Payrise negotitation

johnthedisjointed

Hi Guys, looking for some opions. I work in a company of around a 1000 people that is owned by a big multinational. Now its yearly payrise/review time soon. What usually happens is you get handed a piece of paper with your payrise and bonus on it. The payrise is based on yearly performance rating and current salary within grade. So they find the two points on the matrix and join them up, pretty much set in stone before you walk into the room.

The salaries are something below market rates and the people that have been there for a lot of years tend to end up being quite underpaid due to only getting x percentage every year based on the above matrix. This is slightly offset by the fact you are more less guaranteed a 9-10% bonus if you have performed ok.

I've been there coming on 2 years, the starting salary wasn't quite what I wanted, 1st years payrise was 2.5% and this years will again probably only change the last 3 digits of the salary. With the rigid pay structure in mind and the knowledge that many people have left based on being there for a lot of years and being underpaid. Do you think its worth trying to negotiate a pay rise and how to go about it at review time?

I'm guessing the answer is the age old, to get a decent payrise you must go elsewhere. FWIW I've upskilled a lot in the last 2 years and gained further industry qualifications so I do have some stuff to back up the pay rise request. Industtry is networking in IT (telecoms)

TIA for your advice

trailingspouse

Rather than straight out demanding more money, approach it from a different angle.

Thank them for the raise that you get (and try to mean it!!), and then tell them that you, obviously, would like to earn more money. Everyone wants to earn more money, so this is a reasonable thing to say. Then ask them what they would need you to do in order to increase your pay. For example, could increasing your qualifications do the trick? Or transfer to a different department? Or more experience in a specific area? It does no harm to be known as the person who wants to move up the ladder.

If they tell you some things to do, then go and do them and keep a record of having done them, and then tell them that you've done them, and remind them of what they said.

If they tell you there's nothing you can do to move up the ladder a bit quicker, then at least you know and you can decide if you want to move elsewhere.