How do you ask for a raise?
 

I have my performance review talk with my boss in a few hours. I just read the review on our Intranet and my numeric score doesn't make a strong case for a raise (though my boss's comments do).....and that was all done before my horrible December numbers came out last Friday. Our scoring is very tough and you have to be a rock star to get anything above "meets expectations." I got a "meets expectations" once when I was at 103% of goal and I protested that above 100% was, by definition "exceeds expectations." Boss agreed to change it, but later said it was too late. I have never gotten a raise at this company in the four years I've been there, yet I've improved on every metric year after year. I'm not prepared to walk, so I can't demand a raise. How to tread here?

Timely thread Rick.... I'm in a similar boat

tell him he owes you 3%, from last time.

good luck! i have no advice.

103% would not be enough to warrant anything more than the standard increase regardless of whether or not it met the definition of exceeds expectations.

Meaning if you worked for me at 100% you'd be getting an increase. Somewhere around 5-6% of current base. 103% would be the same.

Be prepared, list your accomplishments for the year and how they met or exceeded your objectives. Show how your accomplishments contributed to the company or department goals and how much they resulted in earnings/savings/cost avoidance/etc. You've got to show the bottom line value add of your work. That's my .02.

I don't want to start the call off on a bad note, but I am below my revenue goal by exactly the amount of money I was forced to give away. Our company, in a PR stunt, comp'ed work on the Haitian and Chilean earthquakes. They didn't adjust our goals and we were still held responsible for that revenue which they either billed and later credited or just didn't bother to bill. And one other huge account I inherited had left us six mos. prior to it becoming mine, but the previous account manage hid the loss, so I got stuck with the goal AND the loss. My boss knows about this, but tells me to stop whining and deal with it. In fairness, at the time he completed my review, I was on track to finish at 100% of goal. But I had a terrible December. Had I gotten that revenue or reduced goal from what I had to give away, I'd have been far enough ahead to have a bad December and still finish the year at 100% of goal.

Yes, but there is no standard increase. Never gotten a raise here. I don't want a raise in base. I want a raise in commission cut or a cut in goal.

Sounds like your company carefully orchestrates things to deliberately achieve the goal of avoiding raises.

This is a tough economic environment in which to grant raises.

Last week he told our team that, if 80% of the sales force make their goals, then the goals were set too low. Ok. But what are they going to say next year when the goals are raised and 80% don't meet them? Too low? I doubt it. Things are set up here such that very few sales people have two consecutive good years.

I've done this in the past a few times:

Let them know that you have a better job offer with more pay from a competitor. That usually works getting a raise but it's no guaranty.

BTW, don't ever try that unless you really do have a better job offer ;)

It sounds like your company has raises down to quantifiable expectations. Either you meet the numbers or you dont.

You can always try, “Minimum wage, inflation, gas, etc... is all increasing, but my pay stays the same, so it’s like I am getting a pay cut.” But good luck with that one.

Zero froze my pay for 2 years. But at least I still have a job. For now…

I would start shopping around for another job. Sounds like they are content to give you unrealistic goals and then penalize you for it. Its a scam but in these times employers know they can get away with it if you don't have other options. Not a great way for a company to treat people they value (or plan on keeping for the long term).
As far as how to ask goes: always negotiate from a position of strength. Build a case and print it out. Show facts and figures that are favorable. If it isn't going to happen this time then, every time you are asked to do extra or you get a compliment remind them that you expect this to be reflected with your next review and make a log.

You approach it one way.

YOU ASK.

Is he going to fire you for asking? Doubt it. If he says yes great. If he says no you are right where you started.

You could make a case for a raise to accompany asking. I have been here X years. my numbers are acceptable, I'm on time, blah, blah, blah!

You will get a yes or a no.

Ok, just got off the hour-long call with boss. Didn't ask yet because the comp plan for 2011 is still being worked out and there will be changes with some increased incentives. I didn't want a raise in base salary anyway and it looks like the incentives I would have asked for might be coming automatically. And my boss wouldn't be able to approve anything yet unless I really was threatening to walk. I've done that with him before at our previous company and it got me a near 50% raise on the spot retroactive to the first of that month. But then I really did have a better offer in hand and was ready to walk. I'm not in that position today. I get the feeling we'll have incentives for 2011 that end up paying more for selling certain products and services than being at or above 100% of overall revenue goal would pay anyway.

Very timely thread...

We just got our plan for this year last Friday. I am still scratching my head. They are usually super fair and give us a great opportunity to succeed.

This years is a 180. Literally double last years number with no new product innovations, products, marketing, or service or support.

where's my resume......

How do you call BS let alone raise?

I have three job offers right now, with the smallest one offering me a 80% pay raise. Yes it would entail more work and flying out of my home area but jeez this is a hard one.

Have a meeting with the boss later on this week to discuss things. I do not want to leave, but on the other hand do not want to screw myself either...

If your good you don't have to ask.

Joeaksa

Thats difficult to walk away from. Traveling can be brutal on not just you but the whole family.

That's true, but only if they think you might be looking to leave.

The way to approach it is to ask for a "salary review". On in your case a "commission/goals" review. Define up front that is what the meeting request will be about, so you don't get shuffled off because not all the information is available, etc. BTDT.

Approach the situation in a positive manner and always frame it in "what can I/we do to renegotiate these goals, etc."

I don't envy you....PPOT is littered with the troubles you've had handed down to you from this employer. Dog only knows why you stay.

