Have you ever asked for a pay rise?
Discussion
So a bit of up-to-date research into my industry salaries / packages etc.. has alerted me to the fact I'm earning less than I should be for someone with my experience & my terms are not as favorable as many of our competitors.
Just wanting to hear from anyone who has had similar conversations to see how they approached it. I feel like I can already hear the response & the excuses as to why it can't happen & ultimately, I'm prepared to look elsewhere but I like the team that I lead & I am enjoying stability, just not feeling particularly valued at present.
Just wanting to hear from anyone who has had similar conversations to see how they approached it. I feel like I can already hear the response & the excuses as to why it can't happen & ultimately, I'm prepared to look elsewhere but I like the team that I lead & I am enjoying stability, just not feeling particularly valued at present.
Does the company have problems recruiting? And is it suspected this is due to low salaries?
If the answers to the above are both “no”, then the chances of getting more money are slim.
Some organisations have rigid bands for the work, and if you say, “I am worth this much on the open market”, all they will say is “Bye”. If they do have this approach, you are best out of there anyway.
I’ve tried it in the past, and the offers I received to stay have been derisory, never more than 10%. Even when I left for pay increases of over 30%. The remainder of the team has found out what my increase was and left as well…
If the answers to the above are both “no”, then the chances of getting more money are slim.
Some organisations have rigid bands for the work, and if you say, “I am worth this much on the open market”, all they will say is “Bye”. If they do have this approach, you are best out of there anyway.
I’ve tried it in the past, and the offers I received to stay have been derisory, never more than 10%. Even when I left for pay increases of over 30%. The remainder of the team has found out what my increase was and left as well…
Yup, laid it all out, convincing case. Got a one-off bonus instead, and a promise of a review at the next round. Review never happened, of course. I was bought off, basically, without upsetting their salary budget.
Ask, but be prepared to move on when you're left feeling worse than before you asked.
Ask, but be prepared to move on when you're left feeling worse than before you asked.
Strangely enough I did this last week.
Approached my boss during a standard 1-2-1 and put a single slide up on the screen.
Outlined the request - even gave a number that I was looking for.
Then some reasoning.
Benchmarking against peers - if available.
External benchmarking - ie job you could apply for or have been approached for by recruiters
What your company is advertising externally at - this was a kicker for me.
I didn't make it into a blackmail piece around if you don't give me this i'm leaving but that it was always an option. Outlined that I enjoyed my job but that didn't mean I could be taken for granted.
Also made a big point about this not being a 'cost of living' thing - as everyone's going through that.
To be fair she reacted pretty well, shes taken it away and the last update I got was that she's got to do some work to support the request...
I'll update one way or the other!
Approached my boss during a standard 1-2-1 and put a single slide up on the screen.
Outlined the request - even gave a number that I was looking for.
Then some reasoning.
Benchmarking against peers - if available.
External benchmarking - ie job you could apply for or have been approached for by recruiters
What your company is advertising externally at - this was a kicker for me.
I didn't make it into a blackmail piece around if you don't give me this i'm leaving but that it was always an option. Outlined that I enjoyed my job but that didn't mean I could be taken for granted.
Also made a big point about this not being a 'cost of living' thing - as everyone's going through that.
To be fair she reacted pretty well, shes taken it away and the last update I got was that she's got to do some work to support the request...
I'll update one way or the other!
Yeah, I actually get a decent pay rise and bonus every year, my manager is pretty good as well.
This year I told them that with my experience and time I've been there and increased responsibilities I just feel like I still don't get paid enough at a performance meeting.
Manager said she'll look into it, I didn't get my hopes up.
After some investigation from HR they seemed to agree and an additional rise has gone for sign off now.
I remember years ago when I was in a different role the whole teamed kicked off as they thought we weren't paid enough as similar roles in the market after someone was looking at competitor job roles and pay.
HR actually went out and did a review of similar roles from different companies and decided to raise the pay in line with them, it was about £3k difference.
Like everything if you don't ask you don't get, worst they will say is no.
This year I told them that with my experience and time I've been there and increased responsibilities I just feel like I still don't get paid enough at a performance meeting.
Manager said she'll look into it, I didn't get my hopes up.
After some investigation from HR they seemed to agree and an additional rise has gone for sign off now.
I remember years ago when I was in a different role the whole teamed kicked off as they thought we weren't paid enough as similar roles in the market after someone was looking at competitor job roles and pay.
HR actually went out and did a review of similar roles from different companies and decided to raise the pay in line with them, it was about £3k difference.
Like everything if you don't ask you don't get, worst they will say is no.
Some insightful responses there.
One other thing to consider is whether what you provide is scarce. If so, you have the upper hand. If not, then the opposite is obviously the case.
If what you provide is indeed scarce, then an employer has to weigh up the wage inflation that this incurs or the risk of losing you and potentially not finding a replacement.
How scarce are your skills?
One other thing to consider is whether what you provide is scarce. If so, you have the upper hand. If not, then the opposite is obviously the case.
If what you provide is indeed scarce, then an employer has to weigh up the wage inflation that this incurs or the risk of losing you and potentially not finding a replacement.
