Don’t Eat the Apple: Avoiding the Salary Trap

Ever been tempted to peek at a coworker’s salary?

In this episode of The Way Back, Robby shares a story from his early career when an HR leak exposed everyone’s pay—and why he chose not to look. Discover how focusing on your own value, not others’ paychecks, leads to true contentment. #TheWayBackPodcast

[00:11] And today I want to speak about a meme I actually saw this morning that's gone viral. Even heard them talking about it on the radio.

[00:18] Basically, it's an old tweet where they posted that.

[00:24] HR lady's last day. Today.

[00:27] She left an Excel sheet with all the salaries on the printout tray legend.

[00:41] And it got me. It reminded me of something that happened to me when I was first starting my career in my early 20s. I was in corporate most of my life,

[00:53] leaving corporate at a director level.

[00:57] So I've experienced both ends of negotiating salaries for myself and speaking to people about their salaries and value. And we'll talk about that more a little later.

[01:22] HR had left the salary Excel sheet unlocked.

[01:26] And this news was spreading throughout the office like wildfire.

[01:38] Something just told me, don't look at it. And the more I started to question why I was not wanting to look at it,

[02:08] I know it's a little bit more complex than that, but if you boil it down,

[02:13] it boils down to your own worth, right?

[02:39] On the flip side,

[02:41] if I was getting paid more than everyone,

[03:09] So there was absolutely no benefit to looking at that and seeing the results of people. I saw people that were some of the best workers,

[03:17] happy, go lucky, always motivating everyone else in the office turned bitter,

[03:29] And you know, I kind of gathered they were the ones that were sitting on the high end of the salary,

[03:35] but it got me realizing that you have to focus on your own value,

[03:39] your own worth. And if you are getting that which will change, your worth will grow, your self worth will grow. As you grow in your career and as you add more value, you will value yourself more.

[04:24] don't have a wife,

[05:10] I'm reaching a stage in my life now where I need to buy my first home or I need to move out of home.

[05:21] this is how much I need, this is how much the place I'M looking for,

[05:33] And I found that discussing my own value,

[05:37] not comparing to anyone else's, not saying I work harder than that person, I work harder than that person,

[05:44] I work harder than what's required contractually.

[05:48] you're paying me from 8 till 5 or 9 till 5, whatever it is. But I'm working from 7 till 7 every night because I choose to. But also the company needs it and because it's adding value.

[06:13] My negotiation, as I got older,

[06:37] you know, much like it reminded me actually of the. The story of Adam and Eve,

[06:43] I'm not getting who's who, but they ate the apple of knowledge, right? Which is the same as opening up that Excel sheet.

[07:07] So was it really worth eating that apple where it added zero value to my life?

[07:21] think about a time at work where you've had to negotiate something different with a value or more time,