No opportunity to negotiate raise

LegacyUser

I've been with my current company for a few years and now that the country is on the rise, so have staff wages. We've been receiving steady 10% increases year on year, but this seems to be across the board.

I feel I bring a lot to the company as I work hard, get on well with everyone and try to actively promote the company.

We had our annual salary review last month, but due to what I was told was time pressure of the company directors, they were unable to give anyone a performance based review. Essentially everyone was brought in one by one and told by a director (who was in most cases did not in anyway oversee any of our work) that we were performing well and here's 10%.

I did not get an opportunity to negotiate this because how is he to know how much I bring to the company? We were told performance reviews would come later when things get quieter, but I don't see it happening.

Have I missed my only opportunity to negotiate a higher salary? I do feel I am undervalued and I am not getting the average for my role.

Lux23

I think getting a 10% increase year-on-year is pretty good, I am not sure I would rock the boat too much without a job offer elsewhere on a higher wage.

Meeeee79

Seriously, a year on year 10% raise and you're complaining? Get a bit of perspective please!

Do you genuinely think you can get a better offer elsewhere?

What industry are you working in cos I think I need a career change clearly!

tiredblondie

If you don't want the job with a year on year 10% rise, plenty of others including myself will take it!!!
Most people are lucky to get even a 1% rise!!!!

Snotty

10% year on year is brilliant, the problem the OP has is, person A could be contributing nothing to the company, person B is contributing and could be an industry standout, but yet both employees get the same rise.

Your company has a terrible policy, it rewards the useless staff and probably causes the better staff to say "why bother trying to do better".
Id be pushing for an independent review, if they can do 10% across the board, then they can afford to add another 10% to high performaners. Seek a meeting with your line manager and say you want a review. They maybe too busy for everyone, but tell them YOU want one.

LegacyUser

Meeeee79 wrote: »

Seriously, a year on year 10% raise and you're complaining? Get a bit of perspective please!

Do you genuinely think you can get a better offer elsewhere?

What industry are you working in cos I think I need a career change clearly!

I do have some perspective as I know what is industry standard.

I came out of college during the recession and was unemployed for a year. I then landed a job on a salary of €25k which remained stagnant for 3 years. Now that the economy is improving, salaries have generally been increasing greatly across the board, but I am on lower than the median wage based on salary surveys I've reviewed.

Even though it seems like 10% is a big jump each year, when you start on such a low wage it doesn't amount to much at this moment based on my years experience.

If I changed jobs I would expect to get €5k more than I am on currently. I would rather not say what industry I am in, just for anonymity reasons.

Meeeee79

Snotty wrote: »

10% year on year is brilliant, the problem the OP has is, person A could be contributing nothing to the company, person B is contributing and could be an industry standout, but yet both employees get the same rise.

Your company has a terrible policy, it rewards the useless staff and probably causes the better staff to say "why bother trying to do better".
Id be pushing for an independent review, if they can do 10% across the board, then they can afford to add another 10% to high performaners. Seek a meeting with your line manager and say you want a review. They maybe too busy for everyone, but tell them YOU want one.

The waft of self importance of this is unbelievable

Adini

The responses here are ridiculous. 10% per year sounds great, but if OP's starting salary was below average to begin with, there's every chance he's still being underpaid.

How many staff does the company have OP? The directors being too busy to give performance reviews sounds like a cop-out

Snotty

Meeeee79 wrote: »

The waft of self importance of this is unbelievable

Suppose it just depends on the kind of person you are, I guess you would be happy to be just in the herd.

Ronaldinho

missedopportunity wrote: »

I've been with my current company for a few years and now that the country is on the rise, so have staff wages. We've been receiving steady 10% increases year on year, but this seems to be across the board.

I feel I bring a lot to the company as I work hard, get on well with everyone and try to actively promote the company.

We had our annual salary review last month, but due to what I was told was time pressure of the company directors, they were unable to give anyone a performance based review. Essentially everyone was brought in one by one and told by a director (who was in most cases did not in anyway oversee any of our work) that we were performing well and here's 10%.

I did not get an opportunity to negotiate this because how is he to know how much I bring to the company? We were told performance reviews would come later when things get quieter, but I don't see it happening.

Have I missed my only opportunity to negotiate a higher salary? I do feel I am undervalued and I am not getting the average for my role.

I don't know what industry you're in or what the organizational culture is like so I can't really give you sound advice, apart from to speak to my own experience.

If you sit back timidly and accept your lot, it's unlikely that your superiors are going to go out of their way to reward you above the standard increment.

That being said, it's all about leverage. How negatively would it affect your company if you decided to leave and how difficult would it be for them to replace you?

You don't want to overplay your hand though, and especially if you have dependents/mortgage, you're in a niche industry etc. (The flipside of the above question is how easily could you get another role that satisfies you if...)

The personalities of your manager(s) and the organizational culture are factors to bear in mind. Also, if you otherwise enjoy working with the company you may well want to avoid burning bridges - money isn't everything.

I'd also suggest that you find out about remuneration in other companies in your sector. A few posters have said that you should be happy out with your 10% increment. Without knowing how that compares with the rest of the industry that's rubbish advice.

Meeeee79

Snotty wrote: »

Suppose it just depends on the kind of person you are, I guess you would be happy to be just in the herd.

There are no words for the type of person you are coming across as. But, that obviously wouldn't matter to you because you are the type of person wouldn't care anyway, you're far too important to care. Well done, you'll get far in life.

Xterminator

Hi Op

your employer has offered a 10% raise. your not happy with the offer. Find a job elsewhere with a better offer and leave.

If you cannot find a better paying job, then perhaps your expectations are wrong.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Meeeee79 wrote: »

Seriously, a year on year 10% raise and you're complaining? Get a bit of perspective please!