How scarce are your skills?
Twice. Once very early on in my career, infact it was my first career job.
On both occasions I simply discussed my responsibilities, what I brought to the table and similar roles etc. At no point did I ever make it about leaving if I didn't get what I wanted.
The first time I did it I got a token amount. I leftr within 3 months for a 60% pay rise.
The last time I got a decent review.
On both occasions I simply discussed my responsibilities, what I brought to the table and similar roles etc. At no point did I ever make it about leaving if I didn't get what I wanted.
The first time I did it I got a token amount. I leftr within 3 months for a 60% pay rise.
The last time I got a decent review.
I think everyone should ask for a pay rise. Sibling had been in a job for 8 years and had never had a massive pay rise, few bonus of less than £100 but honestly for the hours and workload she was doing, literally about £10k less than similar roles. Two employees and one boss left after furlough ended and they were doing those three additional jobs for the same money for about 6 months.
She and another employee ask for their wages to be looked at. The company then paid an outside firm about £5k to tell them what they were paying was too low. So that did the company do, they tried to change her job title and incorporate all the other three previous employees workload into the new title for an extra £200 a year.
I don't think she'll be hanging around there much longer.
She and another employee ask for their wages to be looked at. The company then paid an outside firm about £5k to tell them what they were paying was too low. So that did the company do, they tried to change her job title and incorporate all the other three previous employees workload into the new title for an extra £200 a year.
I don't think she'll be hanging around there much longer.
In my 35 year career as an Engineer, I've come to the conclusion, that you only get a few chances of a decent pay rise, and that's when you've been offered a job. Or just after half the team have just left for more pay.
Also consider this.
Work is a 2 way exploitation.
You go to work for 2 things
You need the money.
You want more money in future.
The first you'd rather do as little as possible, for the most money and the least stress.
The second, you want the training and experience to go on your CV so that you can walk into a higher paid job and be able to do it without too much stress. So if you are not getting that additional.training and experience, you arent achieving that side. You aren't going to get the money you want in the future either.
Balance that against the company you work for. Who want to pay as little as they can for the most work they can get you to do. If the market changes, they will struggle to recruit and struggle to retain people, unless they offer enough money and a vision of more.
If both parties are happy then the exploitation is fine. When it's not, people start leaving.
That said some people are happy with what they've got. The hours suit them, the work isn't hard, they don't have to commute far. So they exploit that instead..
I remember a boss in the 1990s. I'd worked my arse off, mortgage rates were stupid, we were trying to have kids, and I deserved and needed a pay rise. My boss just sat back and told me, they paid market rates. The problem was the niche that I was involved in was so specialised you couldn't easily transfer it to another company. Eventually I left for a 20% pay rise, but it came at a cost in terms of stress and unpaid overtime.
Roll on 30 plus years, I've just taken a permie job after 12 years contracting, and they met my salary needs somhow and I recently found out that the previous person in my job was earning half what I negotiated. Nobody apart from my boss, HR and an account clerk know what I earn. Don't want it getting out as there would be a massive resentment, but I don't trust that it won't.
What I have found out is that lots of people are looking to leave and it's not just the money. But if they were seeing career progression for thier efforts, they'd probably stay in the hope of more tomorrow.
If a couple left they'd be in the s
t.
To the OPs question.
Sell.yourself. Justify why they need to pay you more. Data and facts.
Also consider this.
Work is a 2 way exploitation.
You go to work for 2 things
You need the money.
You want more money in future.
The first you'd rather do as little as possible, for the most money and the least stress.
The second, you want the training and experience to go on your CV so that you can walk into a higher paid job and be able to do it without too much stress. So if you are not getting that additional.training and experience, you arent achieving that side. You aren't going to get the money you want in the future either.
Balance that against the company you work for. Who want to pay as little as they can for the most work they can get you to do. If the market changes, they will struggle to recruit and struggle to retain people, unless they offer enough money and a vision of more.
If both parties are happy then the exploitation is fine. When it's not, people start leaving.
That said some people are happy with what they've got. The hours suit them, the work isn't hard, they don't have to commute far. So they exploit that instead..
I remember a boss in the 1990s. I'd worked my arse off, mortgage rates were stupid, we were trying to have kids, and I deserved and needed a pay rise. My boss just sat back and told me, they paid market rates. The problem was the niche that I was involved in was so specialised you couldn't easily transfer it to another company. Eventually I left for a 20% pay rise, but it came at a cost in terms of stress and unpaid overtime.
Roll on 30 plus years, I've just taken a permie job after 12 years contracting, and they met my salary needs somhow and I recently found out that the previous person in my job was earning half what I negotiated. Nobody apart from my boss, HR and an account clerk know what I earn. Don't want it getting out as there would be a massive resentment, but I don't trust that it won't.
What I have found out is that lots of people are looking to leave and it's not just the money. But if they were seeing career progression for thier efforts, they'd probably stay in the hope of more tomorrow.
If a couple left they'd be in the s
t. To the OPs question.
Sell.yourself. Justify why they need to pay you more. Data and facts.
