CPW: which is more important, salary or job title?

Km380

Ok here is my dilemma. My job is doing a slight restructure of job titles. Myself and 1 person on my team have been stuck in a limbo due to a management timeline. Brace yourself for boring corporate explanation: Basically we should be promoted to Underwriter Specialist from Underwriter. But mgmt just decided last month that there will now be underwriter 1, underwriter 2, then underwriter specialist. Now we are given the decision of which job title. Here is the catch: first, other people our level already got specialist. Second: no matter what my salary increase next month is the same. But if I choose the lower title now, in another year I will actually make more money when I am promoted to specialist then if I take the higher title now.
So ladies, which is more important: money or title perception?
(This was a very long question sorry!)

CallaLily30

Job Titles don't pay the bills!

MrsKush1014

I would say that if you are looking to leave your current company any time in the near future then job title counts more, makes it look better on your resume, but if you're planning on staying with your company money is better. Like @CallaLily30‌ said, job titles don't pay bills!

Km380

@MrsKush1014‌ I don't have plans to leave in the next year or 2 bc I have amazing flexibility and my boss is very understanding of all the non career things I deal with (yes I know ttc should not be a factor but insurance and flexibility is for me. Sad but true)

MrsKush1014

Km380 said:

@MrsKush1014‌ I don't have plans to leave in the next year or 2 bc I have amazing flexibility and my boss is very understanding of all the non career things I deal with (yes I know ttc should not be a factor but insurance and flexibility is for me. Sad but true)

I completely understand. My job is the same - very flexible (yet very busy and stressful at the moment) and the benefits are the main kicker. I can't leave these benefits behind.

MrsG80inTN

I've actually done this before... I've taken two demotions when I previously (on purpose) and they've both worked out great because I got 10% pay bumps when I went back up to the next level :-) As long as they don't decrease your current pay, the salary is what matters...

littlecookie

I got a title cut, but a pay increase when I changed companies 2 years ago. I wasn't crazy about the title, but the job sounded perfect and I was excited about the company. It was a good decision.

sunflwra

I'm in HR and specifically do a lot of recruiting, so I first of all have to say that giving this choice to an employee is a ridiculous plan. If they are putting the levels of job title in to place then they should be doing that with mindset that each level of the job has a certain increasing level of responsibility and/or experience required and each employee should be slotted accordingly.

That being said, titles can be very subjective from company to company and another company may have no clue what the difference between the two is, so I wouldn't be worried about how it may carry over somewhere else. While it may be difficult to choose the lower title based on the perception you may feel within the company, I definitely think taking the lower title now with better upside in the future is the way to go. Good luck!

Km380

sunflwra said:

I'm in HR and specifically do a lot of recruiting, so I first of all have to say that giving this choice to an employee is a ridiculous plan. If they are putting the levels of job title in to place then they should be doing that with mindset that each level of the job has a certain increasing level of responsibility and/or experience required and each employee should be slotted accordingly.

That being said, titles can be very subjective from company to company and another company may have no clue what the difference between the two is, so I wouldn't be worried about how it may carry over somewhere else. While it may be difficult to choose the lower title based on the perception you may feel within the company, I definitely think taking the lower title now with better upside in the future is the way to go. Good luck!

This whole situation is bs. I've been talking to my boss for like 3 wks about this. It's so frustrating. Thank you for the input from an hr perspective.

Thanks everyone else for your input. And for reading my long question! Mh and I discussed it at dinner and we're in agreement - take the money and the lower title.

alm288

I'll be taking on a new role on a project in sept/oct. Technically I need promoted to do the job. I'm in the middle of interviews now. I want the raise for the job I'll be doing. The title would be nice too, but the raise is a must for me. Good luck!