Do you genuinely think you can get a better offer elsewhere?

What industry are you working in cos I think I need a career change clearly!

This post is nonsensical. "Take what you are offered and be happy with it" mentality is absurd. We don't know the OP's wage or the industry.

Would you happily accept the same pay rise as your colleague if you are working harder and performing better? There's an awful sense of begrudgery (sp?) from your posts to be honest.

OP, in my industry the best way to get a big pay rise is to switch company. So it really depends on whether your role is in high demand, is your industry going through a boom? Are there plenty of jobs on the market? If the pay rise is the only thing you are not happy about in your current role, I would ponder on moving company all that more.

I would be very wary of the knee jerk reactions on here telling you to be happy with what you get. You have explained that you feel undervalued and you are not getting the average for your role. Despite this, you are to believe you are lucky and accept anything you are offered. Silly advice.

Graham

Marilyn Enough Oregano wrote: »

I would be very wary of the knee jerk reactions on here telling you to be happy with what you get. You have explained that you feel undervalued and you are not getting the average for your role. Despite this, you are to believe you are lucky and accept anything you are offered. Silly advice.

+1

some very bitter posts this morning particularly in light of the fact nobody knows the OPs salary (starting or current) and how it may benchmark against comparable roles in the OPs industry.

OP if you feel you add value and your role/contribution warrant a higher salary, absolutely site down with your management and have a discussion.

Snotty

Meeeee79 wrote: »

There are no words for the type of person you are coming across as. But, that obviously wouldn't matter to you because you are the type of person wouldn't care anyway, you're far too important to care. Well done, you'll get far in life.

Not sure what your problem is, I gave advice to the OP based on what I would do myself. It's the same advice I have given plenty of colleagues before, just make sure you are getting the most your work deserves. What is your advice? Always be happy with your lot, don't rock the boat, dont ask for a rise of 20% if you are offered 10%?

Littlehorny

The OP said he is with the company a few years so he must have accepted a starting salary with them at the beginning of his employment, which he must have been reasonably happy to get.
Now the economy is picking up a bit and the company is trying to improve its staff conditions by giving pay increases of 10% voluntarily year on year?
I don't know how big the company is but if I owned that company and word got back to me that someone wasn't happy with this, I would take a very very dim view of that employee.

Graham

Littlehorny wrote: »

I don't know how big the company is but if I owned that company and word got back to me that someone wasn't happy with this, I would take a very very dim view of that employee.

Unless of course you knew the employee was still being paid 20% below the industry average, in which case you'd probably be delighted the sucker hadn't asked for a pay-rise.

Snotty

Littlehorny wrote: »

The OP said he is with the company a few years so he must have accepted a starting salary with them at the beginning of his employment, which he must have been reasonably happy to get.
Now the economy is picking up a bit and the company is trying to improve its staff conditions by giving pay increases of 10% voluntarily year on year?
I don't know how big the company is but if I owned that company and word got back to me that someone wasn't happy with this, I would take a very very dim view of that employee.

Serious?? So don't ask for a pay rise because the owner might take a dim view to it.


I can only assume some people on this thread are public sector as everyone else has to push to get any company to pay a good wage, either by negotiation when hired or at annual reviews.

Littlehorny

Snotty wrote: »

Serious?? So don't ask for a pay rise because the owner might take a dim view to it.


I can only assume some people on this thread are public sector as everyone else has to push to get any company to pay a good wage, either by negotiation when hired or at annual reviews.

But he agreed to the pay when he originally took the job, he doesn't say the pay is way below the average either, just that he feel should get more.
If he wants a pay rise then he will have to go to management with a bit more ammo than what he "feels" he is worth.

Tigger

missedopportunity wrote: »

I do have some perspective as I know what is industry standard.

I came out of college during the recession and was unemployed for a year. I then landed a job on a salary of €25k which remained stagnant for 3 years. Now that the economy is improving, salaries have generally been increasing greatly across the board, but I am on lower than the median wage based on salary surveys I've reviewed.

Even though it seems like 10% is a big jump each year, when you start on such a low wage it doesn't amount to much at this moment based on my years experience.

If I changed jobs I would expect to get €5k more than I am on currently. I would rather not say what industry I am in, just for anonymity reasons.

salary surveys are deliberatly highbto make people move
they are a product of employment agencies

Graham

Littlehorny wrote: »

But he agreed to the pay when he originally took the job

that's not particularly relevent. Most people have a reasonable expectation that their salary will rise, particularly at the earlier stages in their career.

Let's put this into perspective.

Starting at 25k with 10% pay rises for 4 years would put the OP on 33k. If the OP is in an industry like IT for example, his current salary is likely to be significantly lower than someone with 4 years experience should command.

TheAnalyst_

This isn't Stalin's Russia. You are a resource with a market value so its about finding yours. 

The absolute best way to do this is to apply for jobs elsewhere. Its possible to double your salary this way if you have the goods to back it up. Your current company might see your real value then and make you an offer to stay.

LegacyUser

I am torn as to what to do. As I said, I know I am on a below average salary for my industry. If I move I could get €5k more, which I think I could easily do given the demand for my role as I am always being contact directly by recruiters on LinkedIn.

The other side of this is that I enjoy my job, for the most part. Although I do work quite long hours and the work is stressful. The people I work with are also great and there is a nice work atmosphere.

I have the feeling that most people think I should just be happy with my lot given my circumstances. But if I know I am worth more to the company than they are paying me, why shouldn't I renegotiate a raise? I'm not saying I should go in demanding X amount extra, but more that I should put forward how I am contributing to the company and make them aware of my worth, which is an opportunity I didn't have before.