A lot will depend on the type/size of company.
Here do all the asking you want, it will not cut much ice. The individual manager has no real power to do anything about it outside of the annual cycle. Once you go outside the annual cycle it will go right up the food chain & only very very exceptional cases will not be met with a "No" at some point.
It's a large multinational, and generally these companies have a lot more rigid structure than a smaller company in your local town.
If you don't ask you don't get, and timing is everything.
Here do all the asking you want, it will not cut much ice. The individual manager has no real power to do anything about it outside of the annual cycle. Once you go outside the annual cycle it will go right up the food chain & only very very exceptional cases will not be met with a "No" at some point.
It's a large multinational, and generally these companies have a lot more rigid structure than a smaller company in your local town.
If you don't ask you don't get, and timing is everything.
Yes, I’ve done it 3 or 4 times now.
The first time, I was a low paid engineer, they had agreed my pay would go up from £18k to £22 over 2 years, however, I looked online and they where recruiting for new staff at 26k, I asked for this and was told the company couldn’t afford it. I explained I’m doing the same work as everyone else so why should I be paid less? I got a job elsewhere paying 28k and when i gave in my notice they asked me to stay for 28k. Which I did as the company had slightly better terms.
I then did it when I came to my current company, I had done a few projects that other people wluldnt take on, I went to my manager about this and told them I wanted more or I wouldn’t be taking on this responsibility. It took some back and forth but I did get a increase in the end.
Last time it doesn’t really count but I moved from a engineer to a supervisor which a higher salary. My old manager approached me saying he wanted me to come back as a engineer, I wasn’t really liking the supervisor role so I proposed that it I came back it would be on the supervisors pay, which they actually agreed too. So I took it.
When you do this go in backed up with evidence of why you deserve it, what you’ve done, don’t slag off other people to better yourself, ask for more than you want ( if you want £36 ask for £38 they always knock you down) and if they won’t budge be prepared to work, there’s so many jobs out there now that you shouldn’t struggle.
I purposely picked my company because of the 30 days annual leave, decent van with no trackers and all tools provided over another company who was 20 days holiday, tracker but where paying £2k more at the time I moved there. Perks are important.
I’m also lucky that we get a yearly mandated pay review and Each year I’ve had a payrise off the back of this, plus we are unionised and get a normally 3/4% rise each year which keeps up with inflation normally ( the Union is still arguing for this years)
The first time, I was a low paid engineer, they had agreed my pay would go up from £18k to £22 over 2 years, however, I looked online and they where recruiting for new staff at 26k, I asked for this and was told the company couldn’t afford it. I explained I’m doing the same work as everyone else so why should I be paid less? I got a job elsewhere paying 28k and when i gave in my notice they asked me to stay for 28k. Which I did as the company had slightly better terms.
I then did it when I came to my current company, I had done a few projects that other people wluldnt take on, I went to my manager about this and told them I wanted more or I wouldn’t be taking on this responsibility. It took some back and forth but I did get a increase in the end.
Last time it doesn’t really count but I moved from a engineer to a supervisor which a higher salary. My old manager approached me saying he wanted me to come back as a engineer, I wasn’t really liking the supervisor role so I proposed that it I came back it would be on the supervisors pay, which they actually agreed too. So I took it.
When you do this go in backed up with evidence of why you deserve it, what you’ve done, don’t slag off other people to better yourself, ask for more than you want ( if you want £36 ask for £38 they always knock you down) and if they won’t budge be prepared to work, there’s so many jobs out there now that you shouldn’t struggle.
I purposely picked my company because of the 30 days annual leave, decent van with no trackers and all tools provided over another company who was 20 days holiday, tracker but where paying £2k more at the time I moved there. Perks are important.
I’m also lucky that we get a yearly mandated pay review and Each year I’ve had a payrise off the back of this, plus we are unionised and get a normally 3/4% rise each year which keeps up with inflation normally ( the Union is still arguing for this years)
Loads of times. It's very rare that a company will go out of their way to give you what you're worth, unless it's a big corp with deep pockets and you're comfortably far away from your pay master.
Smaller companies I've worked at are a nightmare getting anything out of, I've had chats with the bosses before where it's literally like you're trying to reach into their wallet.
Smaller companies I've worked at are a nightmare getting anything out of, I've had chats with the bosses before where it's literally like you're trying to reach into their wallet.
GT03ROB said:
Yazza54 said:
Smaller companies I've worked at are a nightmare getting anything out of, I've had chats with the bosses before where it's literally like you're trying to reach into their wallet.
In smaller companies you quite literally are! Thank you all for the responses, it's been helpful reading through. Typically, the one director I report to & therefore need to speak to isn't available until next week now. I had it all planned for later this week but their diary has been altered.
Probably the best advice above was the simplest. JFDI. You're not wrong, it's just knowing how to go about it. Will send an email asking for a catch up so I don't just pounce on them when they return next week.
Probably the best advice above was the simplest. JFDI. You're not wrong, it's just knowing how to go about it. Will send an email asking for a catch up so I don't just pounce on them when they return next week.
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