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This question has been closed, and points have been awarded.
Asking For A Raise
Posted By: dawn_goehring on 7/6/2005 9:52 AM (CST) 250 Points
I am due for a raise next month. I am an Executive Assistant for an Engineering company's headquarters in the US. While I dont exactly have a ton of responsibility, I am very reliable, willing & quick to learn things as well as good with problem solving. Prior to taking this job, I was an Admin Asst for stock brokers making 3-4k more than I do now and working only 35 hours a week. Now I work through lunches to make sure someone is here at all times to answer phones so I am working 45 hours a week. I am able to go home early once in a while and if I have an appt its never a problem. I am looking for a raise along with some additional compensation. Everyone in our office has parking permits for downtown except for me and Im the one who HAS to be here certain hours of the days. I would like to negotiate a parking pass along with my raise. How do I ask for this without sounding demanding. Thank you for your help!

Posted by: K Sieczka Accepted Answer
7/6/2005 10:09 AM (CST)
It sounds like you have already thought out a good part of your strategy. The parking pass is the least your employer should do for you.

Just make sure when you negotiate, you have all the facts laid out in front of you so you can make your points. Just saying I deserve or need a raise doesn't often cut it.

You can also suggest compensation of other sorts...health club membership, tuition reimbursement or even a part-timer to assist with the phones.

Cheers
 
Posted by: dawn_goehring Author Response
7/6/2005 10:38 AM (CST)
Phones arent all that busy and they dont ask me to stay in from lunch its just something I do. But thats my question HOW do I begin??
 
Posted by: Papadoc (Steve)* Accepted Answer
7/6/2005 12:09 PM (CST)
Hi Dawn,

The first thing that I would suggest is to double-check the attitude. I don't know if you are upset, but it's worth checking your barometric pressure. I could certainly be misreading it in your post, but the last thing that will help you is to have anything resembling an "I am not fairly treated" attitude walking in. It is SO easy to do that and not realize it, and just a little bit can easily be detected. So attitude is the first step. Make sure that yours is confident, knowing what you are worth, but avoiding anything that will set the other person in a position of justifying their position. You don't want them digging in their heels to reject any assertion that they aren't being fair. Many employers take that as a personal attack and it doesn’t put them in the frame of mind to reward you.

Second, I'd completely lose the comparisons to your last job. That will sink you every time, as it is completely irrelevant. Anyone who has been an employer has heard all about how "everyone else does it". The standard response is, "We're not them"… BUT we are thinking, "So either go back to your old job or get over it." And generally, it puts a bug in our head that you aren’t happy, aren’t going to perform, and that your job is a matter of time. It’s almost a guarantee that nothing good will happen for you. You are in a completely different job with a different company. For whatever reason you left that last job, you chose to come to this one making less. So don’t expect them to play matching games. And it’s also irrelevant to you. That last job is gone, so deal with what you have now or move on. Think of your new position as starting over in a new field, not a demotion from your previous position.

Third, completely forget about what others have or don’t have. Again, it is irrelevant to you. If they had less than you, would you expect to give up something of yours to make things fair? If not, then don’t expect it to go the other way either. Fair compensation is based on what you do, not what others receive. You will never find perfect fairness, and if you did, others would see it differently. Parents make sure that all kids have exactly the same number of pieces of candy. Employers do not.

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the negatives, concentrate on the positives. Determine that your employer is going to hear the things from you that they want to hear. You’ve stated that you don’t have much responsibility. So ask for it. If they depend on you, then you are valuable. It also shows them that you are a person worth investing in and that ALSO makes you more valuable. Just be sure that you want what you are asking for because chances are that you will get it.

Ask how you can improve or what things the employer would like to see from you over the next year. It’s the hardest question you will ask and you may get some blunt and unpleasant answers. So only ask it if you can deal with the results and not be defensive.

Tell your employer what you believe you are worth and why. Don’t be bashful, but don’t be demanding or accusatory or threatening either. Develop your first, second, and third options. If cash is ideal, then go with that first. However, understand that there may be factors at work that you don’t know or that the interviewer is unaware of. Have a back up plan that may give you nearly as good an option. Insurance, parking passes, vacation, etc. might be something that your employer can deal with and still give you nearly the same net deal.

Finally, have a plan for in the event that you don’t get what you are asking for. What are your options? If you don’t have this in place and things don’t go well, it can create an entirely uncomfortable situation, and sometimes, people react in ways they otherwise would not. Even if your choice would be to leave, chances are that getting upset and talking about it isn’t in your short-term best interests.

Most of all, keep quiet with other employees, even those that you consider friends. This advice is just as good for when you get what you want as it is for if you don’t. Just as their income and benefits aren’t any business of yours, yours are none of theirs. Remain the consummate professional and don’t make your boss regret giving you something because you blabbed this to other employees or make the boss think you are a troublemaker or a whiner because you didn’t. Remember that when you tell someone something and it goes through a few people, things rarely sound as they did when you said them.

 
Posted by: Paul Copcutt Accepted Answer
7/14/2005 4:16 PM (CST)
Dawn

As long as you are well prepared you will likely get what you deserve. Have ready all the significant contributions you have made to the company and the team and be ready to offer those as examples as you review your performance.

As for the parking pass just be straight up front and say that it would be helpful to have a parking pass for close proximity parking for a saftey aspect - particularly as you are coming in early and staying late

What are your longer term ambitions? Do these ambitions lie with in this company or elsewhere?
Do you want more responsibility?

Most companies are looking to get something in return - the day of the automatic pay rise just because its that time of year have long disappeared.

What are some extra projects you could get involved in to with extra responsibility that will justify your asking for a raise as well?

Look to set in some time lined expectations - Key Performance Objectives - if this is done by 6 months you get X etc.

Just my toonies worth - good luck!
 
Posted by: carrie77 Moderator Response
7/21/2005 8:20 AM (CST)
Hello all. I am closing this question since it's more than 2 weeks old. We do this to reward the contributions of participants in a timely manner + to give increased visibility to the newer questions.

Thanks for participating!
Carrie (Production Editor)
 


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