Asking for a raise

LeeR

I work in the health care field, private, for profit. Since I have been here we have grown from 500 to 800 staff and from three locations to eight locations. No increases in HR staff. Work comp and turnover have dropped significantly. I have become PHR certified and am nearly finished with my MBA. Any suggestions on how to approach the Administrator. Question #2 what is the best way to determine where my pay should be? Most surveys etc indicate I am very underpayed.

TX Annie

Schedule a meeting and take the numbers with you to show what you have accomplished. Also, take the wage survey information with you along with your PHR certificate. If none of that works, you will know where you stand.

HRinNH

...you mean underpaid? Sorry, it's the secretary in me.

What does the Employment Security office say is the going wage for HR in your immediate area? They usually publish a yearly report that is available for the asking. It may not work, as in my case, but it's worth a try.

marc

Your personal growth is to be commended. Combine that with the growth of the company and you have a compelling situation. All that said, when you go in for an unscheduled raise it is good to have a plan B. It may be that you are more horsepower than the company needs or they may not value the position as much as they should. In any case, if they are not receptive to an increase or only allow a small increase - you may find yourself maximizing your potential somewhere else.

I personally don't like to play brinksmanship, but sometimes it has to happen.

Crout

So I'm guessing you had something to do with the lower Comp and increased retention...correct? Or did it just magically happen? It's a for-profit company, so you also need to know how they're doing financially with all that expansion. Also, did you pay for your PHR and MBA, or did the company pay for it? You might also be able to get salary data directly from your State Department of Labor.

Don D

He doesn't have a State Department of Labor and the Employment Security Department 'publishes' data that are at minimum 18 months old and composed of a small, underrepresentative sample. I not only worked for that state agency for some time but also have years of frustration with their data from a private industry perspective.

Don't overlook the only real tool you have, which is self marketing. You must sell yourself to your boss from the perspective of your value in the relevant labor market area; which is to say make sure you are perceived as marketable, mobile, valuable, available and packed. It never hurts to slip it into the mix that you've been contacted by headhunters who have sought you out.

ritaanz

Don, I agree with all of the above except being contacted by a headhunter. The last thing I want to hear is the threat of an employee leaving for greener pastures.

Give me the facts, show me you are loyal and enjoy working here. Do not hold a gun to my head.

Don D

If you word it properly and carefully it won't be seen as a threat, only as another fact in the mix. It got me an 11% increase several years ago.

Nat

The last time I asked for a raise, I had taken on extra duties that were signigicantly different than my HR duties (fundraising) but I think the same thing applies here, because essentially you have taken on significant duties by not increasing the size of your staff. Before asking for a raise for yourself though, you might want to evaluate the situtation and see if you need an additional person or will a raise make it worth your while. If you decide on a raise for yourself, what I find successful is to put on paper exactly how much an increase to you will cost the company compared to hiring an additional person. You will need to calculate salary plus fringes for your increase plus what the additional staff would cost, (i.e. worker's comp, unemployment, FICA, etc.) You also need to include the decrease in turnover and increase in retention if you were part of the solution to these problems. Anything that you can include to show you have helped the bottom line is necessary. Both times I have done this I have gotten the raise. You will need to decide if face-to-face or written memo is better based on your boss. Both of mine responded better to a memo and only wanted to talk to me face-to-face to tell me I got the raise. Good luck.

bamahr

I scheduled a meeting with my boss, made my argument, good employee, we have grown, projects, etc... - I gave him a % for my increase - he said no and gave me more walked out with an 8% increase. I did not threaten, just stated facts. Good Luck

Don D

So Lee, how much is the tag on that new car??

LeeR

no new car, feel that increases in responsibilty should come with increases in pay. you know how it is here.