Any advice on asking for a raise

[rgf207]

A little background for you. I have been with my company for about 7 years and I am currently the Manager of my company's I.T. department. I supervise 4 full time employees. My salary isn't bad but it's not on par with what my position should make. Besides my duties I do a lot more in the company to support other departments. I help with Business development, recruiting, finance and a couple other departments which is way beyond the scope of my job. My direct boss is the CFO/CIO of the company.

I have felt that my salary was low for a while but recently I have wanted to do something about it. I have done a lot of market research and my salary is 25% below industry standard.

Also, my company is doing exceptionally well financially. We have a lot of new business and 2009 was our biggest year to date.

Can anyone give me some thoughts or advice?

 

[OceanAnnie]

I read a really good article a while ago about this. One of the points raised was to have a number of options to choose from, like ask for a specific raise, ask for a smaller raise + increasing benefits such as time off/and or a bonus. It gives the boss something to choose from without going directly to, "no".

I can't remember any of the other points. Sorry.

I hope it goes well for you!

 

[LukenDC]

No shame in asking for a raise and your boss should be receptive to having the conversation. Whether he/she says yes is another matter. I recommend that you share your market research with your boss to bolster your request. Be polite and express your enthusiasm for the job and your employer. If you plan to make a long-term commitment to your employer, then you should mention that too.

Some employers are reluctant to give raises because they can disrupt the internal equity of the organization. For example, they might think that if they give you a raise, then they need to give a raise to your colleagues who have similar tenure and skills/responsibilities. Increases, factoring in FICA taxes and pension contributions, can rapidly become expensive for an employer. Any smart employer, however, will also recognize the high cost of potentially losing a valuable employee.

 

[padams]

As a business owner, I advise you to present your research and ask for a raise directly but be prepared that in this economy, they may say no.

I also agree that you are more likely to get additional vacation time, a bonus (rather than a salary jump) or a new title, things that don't cost as much in the long term.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Does this company do a yearly review with a raise? Have you ever had a raise in 7yrs? If not, then I would think that you have a valid position.

Not sure how to go about it, however I am sure others will give you better advice. Good Luck!

 

[lovesmurfs]

A little background for you. I have been with my company for about 7 years and I am currently the Manager of my company's I.T. department. I supervise 4 full time employees. My salary isn't bad but it's not on par with what my position should make. Besides my duties I do a lot more in the company to support other departments. I help with Business development, recruiting, finance and a couple other departments which is way beyond the scope of my job. My direct boss is the CFO/CIO of the company.

I have felt that my salary was low for a while but recently I have wanted to do something about it. I have done a lot of market research and my salary is 25% below industry standard.

Also, my company is doing exceptionally well financially. We have a lot of new business and 2009 was our biggest year to date.

Can anyone give me some thoughts or advice?

I would focus on what value you've brought to the company, above and beyond "getting by" in your position. What you've mentioned above is really good, but I would be more specific with projects, etc. Bullet point a list. Emphasize how much you value the organization and your desire to see it continue to grow.

I agree that all organizations should have an annual review / salary review opportunity for all employees -- a time to bring out what went right, what can be worked on, for the year, and look to the year ahead.

Best wishes.

 

[rgf207]

Thanks for all your responses. To answer some questions. I have had raises in the 7 years I have been here but they have basically been cola increases with the exception of a 10% rais when I became the manager of the department. I have never asked for a raise.

In my last review, my boss the CFO/CIO said I was an asset to the company so I think this should help my case. I am prepared for them to say no. I also have no intentions of leaving the company if they do say no.

 

[wvjules]

Last year I had an increase in duties and responsibilities and felt I wasn't being compensated appropriately. The way our contract works I did not get a new salary nor did I get a promotion with the new responsibilities. Therefore I took it upon myself to write a letter outlining the increase in duties and respoinsibilities compared to when I first started this job and highlighted my value to the company. It took several months but it worked! This letter had to go through our Program Manager, our Corporate office, then finally approved by the DoD to modify the contract. My advice: put your request in writing. You can talk about how great you are until the cows come home but until it is in black and white it doesn't really hit home.

Good luck!

 

[OceanAnnie]

Thanks for all your responses. To answer some questions. I have had raises in the 7 years I have been here but they have basically been cola increases with the exception of a 10% rais when I became the manager of the department. I have never asked for a raise.

In my last review, my boss the CFO/CIO said I was an asset to the company so I think this should help my case. I am prepared for them to say no. I also have no intentions of leaving the company if they do say no.

