WHY YOU CANT GET A RAISE (my newest article)!!! #SHARE “I’ve been on my job for fifteen years and I haven’t received a raise yet. I deserve a raise. Can you coach me through what to say to get my boss to give in?” People frequently ask me questions just like this one. Unfortunately, for everyone reading this article who desires a raise, my answer is NO! I cannot provide anything to ensure that your boss will give you a raise. However, what I can do is give you a glimpse into the minds of those who are the decision makers in Corporate America. The people who authorize compensation packages, raises, and salary caps typically have general principles to which they adhere. Regardless of how controversial this article may be or how unfair you deem this information, just know that if you plan to get ahead in your career, what I’m about to tell you is extremely important for you to understand. This is Your Reasonable Service You have never been late to work. You always smile and treat the customers with the utmost respect. You are pleasant and presentable every day. You are the consummate professional. This qualifies you for a raise, right? Wrong! These things are your REASONABLE service. You will never get a raise for doing what you are supposed to do. Excellence is expected and your current check is the payment for it. Doing your reasonable service assures that you will keep your job. It doesn’t give you the right to DEMAND a raise. Your Tenure with the Company Doesn’t Justify a Raise You’ve been faithful and loyal. Your work history is very stable. You’ve been with this same company for a very long time. This qualifies you for a raise, right? Wrong! Companies determine what particular job assignments are worth. If your company has said that your particular job is only worth $15.00 per hour, it doesnt matter if you’ve been doing the job for 25 years. You will max out at $15.00 an hour. Perhaps they will start you out at $10.00 an hour and slowly increase you over time. However, once you get to the $15.00 cap, that’s it. Don’t expect a raise. You may acquire a cost of living raise due to inflation, but an increase in pay that will change your entire financial trajectory is HIGHLY unlikely. I can practically hear many you asking, “If excellence and tenure are not good enough reasons to get a raise, what must I do?” My answer is simple, yet so few people understand its importance. INCREASE YOUR VALUE 19 years ago, at the age of 16 years old, I was pushing buggies in a grocery store. I made $6.50 an hour. My job maxed out at $8.25 an hour. Once I reached the ceiling, there was no additional room to get a raise. Therefore, I had to increase my knowledge and skill set so that I could move to another level. 19 years ago, I couldnt demand a six figure base salary. I WASNT WORTH IT! Consider this: 19 years ago the company I worked for called me a buggy pusher and TRUSTED me to push buggies back into their store. That’s it! Today I’m an Executive Vice-President for a multi-billion dollar company and they trust me to lead 70,000+ partners in over 2200 locations in the U.S., with over $8 billion in sales. Companies pay based on your worth and the job you hold. I get cold calls all the time from recruiters. I dont talk to them unless the job is at least a $500,000 minimum base salary. WHY? I KNOW MY WORTH! Companies don’t pay you for tenure or dedication. They pay for what you know. The more you know and the better your skill set, the more valuable you become. The more valuable you are to a company, the more they are willing to pay. In essence, the only hindrance to your desired financial status is YOU. You have to increase yourself. When I learned this principle, I invested in myself until I earned my Ph.D. (from a very well-respected institution of higher learning), attended leadership conferences, and attended workshops to increase my skill-set. Investing in yourself is not always easy. It takes time. It takes resources. It takes extreme sacrifice. It may even cause you some sweat and tears. However, if you want to increase in value and make yourself more attractive to the decision makers, the investment will be worth it. Although I am a leadership consultant, I have a leadership coach as well. I’m regularly being sharpened. Investing in yourself is a practice that should never end. Before I end this article, I’d like to give you one more nugget that you should really take into consideration. Often times, companies will promote from within. I’m all for employees working to be promoted. Just know that if you’ve been promoted from within, the new assignment may come with a pay increase, but it will more than likely pay you less than what the job is actually worth. If they were to hire a highly credentialed individual who had no previous experience with the company, they may start that person out at a higher pay scale. Why is that? The company knows the level you just left. In many cases, they were there to assist you in learning what you’ve learned to get you to the next level. Therefore, they’ll underpay you because they’re too familiar with you. What this means is that you must be willing to GO if you want to GROW. Leaving is extremely uncomfortable, but it presents the opportunity for your true value to be noticed, respected, and compensated. Now that you have been given a glimpse into the minds of how we make decisions in Corporate America, get out there, increase your value, and remember, you will ONLY GET PAID WHAT YOU’RE WORTH! For more articles like this, like my leadership page John Moore Ministries & Leadership Consulting. Also, SHARE WITH YOUR FB FRIENDS! John Moore, Ph.D, Executive Vice-President & Board Member #SHARE #KNOWYOURWORTH #INCREASEYOURVALUE
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 17:04:57 +0000