Sound Advice for a Raise - You can get more pay, but you have to
ask - politely
Daytona Beach
News-Journal, The (FL) (Published as Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)) -
December 5, 2005
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Author/Byline: DONNA CALLEA - BUSINESS WRITER
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Edition: Final
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Section: Section A
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Page: 12A
DAYTONA BEACH -Attention
average worker.
If you've been doing an average job for your employer, and your employer is about average when it comes to compensation, you can expect an average pay raise of about 3.6 percent in 2006. That's what several recent market studies conclude.
But what's that, you say?
You're not average? You're well above average - not to mention highly reliable, with skills, talents, stamina and/or other qualities that make you deserving of more?
Well then, you'd better ask if you want to receive, advises Stuart Basefsky of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University in New York.
"People still do ask for raises," he said in a telephone interview. And they should - assuming they've honestly and fairly evaluated their worth to their employers, investigated the going rate for workers such as themselves, and concluded they're underpaid. In today's working world, nothing is automatic - including receiving just rewards for jobs well done, he pointed out. And employees no longer pledge themselves to companies for decades on end, if they think they can do better elsewhere.
"It used to be that people were loyal to their firms, and firms were loyal to their workers. There used to be quid pro quo," Basefskysaid. But with downsizing and other cost-cutting measures, "workers have lost confidence and trust in companies." They may feel as if they're just a commodity. And "if you're a commodity you might as well act like a commodity," he said. Especially in times such as now, when unemployment is very low.
Of course, no one is irreplaceable. "Employers say everyone can be replaced, and they can," Basefsky acknowledged. "But the cost of turnover can be a problem." Depending on the sector and the timing, it may be difficult and expensive for companies to fill vacancies.
Still, asking for a salary increase isn't an easy thing for most people to do.
"It can be intimidating," acknowledged Wayne Green, a 39-year-old construction masonry worker from DeLand, who successfully negotiated a raise about three weeks ago.
The rising price of gas and increasingly high cost of his commute to work prompted his request. But the important thing was, his employer "knew I was a good worker," said Green. "I had a good work history, and that boosted my confidence."
He asked for a dollar more an hour, and got 50 cents. "It was a compromise," he said.
Gerda Winger, 79, a part-time hostess at Mr. Dunderbak's in Volusia Mall, still vividly recalls the first time she asked a boss for a raise.
She was in her early 20s, working as a fashion model in Sweden, and it wasn't all glamour.
"I told the owner I'd like a raise. And he said: 'What for?' I said: 'You're working me to death. If you don't give me a raise, you can kiss my heinie,' " Winger recalled with a chuckle. And he did. Give her a raise, that is.
That approach, however, is not generally recommended by human resources experts. "You want to be respectful," Basefsky said. "You don't want to ever threaten (to walk)." Sometimes an employer may truly not be able to afford to pay more money, but can offer other perks such as more flexible hours or better working conditions.
The bottom line, though, is employees are "remiss if they don't ask for rewards for their loyalty and increasingly good performance," he said.
Getting a Raise
Here are tips from experts on asking for a raise.
*Be respectful and make a request rather than a demand.
*Back up your request with facts about your performance.
*Do your own market research (available at many employment sites on the Internet), and point out what the going rate is for people in your position in your industry in your geographical area.
*If you're in a supervisory position, emphasize the success of those who report to you.
*Emphasize any additional training, education, certification, awards or praise you've received.
*Saying you need more money because of your personal situation isn't an effective argument and typically doesn't cut any ice.
SOURCE: News-Journal research
If you've been doing an average job for your employer, and your employer is about average when it comes to compensation, you can expect an average pay raise of about 3.6 percent in 2006. That's what several recent market studies conclude.
But what's that, you say?
You're not average? You're well above average - not to mention highly reliable, with skills, talents, stamina and/or other qualities that make you deserving of more?
Well then, you'd better ask if you want to receive, advises Stuart Basefsky of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University in New York.
"People still do ask for raises," he said in a telephone interview. And they should - assuming they've honestly and fairly evaluated their worth to their employers, investigated the going rate for workers such as themselves, and concluded they're underpaid. In today's working world, nothing is automatic - including receiving just rewards for jobs well done, he pointed out. And employees no longer pledge themselves to companies for decades on end, if they think they can do better elsewhere.
"It used to be that people were loyal to their firms, and firms were loyal to their workers. There used to be quid pro quo," Basefskysaid. But with downsizing and other cost-cutting measures, "workers have lost confidence and trust in companies." They may feel as if they're just a commodity. And "if you're a commodity you might as well act like a commodity," he said. Especially in times such as now, when unemployment is very low.
Of course, no one is irreplaceable. "Employers say everyone can be replaced, and they can," Basefsky acknowledged. "But the cost of turnover can be a problem." Depending on the sector and the timing, it may be difficult and expensive for companies to fill vacancies.
Still, asking for a salary increase isn't an easy thing for most people to do.
"It can be intimidating," acknowledged Wayne Green, a 39-year-old construction masonry worker from DeLand, who successfully negotiated a raise about three weeks ago.
The rising price of gas and increasingly high cost of his commute to work prompted his request. But the important thing was, his employer "knew I was a good worker," said Green. "I had a good work history, and that boosted my confidence."
He asked for a dollar more an hour, and got 50 cents. "It was a compromise," he said.
Gerda Winger, 79, a part-time hostess at Mr. Dunderbak's in Volusia Mall, still vividly recalls the first time she asked a boss for a raise.
She was in her early 20s, working as a fashion model in Sweden, and it wasn't all glamour.
"I told the owner I'd like a raise. And he said: 'What for?' I said: 'You're working me to death. If you don't give me a raise, you can kiss my heinie,' " Winger recalled with a chuckle. And he did. Give her a raise, that is.
That approach, however, is not generally recommended by human resources experts. "You want to be respectful," Basefsky said. "You don't want to ever threaten (to walk)." Sometimes an employer may truly not be able to afford to pay more money, but can offer other perks such as more flexible hours or better working conditions.
The bottom line, though, is employees are "remiss if they don't ask for rewards for their loyalty and increasingly good performance," he said.
Getting a Raise
Here are tips from experts on asking for a raise.
*Be respectful and make a request rather than a demand.
*Back up your request with facts about your performance.
*Do your own market research (available at many employment sites on the Internet), and point out what the going rate is for people in your position in your industry in your geographical area.
*If you're in a supervisory position, emphasize the success of those who report to you.
*Emphasize any additional training, education, certification, awards or praise you've received.
*Saying you need more money because of your personal situation isn't an effective argument and typically doesn't cut any ice.
SOURCE: News-Journal research
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Dateline: DAYTONA BEACH
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Record: 409476877
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Copyright: Copyright, 2005, The News-Journal Corporation
