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I believe that I have been excelling at work over the last several months since my annual evaluation in April and want to request a raise. In addition, my supervisor took a transition assignment to China in June and I have to work without daily direct supervision and attend meetings that he was/is supposed to attend at the central headquarters office. Also, his peer was on maternity leave for three months and I had to cover some of her regional responsibilities.

Also, my supervisor is an expert at these conversations due to technical knowledge and psychology.

How should I approach this conversation at my mid-year performance evaluation?

Projected responses by supervisor:
An Indefinite NO
Wait b/c there will be an additional responsibility added to you in the coming months that I cannot reveal now

Finally, I feel that I should get 10% but he may say 3-5%.

I need a confidence booster to go into this conversation.

TomW's picture
Training Badge

This is the second time today I've answered this question on this forum:

What value can you show that you've brought to the department? What reason does the company have to pay you more other than you want it? Does your company normally give raises mid-year?

US_Spaniard's picture

I add Operations and P&L experience to HR that is not and was not represented with current associates.

I have overly contributed in an absence of direct leadership and made myself 110% available, missing a major holiday and taking conference calls nightly and morning.

The company does not normally give raises at mid-year review.

TomW's picture
Training Badge

Don't exaggerate: There's only 100% that you can be available. You worked a weekend. Sometimes that's just what it takes to your work done.

So you work a lot. That's part of any management, IT, or corporate role. How does that add value to the organization? I'd rather see someone work 40 hours and meet or exceed all their expectations.

Do you have productivity increase figures? Do you have major successes that you are responsible for? What results have you generated? Think about accomplishments that you could list on a resume and focus on them.

You have experience in an area other than HR. Does the company put that to use? Or is that experience that is just sitting "on the shelf?" If you have experience in an area that's not part of your role, why would the company pay you for it?

HMac's picture

[quote="US_Spaniard"]I believe that I have been excelling at work over the last several months since my annual evaluation in April and want to request a raise.[/quote]

Whoa there - slow down.

You think you've earned a raise because you've "been excelling for several [i]months[/i]"????

Let me give you my reaction: this means that every time I ask you to expand your responsibilities, you're going to think you deserve a raise? That certainly disincents me to give you any additional responsibilities. Which means it's going to be harder for you to stand out, and to eventually get ahead. I'm going to start looking for your replacement, because I don't need the hassle of someone thinking they deserve more because they've done extra work for several months.

Sorry US-Spaniard that I'm not giving you a confidence-booster.
That's what might go through the boss' head when you ask for a raise.

-Hugh

AManagerTool's picture

I guess that US_Spaniard's question has been answered but now how about some step by step for those of us that have been excelling for YEARS. I got some pointers (but no step by step instructions) but I think we should all chime in on this one. Was there anything in the pod casts? I think that there was only ancillary points but no real step by step instructions.

[b]DOs:[/b]

1. Have documented metrics that matter to your boss on hand to justify your claims of excellence.
2. Know what your function's value is and understand the differences in salary for your function from industry to industry
3. Memorize your achievements per the interviewing series recommendations.
4. Ask for what you want.

[b]DON'Ts:[/b]

1. Make threats...ever
2. Justify your salary increase based upon someone else's
3. Be silly, your boss has to work within his budget and whatever salary guidelines the organization forces him to use.
4. Ask at the wrong times. Usual salary increase times are Mid year and end year. You therefore want to have asked sometime in Oct or May when your boss actually is preparing recommendations.
5. Overestimate your value to the organization. An outstanding production line supervisor is much easier to replace than an outstanding VP...no matter how much your HR organization tells you that every person is valued equally.
6. Use another job offer as leverage in a negotiation.

HMac's picture

Excellent summary, tool.

kklogic's picture

Tool,

Our company gives normal "raises" only once a year, but it can and will give "market adjustments" all year long. This can be because your role has expanded well beyond what it once was or if there is a realization that they short-ended you on the way in the door.

My approach was just to ask in my O3. I put "market adjustment" on my agenda and asked very simply, "how do I get one?" That set an entire promotion in motion. It may have been there all along, but I think it likely jump-started it.

US41's picture

I like kklogic's suggestion.

When one of my directs asks for a raise, here's how I respond: I want to see an executive presentation with slides showing numbers, trends, measurements, and improved performance. I want to see how different this is from last year.

If you did your job well, no raise. If you did more than your job, maybe. If you are doing my job, then your chances are good.

US_Spaniard's picture

The conversation with my supervisor was very positive. He indicated that while I continue on this same path, I will receive an Above Target evaluation (6% increase) in March 2009. There are still some grey areas if an associate departs, as projected, and the dividing of her responsibilities could entail a more immediate increase within the next three to four months.

In retrospect, I do not recommend asking often for a raise but do appreciate all of the feedback from those that responded to my note.

HMac's picture

Congratulations!

asteriskrntt1's picture

Nice work everyone. Tool, can I give you some feedback? I like the way you identified a gap and gave us an opportunity to make this thread extra-value added. Well done. (Takes the seventh chip from his right pocket and plunks it into the left pocket).

There was definitely a podcast (maybe one or two) on annual reviews and compensation. And I am pretty sure it is a premium content cast, so the slides and show notes are out there.

I don't recall all the nuts and bolts of it but there was something about differentiating between a raise and a bonus, along with rewarding top performers at the expense of bottom performers.

So if the manager has to make a case to the upper echelons to get this raise or bonus approved, I am guessing the strategy to go to your manager includes making sure you give him/her the ammunition they need to make a case. If I am not clear on this, let me try again.

You not only need to make a case to your boss, you need to give your boss material to make the case winnable when he or she goes to the various stakeholders.

This is much like pre-wiring a meeting. Find out what your boss needs to get agreement from upstairs and the stakeholders. Then work at making sure you build that briefing so that everyone is on board.

*RNTT