A BYD employee earning an annual salary of 410.000 has revealed that the company has become stricter with performance assessments due to the severe salary inversion caused by the significantly higher starting salaries of recent graduates compared to earlier hires. As a result, the company has tightened evaluations to ensure that the top performers advance while underperformers are left behind.
People are naturally drawn to the new, and employers are no exception. If you don't believe it, just ask your recently hired colleagues, especially those fresh out of college. Ask them about their monthly salary and bonuses, and you’ll quickly realize how much pressure the company is putting on its older employees.
There's a reason the company discourages us from discussing salaries privately. They fear that once people realize the disparity, it will create resentment. Employees might demand a raise or consider leaving, and if salaries were fully transparent, the whole organization could fall into chaos.
One BYD employee earning an annual salary of 410.000 revealed that the company’s performance evaluations have become increasingly stringent. The reason? To address the growing pay gap between new and older employees. For example, the salaries of 2021 graduates haven't increased much, but by 2023. new hires were already earning several thousand more than their earlier counterparts.
The company has thus mandated that anyone who meets performance assessment criteria can get a raise or promotion. This not only boosts motivation but also helps to ease the dissatisfaction of long-time employees. New or old, everyone earns their keep based on merit, with more work translating to more pay.
In recent years, salary inversion has become quite common in the workplace, and I’ve seen it happen often around me, especially at large companies. After all, hiring standards at big firms have risen, and with higher educational requirements, salaries naturally follow suit.
Now, imagine a dedicated employee who has worked hard and excelled in their role learning that a newcomer, someone not even as qualified, is earning more. Their first reaction is likely frustration, thinking about all those years of late nights and hard work, only to be treated this way. Many people would consider quitting under such circumstances.
When I found out that a 25-year-old recent graduate from a top-tier university in my department was earning 5.000 yuan more than me, I wasn’t surprised. I understand the current market dynamics and workplace rules. Older employees like me have been around for a while, saddled with mortgages and easily managed, whereas the newcomers, with their prestigious degrees, are seen as deserving of their higher pay.
Instead of complaining that the company is mistreating its older employees, it’s better to reflect on oneself. Is it a lack of skills or poor relationships with management? Some friends working in government jobs are still pursuing certificates and studying for graduate degrees in their mid-thirties to advance their careers. Meanwhile, those of us in the private sector haven’t taken any steps to improve ourselves since we joined, focusing only on meeting work deadlines. Then, when we hit our thirties and are let go by the company, we find we have no competitive edge.
The workplace is a battlefield, and competition is ever-present. You either advance, or you fall behind. It’s not enough to focus solely on your work; you must also stay aware of the current job market and continuously reflect on your shortcomings.
Some people get complacent after landing a few big deals for the company, thinking they can negotiate with management, forgetting that they’re already in their forties. From the company’s perspective, they can be easily replaced by a younger newcomer. In the end, their salary negotiation fails, and they end up losing their job.
We employees must be self-aware, knowing our place and value. Negotiating for a raise is always risky, and if the talks break down, you might end up jobless. Leaving a job may feel satisfying in the short term, but once you can’t find another one, you’ll deeply regret it.
If a new colleague joins the company, especially a fresh graduate, resist the urge to pry into their salary. They might withhold the true figure, or worse, they might tell you, leaving you feeling even more frustrated.
Newcomers are entering the job market at an opportune time, but older employees can still climb the ladder through hard work. Don’t let someone else’s achievements overshadow your own potential. Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to who you were yesterday.
For middle-aged workers, quitting or changing jobs should not be taken lightly. Age discrimination in the workplace is real, and unless you have significant clients or exceptional skills, quitting could lead to long-term unemployment.
You’ll encounter many unfair things at work, and salary inversion is one of them. But as long as you maintain a calm mindset and follow the company’s performance assessment system, there’s no need to worry about not getting a raise. If you aren’t progressing, sometimes the fault lies within. Don’t underestimate the consequences of quitting lightly; in the end, it’s you who might suffer.
