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by my_username_is_ 2193 days ago
I've only ever had it referred to as an annual merit increase, but it's definitely more aligned with the national cost of living.

Regardless of what it's called though, the question remains. Why does your value to other companies increase faster than your value to your own company? Presumably you're learning more about your company's business and your specific domain problems, which should make you more valuable to your company than it would to others. Is that assumption not valid?

1 comments

> Why does your value to other companies increase faster than your value to your own company?

I think there's a lot that goes into this, which also shows how complex the topic is.

- There's your actual value and your perceived value

- When you're there and filling a niche, there may not really be a lack for a specific skill set which (might exist if you left) which there might be at the other company.

- Companies aren't always good and managing their desire to pay the least amount possible to retain an employee (natural, to keep costs down) with the employees willingness to leave, if they even have any inkling of the latter.

- An employees willingness to leave can have many inputs, some of them nothing to do with work, so it's hard to judge (e.g. lack of ability to work from home some days can go from a small annoyance to a reason to look for alternate employment depending on what else is going on in their life).

etc.

As to whether your skill should always be increased to the company you're at, I think that's generally true, but may not be in the specific instance. People get complacent, and sometimes the work environment can cause a excellent employee to perform in a mediocre manner, and vice versa.