Did you successfully ask for a raise? How?

amother

Sun, Oct 26 2014, 9:03 pm

Did you successfully ask for a raise? How? And what were the circumstances, in terms of when was your last raise, when were you hired etc. What's considered normal?
I'm asking because when I started my new job, we discussed a base salary and that after 3 months I'd get a small raise. I know they are happy with me because I had a meeting with the supervisor (at my request) to discuss my progress and plans for future tasks, things to work on etc. but they haven't brought up the raise to me. it's been about 4-4.5 months.

proudmother1

Sun, Oct 26 2014, 9:13 pm

amother wrote:

Perhaps you can ask for a performance review. At that time, you can politely ask about whether your performance meets their expectation to earn you the raise that was discussed.
Your boss may have just not counted the months like you, and forgot.

sky

Sun, Oct 26 2014, 9:37 pm

Go prepared.

Put together a list of all the things you have done, goals you have met, how you went above and beyond.

Start out an e-mail stating that when you started you had discussed a pay increase after 3 months. You'd like to setup an appt to discuss. Attached is a summary of what you have added to the company, group... etc.
I find it is always good to show up not empty handed to any sort of salary review or request and to present the information in advance.

amother

Sun, Oct 26 2014, 10:09 pm

sky wrote:

That gives them time to come up with a rebuttal.

The one time I asked for a raise (and it worked!) was when I lost it on my supervisor. I was single handedly running a department of six about a month after I was hired because everyone else quit or was fired around that time. I was staying several hours late every day without ever asking for overtime pay and only made one mistake over their busiest season (hey, I was new and it only cost them $95 which was far less than the overtime I was due!). They had a hard time hiring so they upped the starting salary and I got to train in two girls that were getting paid more than me. My manager then told me I was going to be training in another new hire that I had other reasons for not wanting to train and wanting to get out of it I said "that's the third person you want me to train that's getting paid more than me!" and walked out. I got an email the next day that I got the raise (brought me to the new starting salary which was a joke being as I was running the department and training three people simultaneously but hey, it was a raise!). A few weeks later I got promoted with a much more significant raise. That first encounter gave me to guts to ask for the promotion.

I wish I had the guts to ask for a raise but I never have. I was told I'd get a $3/hr raise every year at my current job. I've been here two years and no raise. Not only that but I know other employees never had to ask. Granted that wasn't recently. Those employees complained that there was no raises lately (but they were already making significantly more than me). I've been wondering what I'm doing wrong since my one year anniversary but I figure it's likely not much or they would have fired me. Still, a raise would be nice. Particularly if I didn't have to ask for it.

proudmother1

Mon, Oct 27 2014, 9:21 am

amother wrote:

Maybe the business is just going through a hard time, financially, and they are trying to keep you employed?

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 7:09 pm

proudmother1 wrote:

Maybe the business is just going through a hard time, financially, and they are trying to keep you employed?

Maybe they aren't doing as well as they were but I'm still making them a lot more than I'm getting paid and if they were smart they'd offer me a raise now because the rest of my department is leaving and they could use someone experienced to stay (though I'm one foot out the door right now myself...shame because it's probably a good time to ask for a raise what with everyone else leaving and all).

To illustrate my point--I work in the ER. When I was pregnant I had an emergency and had to leave work to see my ob emergently. She asked me to get my blood drawn at work so we'd have results same day. I registered as a patient (only way to do it and the ER staff is not hospital staff and I have no benefits so I actually have to pay to see myself!) and "saw" and "treated" myself and got a bill for $450. I see on average 3 patients an hour so making them well over $1200/hour and that's excluding busier days and more complicated visits with procedures. Yes, there are other costs in running a business but they can afford to give me a raise!