Ask a Manager

A reader writes:

So what happens after you explain and show the measurable amounts (just shy of $1 million savings in the current year) you have saved the company…..and you have it explained away as “you did your job” when a pay raise is discussed? As a leader I absolutely understand this statement, but as a subordinate….I really do not.

I was hired a year ago into this position that two former managers held for a combined time of less than 1 year. One even left within 40 days of being hired because of the difficult position and environment . I did negotiate my salary up front, but based on my performance, numerous dramatic changes I have made, a now more cohesive workforce I have turned around and others, I felt asking was justified. Do I just wait or ???

Does the company have a set time each year to conduct salary reviews? Or is there nothing formal in place? If there’s a set annual time, you’re probably close to it since you’ve been there a year, so it may be a conversation to have then. If there’s no time formally set aside for this conversation, it’s certainly not unreasonable to ask for a salary review after a year of employment.

Since it sounds like you’ve already done step #1 in asking for a raise (demonstrating the accomplishments that warrant it), my advice now is to ask what you would need to accomplish in order to earn a raise. If your boss can’t articulate what a raise-worthy performance would look like, or why he or she isn’t willing to review your salary after a year in the job, you may be caught in a short-sighted company that doesn’t understand compensation, in which case you may need to look for one that does.