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How to negotiate
a better raise
Do you know anybody who works for the fun of it? Everyone I know works for
the money. Ideally, you like your work and have fun doing it. But, like my dad
always said, "You got to eat and you got to pay your bills."
But that doesn't mean you have to settle for less pay than you deserve. Here are
some tips based on a very positive experience I had a few years ago. (Your
mileage and actual pay may vary.)
Getting in the door
Here's what happened. I moved to a new city and got work right away through a
temporary services agency. My first assignment was doing Wang word processing
for a law firm. It was a great experience, but there wasn't a permanent position
available for me. So, when the assignment was over, I accepted a full-time
position elsewhere, where my duties included programming in Basic and dBASE II.
Later, at a computer fair, I ran into the law firm's business manager, and she
offered me a job as a programmer. There was a catch, though. Management wasn't
convinced the firm needed a full-time programmer. So I hired on with the plan to
do word processing three days a week and database programming two days a week.
That arrangement didn't last long. The programming projects quickly started
stacking up and I became a five-day-a-week programmer.
When the time came in December for company-wide annual performance reviews, I
was excited. I had blazed the technology trail throughout the company, earning a
reputation for providing quality solutions, and I was sure I'd be getting a nice
raise.
But no. I got the same "decent" little raise everyone else probably
got. I was disappointed, and I decided to do something about it.
Be calm, be polite, and bring your facts, Jack
The first thing I did was write a memo to the business manager. Basically, I
said, "I am writing in regard to my performance review. I appreciate the
positive review, and I love the work I'm doing for the firm. However, I was
disappointed in the amount of the pay increase. I was hoping the raise would
bring my salary in line with what programmers in comparable positions in other
companies are earning. I respectfully request that the compensation committee
take another look at my pay."
In other words, I was saying, "Hey, you hired me in at word processing pay
and now I'm a full-time programmer." I wasn't against paying dues and
putting in my time, but I didn't feel comfortable working for another year at a
salary well below what the market was paying.
The business manager called me in to talk about the memo, and she said she
appreciated the fact that I approached the topic so politely. (Maybe she
expected me to stomp and curse and pout?)
Then she asked me for facts to back up my assertion that programmers in
comparable positions were being paid more than I was making. With that, I looked
in the local paper and found two ads offering free computer salary surveys. When
I received them, I was able to show the business manager that there was a deep
chasm between my pay and the minimum pay for people doing comparable work. The
business manager took this information to the next compensation committee
meeting.
Let them show you the money
So, what was the outcome? I didn't get a raise right away. Instead, the
decision was made to give me a review at six months—in June of that year—in
addition to the next annual review in December.
I kept working hard, and in June I received a mid-year review and a nice raise.
When December came, I received another nice raise that put my pay a full 20
percent higher than it had been the year before, bringing my salary in line with
the industry standards at the time.
What should you do?
First, let me say that the most important negotiating you'll ever do is when
you hire on (and that will be the topic of another article). In general, don't
be afraid to ask for what you're worth. If you think the pay is too low, don't
take the job. Find an employer who will pay you the salary you want.
Once you're employed, however, the rules change. It's all about performance, and
you're responsible for making sure your manager knows what your contributions
are. Here are some tips for making sure your next review goes the way you want
it to:
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Do
a good job. Okay, this is a no-brainer. But you've got to do a good
job if you expect to get a good raise. If you're a slacker, you know it,
and so does everybody else. (If you're a hard worker, that's something
that may not be apparent to everyone else, including your manager.) |
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Review
your job description. Are you doing everything you're supposed to be
doing, according to your job description? More importantly, are you doing more
than what's listed in that job description? Some managers will deny your
raise by pulling out the job description and pointing to something you
haven't been doing. Don't get caught unaware. And if you're wearing two or
three different hats—covering for someone who's left the company or just
picking up extra work because you're so darned motivated—document that
work. Then say to your manager, "I've been doing all this extra work.
It needs to be added to my job description and I need to be compensated for
it." (By the way, if you don't have a job description, write one and
submit it to your boss.) |
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Document
your achievements. Create a document or a database in which you keep
track of your accomplishments, and update it every week or every month. Your
manager may be patting you on the back for what you're doing in August.
However, by the following February your boss may have forgotten your
summertime brilliance. The paperwork for your raise will have to go through
the mill long before your manager gets around to doing your review, so keep
a running log of your successes and give a copy to your manager at least
three months before the review comes up. And keep telling your manager how
well you're doing right up until the day of the review. |
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Remind
your boss about your review. Managers are busy people. If the human
resources department doesn't remind your manager that your review is due, it
might not come up on his or her radar. Start talking about your review three
months in advance. You don't have to be obnoxious about it. Just be positive
and show enthusiasm. It's better to be too confident than not confident
enough. |
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Share
positive customer comments. If you get an e-mail message from a
colleague or a customer who thinks you hung the moon and the stars, forward
that note to your manager. (If you get praise through snail mail, make a
copy.) I always attach a note that says, "Please put this in Jeff's
review folder." |
Toot your own horn
Don't be shy when it comes to talking about money. It's okay to expect to be
paid a fair wage for a job well done.
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