Because better gigs than this one aren't growing on trees in this economy. Seriously, I work from home, get paid ok, ride my motorcycle everywhere for meetings, make my own schedule and see my boss twice a year. I've had worse jobs. My boss told me today that the key to success in this company is "to play the game." He's a lot better at it than I am, but he's right.

I've never asked for a raise in my career. In my opinion, if I have to ask, it means the company doesn't recognize my value and I need to find a new employer.

I'm preparing to ask for a raise, mostly because another place has offered me a $3/hr raise....

We do annual salary adjustments here, too - until the big guy gave the feds zero for 2 years and our Nobel laureate Chu helped share their pain our direction. I guess we're honored to help?

We base adjustments off of a running three year mean ranking. (naively assuming a fair world) I just go with "OK, I'm 53rd of 175 R&D engineers. Why aren't I 52nd? What's the path forward for my advancement?" Underling career development is critical to my boss' own ranking, so he's motivated to help me.

Annual review times suck. I don't envy my group leader, but I'm not giving up anything either...

Never hurts to ask, what's my chance at getting a raise this year? or what do I need to do to increase my compensation.

better than the bluff - I have a new offer - you going to match? That never works out if you stay (around 70% either end up leaving in two years - or are perceived as not committed to company goals if you stay)

Not true at all. If you don't ask, the boss may assume you are content where you are.

The "I've got an offer for more elsewhere," has resulted in dismissal EVERY time here. No one is irreplaceable. "The national average is 15% more than you pay" never got anyone anywhere either. If you are so interested in what you can get paid elsewhere, quit and go there. I don't want to hear it.

Or the boss may assume that you are afraid to ask and that he has you by the short hairs so he will continue to abuse you until you stand up for yourself.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease. Bring up the subject of a raise several times a year, not just during raise times. Bring it up in one-on-one situation so the boss knows you are asking for it and expecting him to pull for you. It needs to be balanced - certainly don't overdo it and do it in a non-pressure manner. I.e. the boss is real happy that you pulled his neck out of a sling in a back against the wall situation - when he thanks you, it is a good time to say "that's okay, just remember during compensation review week".

And on a final note, maybe it is different in your business, but the base salary is what you have to go after. This is what can't be easily changed (new boss, new ownership etc.) and it compounds future raises, bonuses that are paid in percent of annual salary etc.

Just my two cents (I need to raise them to 3)

G

i think nowadays, the only way anyone gets a raise is jumping on a live hand grenade or taking an RPG to the chest and shielding the boss! and even then its a CRAP SHOOT!


dont snivil rickster..............i've gone 2.5 YEARS w/out a raise! and because of that...............



you can call me "ODDJOB UNO the "SNAIL." "wez moving as fast as we can boss!" "please dont beat dis tired ol body no more!"


i didnt even get a xmas bonus, or a verbal merry xmas this year!

Yeah, it's a terrible job market, which makes employers happy because they can get a lot of cheap labor.

One thing I know does not work: DO NOT say that you have a job elsewhere unless you actually do. Even if you do have the other offer, be 100% ready to go take the other job -- I have never heard of a boss responding to that with a desperate "Oh, no, I'll pay 10% more than they will, please don't go!!!"

I've heard a number of stories of guys just walking in and saying they weren't happy, as in, "Look boss, I like working here, and it's a good gig, but I'd really like a small raise. I've added value in area A, B, and C, and I'm taking a lot of new responsibility in these other three areas." Be prepared for rejection, but at least you're not making an ultimatum.

I've known a number of guys who have gone in saying "I'm indispensable, so pay me more or I'm leaving." Remarkably, one of those actually got a pay raise that way, several times. But then, he was the only one who knew anything about the system on which he worked, and management was dumb enough not to hire someone to replace his arrogant (and mediocre) a$$.

I've also known a number of guys who left their jobs for a pay raise. That's a serious thing. If you work from home, get to ride your motorcycle to jobs, and have a lot of autonomy, maybe it isn't a bad job. Maybe you'd get paid more somewhere else, but ... maybe you'd have a 2 hour commute, have to wear a suit and tie, and sit in a windowless cubicle. I left my last job for a lot of good reasons -- mostly for professional growth -- and the pay raise only confirmed my decision to move on. I got the growth -- I'm definitely doing bigger and better things for smarter people now -- but the pay raise wasn't life changing. Just sayin': think it through, that's all.

Best of luck, let us know how it comes out for you.

Dan

it sounds like you are in sales. when a rep approached me in the past saying they wanted a raise, i would respond with "sell more". However, most corporate sales management keeps raising their quotas every year to make the same W2. In IT sales (my career), it's pretty common that by year 3 or 4, you have to sell twice as much as year 1 to make the same W2. It's a never ending treadmill. I went 100% commission in my last gig. I know exactly how much of ever deal I will pocket and it will be the same every year. It takes balls to go 100% leveraged, but the payoffs are better.

Remember that your manager usually sits in a performance review meeting when you are graded against all your peers, including those in other departments. The goal is to get the manager to pull for you and to put you in the top category. This means he will have to stick his neck out for you and explain why you are better than all the other guys. If they know you expect a (justified) raise, they will do better at this than if they haven't heard from you all year regarding your expectations on compensation.

G

Unless you can go in and list out some real reasons you should be paid more you need to rethink. Go superstar or go elsewhere.

Find another job where your income and effective effort are linked in a more positive way.