Asking manager for a raise

[Severian]

My annual review is approaching and I'm thinking about asking my manager for a raise.

I received a slight pay bump earlier this year, but my colleagues suggested I should ask for more money anyway.

Any advice as to how I should approach the subject? I was thinking about asking for 5 percent. Not sure if that's too much. The salaries of my colleagues range from the low 70s to one person making more than 100k. I'm somewhere in the low 80s.

My manager and I are on good terms. I feel like I accomplished most of my goals this year and volunteered to lead some new initiatives, such as training a bunch of new hires we brought on to the team earlier this year.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DanOregon]

Not totally joking - but I'd go with your VORP. Talk about the value you bring to the organization and how much it would cost the company to replace you. You're saving them money. Say you are willing to take on more responsibilities.
Words like "deserve" fall on deaf ears.

 

[Sports Barf]

Bad employees are more expensive than good ones. Shoot for the moon in anticipation of them offering a lesser raise that's still good

 

[Vombatus]

And I just saw this on Twitter today, via KVV and Matt Stephens:



I hope your request goes far better than that!

Best wishes,
VB

 

[cjericho]

Of course you should ask. Not sure where you work, but would think 5% is a bit high.
But that depends on other factors, like how long you've been there, what your raises
have been in previous years and how much money the company is making.

 

[playthrough]

Not totally joking - but I'd go with your VORP. Talk about the value you bring to the organization and how much it would cost the company to replace you. You're saving them money. Say you are willing to take on more responsibilities.
Words like "deserve" fall on deaf ears.

I don't know about talking how much it would cost the company to replace you, that can come off as a little combative and, let's face it, we're all replaceable. Plus any good manager is aware of the costs to replace a good employee. But absolutely talk about what you've brought to the table and how you've consistently met and exceeded expectations.

 

[Severian]

Thanks for the responses, y'all. They are helpful and encouraging.

Talk about the value you bring to the organization and how much it would cost the company to replace you. You're saving them money. Say you are willing to take on more responsibilities. Words like "deserve" fall on deaf ears.

Like @playthrough said, I don't think I'll go down the "worth to the company" route. My organization is large, and I am just a cog.

Bad employees are more expensive than good ones. Shoot for the moon in anticipation of them offering a lesser raise that's still good

Indeed. I make about $82K and hope to make $90K within the next two years. I'm thinking about asking for $87K and will probably be fine if they offer $85-86K.

Of course you should ask. Not sure where you work, but would think 5% is a bit high.
But that depends on other factors, like how long you've been there, what your raises
have been in previous years and how much money the company is making.

I've read 5 percent is reasonable. I can say my organization is quite profitable. There is definitely a wide range of salaries on my team. There was one person who is my same age with the same job title making $93K, which is ridiculous seeing as he started just this year, while I've been at the organization for nearly three years, making $10K less.

I intend to ask my manager how much he thinks is fair for a raise based on my accomplishments and contributions this year. My rule: The first person to say a number loses. If people don't think that is wise, let me know.

I don't know about talking how much it would cost the company to replace you, that can come off as a little combative and, let's face it, we're all replaceable. Plus any good manager is aware of the costs to replace a good employee. But absolutely talk about what you've brought to the table and how you've consistently met and exceeded expectations.

Indeed. That's what I plant to do in my written performance review and the meeting with my manager.

 

[Slacker]

I make about $82K and hope to make $90K within the next two years. I'm thinking about asking for $87K and will probably be fine if they offer $85-86K.

Damn. That's four newsroom jobs.

 

[Matt Stephens]

And I just saw this on Twitter today, via KVV and Matt Stephens:



I hope your request goes far better than that!

Best wishes,
VB

One thing to keep in mind: It might not be your direct manager's call. They might be all for giving you a few extra grand a year, and could even justify it in the budget, but there could be someone above them saying "no" or limiting how much they'll hand out in raises. When I first moved into management and saw how much some of my team members were making, it made me sick. Folks I'd be lost without that made my job easier. Got them a little more, but not as much as I wish. Every chain/company is different. I wish you luck.

 

[cjericho]

A few extra grand? He's asking for at least 4K since he's over 80k per year. Obviously it's
not a newspaper, but not sure what type of place it is.

 

[MileHigh]

Yeah, probably not a direct manager's call. I'm dealing with an issue right now (shift change) that's not coming from my direct supervisor (I think) that would severely disrupt my outside-of-work life in terms of dealing with my family's estate (yes, it's still ongoing 15 months after the crash because there are so many webs and pieces to it).

Good luck.

 

[da man]

Do you know what the salary range is for jobs like yours in your market? I did the research last year and found I was below the low end of the range. I showed that to my CEO and presented some goals and initiatives for the coming year. I came away with a 12 percent raise to get me comfortably into the market salary range for my position.