How to approach year-end review discussions

[target2019]

I have another question for you guys - do you think there's a certain amount of time ("rule of thumb" type thing) that has to pass (I.E., don't ask for a raise until you've been there for at least 2 years) before you should ask for a raise?

If you're under payed and can put together a reasonable case for a raise, why wait? For an unwritten rule? You need to go in, present your raise request, and start a dialog. Always keep your eyes open for better positions so that you can bargain from a position of knowledge.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

I've been on both sides of this equation. A few thoughts:

1) I've had a completely non-linear salary growth curve because I consistently did things that were way out of the box, took big career risks, spoke for & drove big change. If your argument is that you're a junior widgeteer and you turn out 1.25x the quota of a junior widgeteer and therefore should be a senior widgeteer I think you're not on firm ground. Might be true but hard to not sound like a whiner. Find a way to get 2x out of all the widgeteers or take those widgets into a new market. Now you're talking about something big.

2) With only 18 months at the firm I wouldn't go anywhere near this conversation unless you're either holding a viable outside offer and want to stay or you're driving big change. Otherwise, suck it up for another year and be a team player. Right around Year 2, outside of performance cycle, plant the seed. If you're holding an outside offer for 25% more, approach the conversation as "I really want to stay here, but I need help closing this gap" and not "give me 25% more or I'm leaving." Remember that these are emotional conversations that shape your personal brand.

3) When it comes to having facts together, I'd make sure that the variations between you and others are large and not shades of gray. If someone who's been there longer than you is making 10% more, leave it alone. If its 25% or you're missing some major perk, go in but ensure you do it in a non-threatening and reasonable tone.

4) See it through your boss's lens -- timing is everything. If s/he is under withering fire about dept size, the company's cash position is tight, or frankly they're just not in a position to hear it right now, pick your shot. Remember that it's often your boss' boss who gets final say, particularly for senior positions. Widget-count is irrelevant if you're not managing visibility & politics properly. May not like it, but its just true. 10x true for senior jobs.

I once was in a position where I realized I had been had on what I was making for a big job that I relo'd for. I was essentially the only person building the dept for a new GM in a new business. As he started to fill in my peers, it became obvious that I was underpaid by 25% and more importantly others were deferred comp eligible while I was not. That said, I was carrying so much of the load, that if I brought up comp at that point it could only be perceived as a threat. I waited until the team formed and one day asked my boss to take a look at it. Initially he wasn't very receptive (in part because I came off as a bit whiny by comparing myself to someone more senior) but he did ask HR to look into it. Nothing happened for 3 months. Right before EOY I asked about the conversation and all he would say is "You don't need to worry about that."

At annual review time he surfaced with a 25% base pay raise, increased my bonus oppty by 10% and I was now eligible for deferred comp. I did some quiet checking with HR and he had moved me from a low-pay VP to perhaps the highest paid VP in the company. He had worked it for months to make it happen. Oh, and from that point on I was officially "his" guy.

Timing, patience, relationships and facts are everything.

 

[karen1972]

Just be sure to have your facts straight when you do your review. Numbers help and matter. As a manager, I"ve heard the "taking on more responsibility" line before and when looking at what they did and what I had expected of them, yes they took on more responsibility which then put them to exactly where they should have been all along...so just be sure your viewing yourself in the correct light compared to what you were hired to do.

I wouldn't push too hard the first go around, but I would make it clear that I'm interested in progressing my career and if there is advice or things I need to do to get to the next level, this would be the time to discuss it. What other projects or scope may I look into. At most companies I worked for only nominal pay increases were in order unless being promoted in which large jumps (15%+) were granted...and that usually took some planning at the yearly review to put together material so my boss could put me in for consideration the following year...ie facts, facts, facts.

Being a small company, its hard to tell if your boss has the ability to hand out pay adjustments/promotions or how they even handle that...though being there a year+ I'm surprised you haven't found a confident at work you could have asked about this. Every company works differently and every manager treats things differently, some people go off the "well if they don't ask for it, why would I give it mentality", some have their hands tied, some are motivated by "who covers my rear the best".. part of "getting ahead" is learning how the politics in your office works and then making sure to adjust your game accordingly. You don't have to be rude or aggressive, but you do have to understand what 'merits' promotions as yearly pay increases will not likely get you what you desire...since they really are just to keep up with inflation typically.