Sharing your salary with your peers?

Totally understand in the US people really frown on talking about your salary but honestly coming from Asia it helped me create benchmarks. And I never felt negatively about individuals (if there was negativity it was typically at the org)..


When I moved to the states, If asked by someone what I earned I’d tell them because I thought it might help empower them to know if they could stretch for more, also mainly they were younger female professionals reporting into me and I felt like giving them this transparency helped them not apologise for asking for more for themselves. So far I’ve seen it help tons of my juniors get more than they were going to shoot for but…What’s the general consensus? Is this seriously poor form? Is there a better way for me to help? Trying to be mindful of cultural differences!

💰 Compensation
🎈 Mentorship
17
msp_sales
Opinionated
20
Full Cycle Sales
The general consensus is that talking about your salary with your coworkers is a federally protected RIGHT. The only one who benefits from you keeping it a secret is the employer who pays unfairly.
BANTer
Contributor
1
Head of Tech Sales
Couldn’t agree more!
GDO
Politicker
1
BDM
Exactly, I always hate the secrecy around salary
Dman1b
Catalyst
0
Azure Specialist
Exactly right!
UserNotFound
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Is it actually illegal to mandate salary secrecy? I ask because I’ve been in many jobs that have required that, and I thought it was just poor form.
msp_sales
Opinionated
1
Full Cycle Sales
#I’mNotALawyer - in California, I’m told by my employment attorney that you cannot outright forbid this. Any employee who is punished for discussing pay with their coworkers can sue their employer.
SlinginSoftware
Politicker
5
Account Executive
Transparency will lead to pay equality!
BANTer
Contributor
0
Head of Tech Sales
👏👏👏👏
SaaSam
Politicker
3
Account Executive
Worked at a company that not only frowned on this but decided to have everyone sign an NDA specifically mentioning talking about compensation with coworkers. I said I wouldn't sign it and nobody mentioned it to me again. From that point I made sure everyone knew what my comp was because this employer was notorious for trying to fuck people over on pay. Even going so far as to withhold percentages of commissions to see who would notice.

As others have mentioned, the only party that benefits from you keeping that to yourself is your employer
BANTer
Contributor
1
Head of Tech Sales
Thank you so much for posting this! I love everything you stand for and started at an org all too similar so I feel almost evangelical about giving people this knowledge if they want it to move up !
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
Seems an illegal NDA
RampagingDog
Politicker
2
Recruitment Consultant
Its sales culture.  Discuss it.  We all know what each other make, at least in commission, in my experience.  
SalesPharaoh
Big Shot
2
Senior Account Executive
Look, sharing salaries brings you a lot of insight onto who you are working for. I have shared my salary before and we found out that 1 rep was 50% underpaid just because they low balled him and he thought we were all being paid like him. Just imagine if you could have those 50% in your pocket same effort?
RahRahBooty
Executive
2
Business Development
This happened to me and when I tried to negotiate the recruiter basically threatened to not offer me. It sucked to find out how much more my teammates were being paid, even those that had half the sales experience. It was even more disappointing when I started looking for a new role to see how much we all were underpaid.
SalesPharaoh
Big Shot
0
Senior Account Executive
Yea happened, when learned that a recruiter offered me 20% lower than to another candidate who is older but less experienced in the field.
CaneWolf
Politicker
1
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
I have friends/colleagues that know the deal but I trust those people. I wouldn't just throw it out generally (and I'm American).
BANTer
Contributor
0
Head of Tech Sales
100%. Definitely some people I would be scared to offer that up to because of how they might weaponise that against me. Have you encountered any negative personal reactions from those that you shared with ?
CaneWolf
Politicker
0
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
Nah, but again, that's because I'm careful about it.
SaaSsy
Politicker
1
AE
I definitely think talking about salary has a negative connotation, but I’ve seen it start to change. Visibility helps everyone and holds companies accountable to fair pay!

Negotiating your worth is a learned skill and if new workers don’t get this from family members or school, they need support from colleagues.
SADNES5
Politicker
1
down voters are marketing spies
Rock on! I'm not shy with telling subordinates, colleagues or anyone what I make. I work hard... Hell I'm vacation and just closed a few thousand buckeroos, they understand it's based on how much I put in. 

I'm glad North Americans are catching on that it's good to share deets for equity. 
wHaTyAgOtCoOkInG
Catalyst
1
Solution Consultant
Why not? At the end of the day, we aren't asking how you spend it and what your kinks are. 
dave1
Politicker
0
SDR
Not to be shared. Especially knowing that in the company that I'm at it can terminate the contract. 
msp_sales
Opinionated
2
Full Cycle Sales
I don’t know how it is where you are, but I was under the impression that employees discussing their pay is a federally protected right. Canceling an employment contract because you shared information about your pay is wrongful termination and punishable by law. #I’mNotALawyer
The rules might be different if you’re not a W-2 employee though.
BANTer
Contributor
1
Head of Tech Sales
Interesting! Is there a reason why that is a terminable offence? (Outside of the obvious that underpaying orgs don’t want to pay more)
thesecretsauce
Politicker
0
Business Development
Transparency, we all broke
DatSaaS
Executive
0
Sales Executive
My company hammers home the fact that our salaries are confidential. Almost to the point where they make it seem like a fire able offense. Is this fair?
17
Members only

Top Salary sharing website?

Question
34
Would you use websites for salary references? I definitely try too
93% Yes
7% No
150 people voted
6

Advice Wanted - Negotiating Salary

Question
8
10

Customer Success Salaries - Advice Wanted for Friend!!

Question
11