:::Business Success Coach offers advice on how to get paid what
you're worth:::
We've all done it - played that movie over and over in our
minds of our confident entry into the boss' office and asking
for - no, demanding - that elusive pay raise. However deserved,
however, reality often plays out far differently, with many
relegating themselves to their boss' budgetary discretion.
Yes, asking for a raise can be tricky as there are so many
factors that come into play: the business culture, company
policies regarding regular job assessments and wage reviews, and
the subjectivity of your boss. Asking for a raise can be more
than anxiety provoking...it can be downright depressing. So,
what are the throngs of underpaid, though deserving, employees
throughout corporate America to do? John McKee, a Certified
Business and Executive Coach and Author of 21 Ways Women in
Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot, who has received,
denied and granted literally thousands of pay raise requests
throughout his management career, offers these potentially
profitable insights:
For those employed in companies with policies regarding wage
reviews, the first thing is to find out how frequently those are
supposed to occur. In most large companies, it will be an annual
activity with the HR department providing supervisors with
guidelines for how to appraise individuals, and what type of
increases are appropriate based on how the employee is rated for
performance, attitude and potential growth on the job in the
future. If you are involved in this type of organization, you
should take advantage of the formality and regularity of the
wage/performance review annual event by preparing a
self-assessment of your own job performance. This self appraisal
should be honest - if you have areas that could be better, you
should exactly what, and how, you intend to improve, including
recommendations for any additional training that could enhance
your performance. It is also important you note any and all
accomplishments along with specific measurements and dates in
case the boss may overlook or forget about those highlights.
Many companies - particularly small or new ones - will not have
formalized policies regarding annual assessments and/or pay
raises. This can be both good and bad. It's great if the company
is led by someone who is enlightened and recognizes individual
contributions, and rewards or compensates employees accordingly.
However, those who are not lucky enough to have such intuitive
bosses and feel they are not making the kind of money they
should be should request a meeting with the boss to specifically
discuss performance and commensurate compensation.
It is important not to get over zealous and storm in to the
boss' office demanding a raise (as empowering as that fantasy
is), as doing so will put the boss in a defensive mode that is
not conducive to a positive discussion...outcome. Simply tell
the boss you would like to discuss the subject, and ask when it
would be convenience for him or her to do so. Then, prepare!
Before the meeting you should have a complete record of what and
how you've done since the last raise, wherever possible citing
specific metric results related thereto, with dates, to show
that your merit is not subjective, but rather based on
performance fact. While some may feel this next piece of advice
is counter productive, I do recommend that you offer to give
this self-assessment to your boss before the meeting so he or
she can understand your point of view and prepare accordingly.
By no means is this telling the enemy your strategy, rendering
your defeat inevitable. Rather, I believe that in any
negotiation - and this "is" a real negotiation for you - it is
best to lay out your cards in an honest and forthright manner.
If the boss wants to keep you happy and on staff, your
information will help him or her understand your value in
undeniable terms. If, on the other hand, the boss has no
intention of rewarding you in a manner that you feel is fair and
appropriate, he or she will always find a way to justify that
decision. So, providing the boss with your input prior to
meeting will only make it easier to find out the ultimate, final
outcome - and you can make an educated decision regarding your
future with that company, accordingly.
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