Gotta Pimp

If you’re making $7.50/hour at Mickey D’s you should probably just dump the job and start over. If you’ve got a decent job and think there is a possibility of a pay raise why not give it your best shot. Read through this list and article before approaching your boss OR risk getting shot down and walked all over. Management is used to hearing pay raise requests so you’ll need to actually put some thought into it.

• They have to have the money. If your company doesn’t have any more money, there isn’t any more for you to get.
• They have to think you’re worth it. If they figure you’re only barely worth what they’re paying you now, you don’t have much chance of getting more.
• They have to think you can go elsewhere and get it. You should make it clear that you are thinking of getting more elsewhere, but without being rude. One subtle way is to show up at work better dressed than usual, then leave early with some lame excuse, like a dentist appointment. No one dresses up to go to the dentist, so they’ll suspect you’re interviewing. It’s even more convincing if you actually are going to an interview.
• You have to be willing and able to go elsewere and get it. If you’re not willing to leave your current job, or not actually able to command more at a different company, you’re not going to be very convincing no matter how hard you try. Get out there, interview a lot, and get some offers. If you can’t really get any better offer elsewhere, you need to figure out why.
• You have to ask. A lot of people just wait around, hoping their true worth will finally be acknowledged in next year’s review and raise. Doesn’t happen. You have to satisfy all the above conditions, and then actually go in there and ask. When you ask, be firm but polite. A good phrase to use is “I really like working here, but I have a much better offer from company X. If you can match that, there would be no reason for me to consider them.”

All that said, the odds of getting a really good raise, say 20%, are very small if you stay in your current job, no matter what. The sad truth is that you almost always have to change bosses, departments, or companies to get a really good raise. They figure that you were working for a certain salary, so they shouldn’t suddenly have to give you a lot more to do the same thing. The answer to that, of course, is that they need you and you have a better offer elsewhere. That’s why they should suddenly give you a lot more.

I did manage to get a 20% raise in the same job once, but I had to play a little game. I knew that my boss’s boss, the guy with the money, liked to secretly snoop our email. OK, I thought, that’s just another channel of communication. If he’s not telling me that he’s snooping, he has no inherent right to be snooping authentic email. So I crafted a fake email apparently from a rival firm, and in it I wrote an offer to myself spelling out the salary. The big cheese at my company did indeed snoop that email, and suddenly I found myself with a large raise, and no explanation. It was very satisfying.

When going to a new job, remember that the largest single determinant of what you’ll be paid is simply what you were paid in your last job. Salary has little to do with your qualifications. People get offers that are just enough to get them to accept the new job. This means that it is vitally important that a new employer think that you were highly paid in your last job. It’s wonderful if you were highly paid, but what if you weren’t? You may be tempted to lie, but be very careful. It is perfectly within the rights of the hiring company to demand to see pay stubs from your previous employer, or to ask for permission get your previous salary from some other means.

When you go in and ask, it helps to be ready for the likely excuses. Here are some common ones and how to respond:

• “It wouldn’t be fair to your co-workers to give you more than they get.” You should reply that what your co-workers make is none of your business. Point out that you just want to be fairly compensated for the value you bring to the company, in light of what you could get elsewhere. Do not start talking about any co-worker, good or bad.
• “Other people will know you’re getting paid more, and they’ll be jealous.” You should reply that you hope your HR department is capable of keeping salaries confidential.
• “Ask again in 6 months or a year.” You should reply that you have another offer right now, and it doesn’t make sense to wait

via Patrick.net

Tags: Career & Money //