A tip on asking for the title you deserve

My wife went through this not too long ago. All of the incentives and responsibilities were at a level higher than her job title. HR manager would always fall back on "We pay you well. Why do you need a title change unless you are intending to leave?"

Her response was that, internally, she does not get the respect and trust from her colleagues (specifically those that are not in her direct group) that should come along with the better title, and it makes it more difficult to get things done. Externally, people are receiving communications from a more junior employee than a relationship as important as their's calls for, and it could hurt the business.

She's not looking to leave, and everything she said was true. She got the better title in the next round of promotions.

I guess the tip is to look for non-pay related reasons for a better title and highlight those to the people making the decision. Best to be proactive on stuff like this so when it does come time to look elsewhere, all of the pieces are in place.

Good Luck!