Also, mention your great reviews before asking for a raise. Puts things in perspective.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I whined during my review time. They told me how fabulous I was, how much they valued me, etc., etc. Then they gave me my numbers and I went - . Such a big build up for such a little number. So I whined. Okay, maybe it wasn't a whine but it was an off the cuff remark about if I'm valued so much they certainly aren't showing it. Left the office assuming it was over and done with. 3 weeks later they called me in and gave me a raise. So sometimes it is good to whine. Go figure. It was the first time I had ever done it and I guess I was just tired of being told how fabulous I was but not getting anything to show for it. It worked!!!

So good luck OP. And if you can't get a raise, an extra week's vacation would be quite sweet!!!

 

[wvjules]

I whined during my review time. They told me how fabulous I was, how much they valued me, etc., etc. Then they gave me my numbers and I went - . Such a big build up for such a little number. So I whined. Okay, maybe it wasn't a whine but it was an off the cuff remark about if I'm valued so much they certainly aren't showing it. Left the office assuming it was over and done with. 3 weeks later they called me in and gave me a raise. So sometimes it is good to whine. Go figure. It was the first time I had ever done it and I guess I was just tired of being told how fabulous I was but not getting anything to show for it. It worked!!!

So good luck OP. And if you can't get a raise, an extra week's vacation would be quite sweet!!!

Advocating whining to get what you want? Horrible advice! Act like an adult and present yourself and your accomplishments in an adult manner.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Advocating whining to get what you want? Horrible advice! Act like an adult and present yourself and your accomplishments in an adult manner.

It was off the cuff and I did state that it wasn't technically whining, more like venting. Netted me a tremendous raise so I must have done something right.

 

[wvjules]

It was off the cuff and I did state that it wasn't technically whining, more like venting. Netted me a tremendous raise so I must have done something right.

I'm glad whining/venting got you a $10,000 raise however suggesting that whining is a good way to get a raise is a bad idea. Some employers might see whining and venting as a turn off as opposed to a reason to give a raise.

 

[barkley]

just as a suggestion-when you look to the 'industry standard' for your position take into consideration that it's a number that can be skewed by where the physical locations of the earners are. in some industries, much higher 'standard' salaries are paid if the employment location is in a high cost of living area, salaries can be different if that physical location is also in an area where the pool of qualified candidates is smaller and a higher salary is needed to attract potential employees.

you also need to make sure that you look to only the salary for your actual job description-just because you've willingly done things outside the scope of your job description does'nt mean an employer will compensate for this, and weather the m.q.'s for your current job are at the same or a higher level than the standard for the industry in a comparable job.


i suggest this b/c dh's former co-workers in the i.t. industry pushed for raises based on what they perceived as the 'industry standard' for their job title. they came in with all the information they had gathered, all their glowing reviews, listing all the things they did outside the scope of their job descriptions. it was listened to, and the organization actualy put money into hiring an independant firm to research the situation. the results of the independant firm's review was that the classification was actualy being overcompensated. the basis for this was that their m.q.'s were lower than the industry standard (and the majority did not have the education/certifications to work in a comperable position within the industry), that high cost of living areas which necessitated higher salaries to attract qualified candidates (vs. the much lower cost of area the organization site he worked at was located in) when considered greatly lowered the average salaries, and that no consideration could be given to any duties the employees took on that were outside their job description. the staff ended up not only getting no raises, but having their wages frozen (so no cola's) until the 'true' industry standard caught up with them (and it was documented in detail, and for several years we got annual reports that substantiated the continuing wage freeze).

the real downside was that both the cio and the cfo (2 different positions) were called on the carpet by the powers that be-cfo for not having looked at weather compensation was accurate for certain job classifications, and cio for having staff do non job description duties. it realy created a wedge between the cio and the staff-and some staff lost the extra job duties that they realy enjoyed and offered them the experiences that would enhance their resumes to further advance in the industry.

 

[Explodo]

I have had very good results when I quantify my impact to the company.

Improved Repsonse time to customer requests...Improved Customer Satisfaction rates...TAsks completed on time...Awards/Recognition events...Sucessful Process Improvement activites...Improved Quality Scores

You catch what I'm saying...If you can numericaly prove your activity, it makes the giving of a raise very easy.

 

[rgf207]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm going to take all of it along with my data and schedule a meeting with my boss to discuss my salary. I'll fill you in when I hear something.