THE NON-THREATENING APPROACH TO GETTING A RAISE

THE NON-THREATENING APPROACH TO GETTING A RAISE

I remember working at Ford as an Engineer. Each year there was "merit increase" time. I was one of 15 Engineers in my department under one supervisor. At that time, he would fill out an ACT/SAT type questionnaire for each Engineer and the results would rank everyone and "fill in" the "level" of the increase. Typically it would be something like 3.7% or 4.1%. Nothing to sneeze at but this type of corporate approach didn't really offer any real means at negotiating a raise. You got what you got.
 
For those who aren't in large corporations with a built-in system, most of us either plan our future there or essentially hope for a salary increase. Here's are some time-tested suggestions that will give you a true answer.
 
First, you have a boss and that is the person you must target. Think it through as if your presenting a screenplay to Christopher Nolan. Don't wing it.
 
First, tell your boss that you would like to set aside 15-30 minutes at a time convenient (FOR THE BOSS) where you can secure solid one-on-one time, face-to-face.
 
The plan is to highlight your accomplishments which should be specific and realistic. This may even include things built-in to your job that you've learned and mastered. Or maybe it was a successful project that you saw from beginning to end. You should have three excellent examples.
 
Let your boss know in this meeting that your intent is to navigate the company in pursuit of a higher salary and you are ready to step-up and seek to accomplish whatever objectives can get you to your goal. Outline your progress succinctly and with confidence.
 
Now understand, this is a completely new task the boss is experiencing with one of the employees. Your expectation must be that there may be some time for your boss to reply and not an immediate response. This shouldn't take any longer than about 10 days for you to get specifics on what the company would do.
 
Now that the ball is in someone else's court, how do they respond: (1) No response, (2) They help create a career path through potential professional advancement, or (3) you could get a bump.
 
All three of these responses let you know clearly where you stand as an employee.
 
You have nothing to lose!