2.23.2003

Get a Raise Out of This!

If you can leave your job (obviously this is what we recommend, since it's the more lucrative strategy):
"Statistics show that the worker who stays with their current employer gets a 4.2 percent raise each year on the average. People who change jobs get an average 12.8 percent raise." Think of job jumping as a career strategy. If you know you cannot increase your compensation package or be promoted with your current employer, make the decision. Come to the realization that you must jump ship. The sooner you make this decision and act on it, the better it will be for your career. Staying at a job too long can cost you money in the long term. In addition, do not make the mistake of staying out of loyalty; companies will lay off the loyal employee as quickly as they will lay off the others. There are several columns in the articles section on the why's and how's of getting your next company to fund your raise.

If you can't leave your job:

• Ask for a raise. They cannot give it to you if you do not ask. Do not be embarrassed to ask. It is appropriate to bring this up in your annual review, or when your responsibilities have increased substantially.
• "Back up your request with hard proof." You should be making weekly or monthly status reports. Have copies of all these printed out for you to refer to during your review.
• "Become known in the company as the person who really gets things done."
• "Cut the company's expenses. Moreover, document it." Then bring this to your review.
• Do not tell your boss you are planning to leave in order to have your company match the salary. If you are crucial enough to keep, they will cough up, but resent you for it forever. Then they will dump you at their earliest convenience.
• "Eliminate a big problem in the company. Moreover, document it."
• Get a degree or an advanced degree. Many places will not promote you into management unless you have that sheepskin.
• "Get paid for performance as part of your salary." Risky, but a strategy that pays off well in sales-oriented positions.
• "Go to reviews armed with data on your projects, numbers on what you have produced, details on your work and ask for a raise then." Numbers are especially helpful. These should be numbers on how you reduced costs or increased sales. If you increased server uptime, fixed more tickets, improved efficiency elsewhere, including these numbers is a good idea too. If not convincing to your boss, it will look good on your resume anyhow!
• Good help is hard to find, but few people are indispensable. Be careful how you approach your boss so that it does not come off as an ultimatum. However, be prepared to find another job if they never budge on money.
• "If cash is hard to come by, talk about other compensation: extra vacation time, a better title or flexible work hours." Telecommuting, professional classes, certifications, tuition reimbursement, and having the company pay for your dues in professional associations are all methods of improving your compensation. Moreover, the classes, certifications, and professional societies do not look bad on your resume, either.
• "If you have already been shouldering a heavier load in hopes of getting a raise, highlight this point when negotiating." In addition, make sure you research and document what someone of that workload should be receiving in compensation.
• Increase the company's sales. Even if you are not on commission.
• Know your market worth; know what is reasonable. Go to several salary sites so you have an idea of what the range is. Document this if necessary; your boss may need to present this to their boss in order to justify the raise.
• Prove you are valuable.
• "Provide a list of major assignments that you have gotten good feedback on." This should all be in your weekly/monthly status reports or more formally summarized in your quarterly/yearly review document.
• "Provide hard copies of positive e-mails you have received from your supervisor, other employees or customers." Also, make copies of any certificates or tokens of appreciation you have gotten on the job.
• "Remind them that you are doing a bigger job now than when your salary was set." Hopefully you will be able to show how your job has expanded well beyond the original job description, and that these additional duties are of worth to the employer.
• Take on more responsibility. If your supervisor is uncomfortable with that, it should be a red flag.
• "Use a salary calculator to see how much people who share your job title and location are making." Maybe you are underpaid for what you do. Maybe you are right in the middle. Most human resources personnel are adept at placing you right in the middle of the range for what you should be making, allowing room for gradual raises over the years. They just never counted on Moore's Law and the need to challenge yourself.
• "When it comes to deciding who gets a raise, it's "deserve" that matters." On the one hand, you are not going to get one because you "need" one. You are only going to get a raise because your company thinks they "need" to give you one.