Have you ever asked for a raise/promotion?

[my3bears]

DH is really struggling with being underpaid, but for some reason he is fairly unwilling to talk to his boss about it. Recently another department member was given a raise/promotion. It pretty much gutted him since he doesn't understand why he was passed up for it. I told him maybe this person asked and he didn't? He seems to think it looks bad to ask, and his boss should come to him. FWIW, he works in an accounting department and there could be more than 1 person with this same promotion title and raise.

I am self-employed and set my own rates based on the market, so I'm pretty limited in helping him. So what says MM? Poll answers are as follows:

Yes I've needed to ask for most/all raises/promotions
Yes I've asked once/a few times
No I've never needed to, raises/promotions come on a reliably schedule
No I've felt too awkward to ask even when a raise/promotion is due
Special Snowflake

[L]

Where is the "yes I have, but my boss laughed and said no way" choice? Because I've made the argument for a raise several times and it's never gotten me anywhere.

[my3bears]

Good point!!! Man the poll limits you to 5 ugh... I guess SS???

I told DH the worst case scenario is they say No and laugh... Not fun but better than not asking in my opinion!

[cosmowife]

I asked and after about a month of considering it, they said yes. I gave them comparable salaries at other work places, and they called around and actually asked the HR departments to confirm what I told them! But it worked out because they (mostly) agreed with my number and came in pretty close. I was seriously underpaid and it was about a 30% raise. I know that you normally have to switch companies to get that type of raise, so I was very fortunate that they agreed to it.

[krystee]

Yes, and it worked. My company seems to think you're super content in your role unless you ask. And if you ask and present a good business case, they are typically very open to it (this assumes you don't do it all the time, of course, and only up to certain levels).

[cosmowife]

Nov 25, 2014 8:07:30 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

cosmowife, I'm curious how you came up with the numbers you provided. And wow at them calling around to other companies' HR departments. Maybe I'm naive; I wonder how often that happens.

Honestly, I probably got lucky - I got the numbers from salary.com and they were actually pretty spot on.  I know that isn't true of all professions and all metro areas with that website.  I did reference the site when I gave the number so they knew that I had gotten it from somewhere.

I was completely shocked when they told me that they had called around (but relieved that my numbers had held up).   They had come to me a few weeks earlier and asked if I could name several firms in town that I was familiar with, and those were the places that they ended up calling!  This is probably not typical at all - my company is super small and we don't have a formal HR department or anything.  My boss told me that he basically called up the other firms, mentioned that he had an employee in a similar role, and asked them how much they would pay an employee with X years of experience.  I kind of thought it was totally crazy, but I got my raise, so it didn't matter to me lol.  My boss is good at charming people so I'm sure that is how he got the info out of them!

[Deleted]

I actually plan to ask at my annual review next month! I want a new title more than I want the raise. (Well, both would be nice.)

DH actually asked for a raise last year. At first, his department head turned him down and said there was no money in the budget. But six months later, DH got a letter stating that he was getting a 12% increase! It can't hurt to ask. But don't just ask. Make the case for why he deserves it.

[sillygoosegirl]

No, but one of the things I negotiated for when I took my current job was to have my first review in 6 months and have the associated raise not be prorated to 6 months. I had to remind them of this--and make kind of a stink about it--when the time came and my raise was prorated.

[Deleted]

Yes. The system is set up so you have to apply to move through your salary range, and the rate of successful applications is really low. I have gotten turned down every time.

This is one of the challenges of having a union job--taking on extra work/projects to include in a raise application has a very low success rate. if there is no reward for extra work, I need to have a really good reason to take it on. I am so thankful that the majority of my "extras" involves working one on one and mentoring students. I love it.

[treedimensional]

Asking has worked a surprising nunber of times, now that I think about it.
The last time I was denied, I was very pissed because I'd gotten extra education and certifications after being hired and it didn't make any difference; while most of the male employees got substantial raises without doing ANY of this. I made up my mind that the company sucked and I needed to leave, which is exactly how I summarized my long term outlook on my next self-evaluation. Surprise, surprise, when I did that, I got the biggest raise of my life. But my eyes were opened and I knew the company would always suck for women, so I still quit a few months later and started my own company.

[my3bears]

I really appreciate all of these responses and will show them to DH. I think he doesn't realize that oftentimes the assumption is that if the employee isn't asking, they must be content. Plus it's sort of in the company's interest not to give any more money than they have to!

He rocks at his job and has gotten a lot of positive feedback. He was just hoping that one of these times they would add in the raise/promotion when giving that positive feedback!

[Deleted]

Go my3bears hubby!

[jennistarr1]

Nov 25, 2014 7:41:59 GMT -5 L said:

Where is the "yes I have, but my boss laughed and said no way" choice? Because I've made the argument for a raise several times and it's never gotten me anywhere.

ditto

[ssmjlm]

Where I worked before this I asked for a raise. I was in charge of my own department's budget (to include staffing costs) and there was more than enough money for a raise for me and my staff.

I got a raise, but they capped everyone across the board at $.70/hour increase.

There's a reason NO ONE still works at that place. Fuckers.

[agnes]

I have asked for every single raise and promotion. If I had never asked I would still be making $10/hour. It's practically unheard of to get even a COL increase in my "field." There have been times I've been denied or received less than I thought I should get, but again, if I didn't ask I wouldn't be making 50k.

[flatlan]

Yes, I have asked for several raises as recently as last month. I have been turned down once but usually I have gotten the raise, although not always for the amount I have asked for.

[Deleted]

The answer is always no if you don't ask...

[daisypaloma]

I had to ask ONCE last year, after being with the company 4 years (of no raise).  I made my case, and my boss still turned me down.  I threatened to quit, and we resolved that we will both go on our own ways and they will get a replacement.  After a week or so of being away they fired my replacement (who supposedly have better credentials than I do, but turned out to be extremely incompetent) and hired me back at 15% raise. 

Prior to that, I never asked.  I always get the raise or have moved jobs to get pay increases. 

[lime]

I don't actually know if I fall under the yes or no category for the purposes of this poll.

I've always worked for companies large enough to have a formal, annual review process. So you write your own performance review with accomplishments and goals and try to justify why you deserve a raise or promotion. I've never not gotten a raise in that situation.

But I have never out of the blue gone and asked for a raise or promotion, because it's always understood you start working on that in January.

[protozoa]

Yes, I have asked. I have also been promoted without specifically asking but it's always been talked about in the context of reviews, etc., never out of thin air that I can recall.

[FishChicks]

I asked for a substantial promotion at my first job during grad school. I was a part-time intern and they filled one full time position. I wanted a stable job, so I asked if they'd fill a second full time job with me. They said yes and I negotiated a 4/10 schedule so I could do my dissertation research. It worked out for all of us. My other jobs i've gotten raises and promotions without needing to ask.

[orangeblossom]

I have not, because it would likely not have been granted, simply based on who I was working for (government). I've simply taken my talents elsewhere.

If I were in an industry, that I think would be receptive to it, I'd like to think I would ask.

[busterpup]

Yes and it worked. And I know for a fact that I wouldn't have gotten it if I hadn't asked (I know the budgets, etc).

[womet]

I asked my boss for a promotion and got it (after a delay). He put me in charge of a project and I was doing a great job managing it and keeping in schedule (and budget). I mentioned to him that in our division, the other people who had the same role were all 1-2 grades higher than me. I believed that I should be promoted. He agreed but wanted me to meet 1 more goal before the promotion.