Working within Your Payscale

Babble on Magtrabaho ng naaayon sa SAHOD.

“Magtrabaho naayon sahod. Wag galingan hindi ka bigyan mana.”

“Hwag galingan, wala dagdag sahod. Dagdag trabaho lang.”

These are common workplace memes and they never die. Many of us have heard the phrase “work within your payscale.” Many young professional and rank-and-file employees think that working within their “sahod” guarantees them a well-balanced life and success in the workplace. The opposite is a more probable outcome. Working within your pay grade is a surefire way to fail. With our highly volatile economy, the only way to ensure success at work and in life is to continuously increase your value and the work that you do. Everyone in the company is replaceable. No one is indispensable.

In the book No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, the Keeper Test is espoused. It is a kind of continuous talent review pushing the manager to ask:

"Which of my people, if they told me they were leaving for a similar job at a competitor or peer company, would I fight hard to keep?"

Applying the question from the perspective of the employee:

“If I told my boss I was resigning to work for another company, how hard would you fight to keep me and try and convince me to change my mind?”

Whether you intend to stay long or transfer to another opportunity, having the mindset of working with your payscale is doing you more bad than good for your career. An alternative perspective is working above your pay grade. But what does it really mean? It’s about recognizing that you can do more than just the job you were hired for, and that doing so can lead to greater recognition, respect, and success in your career.

In a recent conversation I had with a company leader in one of the growing BPOs in my hometown, she shared that it is important for team leaders and managers to understand their boss's perspective and goals, and to take ownership in helping them reach those goals. She believes that when team leaders and managers go above and beyond in taking initiative and doing whatever it takes to help the boss succeed, it builds trust and respect. Additionally, it allows the team leader or manager to better understand the company's vision and how their team fits into it. Ultimately, this leads to more successful outcomes as a whole not only for the company but also for the employee.

Here are a few tips on how to work beyond your pay grade without burning out.

Be Strategic About Taking On Extra Work

When looking to take on extra work, be sure to pick tasks that will get you noticed by upper management or colleagues. You want to make sure that the extra effort you put in is not only visible but also appreciated. Focus on delivering high-quality results as quickly and efficiently as possible. If a task doesn’t fall within your job description but you think it could benefit the team in some way, offer to take it on and show initiative!

Be Open To Learning New Skills

Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone when taking on new tasks or responsibilities. Take advantage of any opportunities that come your way – even if they require learning something new – as they will give you valuable experience that could help you further down the road. Don’t let fear hold you back from trying something new; instead, use it as an opportunity to showcase your commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for learning and growing professionally.

Show Appreciation For Others

It’s important to recognize the efforts of others who are also working hard around you, especially if those people are helping pave the way for others like yourself who are attempting to work beyond their pay grade. Showing appreciation for others will not only demonstrate good character but will also motivate others around you to strive for excellence just like yourself!

Working beyond your pay grade means taking on extra responsibilities or tasks with enthusiasm and determination—all while keeping quality at the forefront of everything you do. It requires strategic thinking, openness to learning new skills, and showing appreciation for those around us who are helping us along our journey. Doing more than what's expected of us can help propel our careers forward by gaining recognition from upper management or colleagues; however, it's important not too overextend ourselves so we don't burnout in the process. With these tips in mind, we should all be able to work beyond our pay grades without sacrificing our sanity!

PS.

“This isn’t my company after all. I am building my own anyways.” - I don’t subscribe to this. I believe that being part of a company means you are accountable and responsible for the jobs and lives affected by the company. As a “raketeer” myself, I think it is still better to do your best at the company where you are right now while you are building other businesses or other streams of income. This may be another topic for another babble. Peace out.