit]

I'd suggest going to Salary.com for similar reports as the monster suggestion..

Also, XE tells that 32000 GBP is 57000 USD...

I'd consider that with her young age and the fact that she's become helpful in two years from a point when she knew nothing... that she's smart and a worthy team member.

Obviously with fair progress like that, she's a bit more than a walking reference... I know many IT people who know so much about a language/environment and don't really know what to do with it..

Anyway... that's just my thoughts.

ALFII.com

http://www.alfii.com

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[rosieb]

Look at the salary levels in your area. Also look at your team's salaries, fit her into that matrix. If she's good, and you want to keep her, don't fall for the "how little can we pay her" mindset.

Also look at what other training/responsibilities you can offer her. Not just technical training, but training in "soft skills". People stay in jobs for more than just the salary.

Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)