I don't want to leave but I want more dough!
February 20, 2008 2:06 PM
How (not) to ask for more money...
There are lots of approaches one might take in such situations and I suppose it would be good to know the history or the likely reaction of the manager concerned. If there is a long history of definitive "No" answers to such enqiries then it should be known that there is likely to be a battle on the horizon. Some employers resent their employees actually asking for more money, and there are arguments that good employers should recognise a salary gap before the employee needs to ask.
If a person asks for more money through an "all guns blazing" approach, including the unsubstantiated words "I deserve more", or compares themselves to what they heard from Mildred in the canteen say she was earning, then the likely outcome is no salary rise.
If a person approaches their line manager with a justification, with well-reasoned arguments and a potential attitude which allows for negotiation, there is a better chance of success. The person still might respond with a no answer, but the likelihood is that the manager will justify such an answer with good reasons. Often the frustration in such situations is not the fact that the employee is not getting a raise, but not finding out the reason why the raise did not go through.
Worth thinking about...
And it also alters the way in which you approach looking for another job, if that is the ultimate result of the salary discussion. It might be that a salary discussion provides insight into the market place. There are a few salary comparison sites out there which monitor salary trends within sectors and locations. It might be that the line manager benchmarks against such salary sites, or even against what other companies are paying (adverts on job boards spring to mind). They may then judge that, with the performance of the employee and the current market patterns, that person is being paid a fair and reasonable amount for the role in which they perform. It might be that the employee would need to move to another area where there is a shortage of their primary skill sets, in order to achieve the salary raise they are seeking. Or wait until their skills are more marketable. Not rocket science, I know.
Of course you could wait until salary review time, and list the exceptional performance areas.
And if anyone who works for / with me at Jobsite is reading this, ignore everything that I have just said! Just kidding obviously. No really...
Comments
This is a great subject! It's important to remember two things when you are going to approach you manager about this:
1 - What is the value of my role?
2 - What is my value as an individual?
If you ask yourself these questions you can start to form a case to justify (or not!) whether you are worthy of a raise.
If you find you can answer positively to question 2 then you are in a strong position. Perhaps you are worth more to the company than your role suggests? Are you employed in an Admin role but your experience and knowledge is worth more than your ability to perform your Admin tasks?
At the end of the day, as Joe has said, you have to prove your worth. Keep asking yourself the old "So what" and "Who cares" questions to make sure you build up a good case. Those are the questions your Manager will ask (himself probably) and if you have the answers ready then he'll have to at least consider reviewing your salary.
"Who cares if I leave?"
"So what if they go?"
"Why should they be paid more?"
"What's in it for the company ?"
Would be great to hear if anyone has any stories about this! Or top tips!
Grant
Grant Barbour - February 27, 2008 9:49 AM
Grant.
I don't know al the facts but I guess the first question that springs to mind is- When did you last have a pay rise? Then I would want to know if you have a personal development plan within your company which is an ideal oportunity to ask for more money assuming you have received a good review.
If you have not had a rise within the last 12 months and don't have a personal develpment plan then you have to ask the question:- Does your company value you?
It would be fascinating to see their reaction if you received another job offer and submitted your resignation. If they offered you more money to stay, then it's up to you whether or not you accepted it. Personally I wouldn't.
Just ask and see what happens.
If they say 'No', then move on.
Peter
Peter - March 4, 2008 12:47 PM
On numerous occasions in the past i have found this link very useful as a guide for salary pricing nationwide.
http://www.robertwalters.com/global_salarysurvey.do
Steve
Steve - March 13, 2008 10:37 AM
I had this conversation with my boss last week. My approach was to sit down with him and discuss all the extra duties and responsibilities I'd taken on over the past six months, discuss the positive feedback I'd had from clients, and look at what I was achieving in comparison to the expectation at my level.
The result was a pay rise now and another review in 6 months to assess my performance at that time too.
Rebecca - March 13, 2008 3:17 PM