But I Need a Raise!

We’ve all seen the cartoon where an employee gets themselves pumped up to ask the boss for a raise. It’s often good humor, and always at the expense of the bumbling employee. They always seem to get it wrong, and we have a good chuckle as a result.

But how often do we look at that same scenario from the manager’s perspective? Not much humor there, I’m afraid. An awkward conversation with an employee rarely is.

Most companies of any size have a regularly scheduled performance review for their employees, where past performance would be assessed, and a pay increase considered. Usually, the two are connected.

When an employee request for a pay raise comes between the review cycles, a common response is to tell the employee to wait until the scheduled review. That’s why a review is scheduled in the first place, to make sure an assessment of performance and pay does take place. Everyone gets treated the same. If that wasn't happening, everyone would be asking for the same special consideration and the company’s annual review cycle would be thrown out the window.

So much for the easy part. The greater challenge is when such an off-cycle request comes in the form of a disgruntled employee who feels that they're being short-changed in some way, taken for granted or otherwise being (in their minds) underpaid.

Handling the Angry Employee

In this case telling them to wait won’t do; you must deal with the anger, as well as the cynicism that the company has been talking advantage of them.

You can be certain other employees will have their eyes and ears out for what's happening - and the respect you show for the employee.

While each employee conversation can be a unique experience for both parties, consider several pointers that might help you and the unhappy worker.

• Remind the employee that there's a process:  Start with the reminder that the company does review performance and pay levels, that there is a process. No one is being forgotten.

• Get them to talk about their qualifications:  You still need to let the employee have their say, but steer the conversation toward the employee's own capabilities, background, and experience. 

• Don't address emotional issues like need:  That’s a slippery slope that pulls the conversation away from business and into the grey area of personalities, home life and pressures from outside the work environment.

• Keep the conversation about only the employee:  While you're willing to discuss how the employee facing you is being treated, you shouldn't open the conversation as to how other employees are treated. There are too many variables at play here, but perhaps most important is that it isn't any of the employee's business.

• Show an open mind:  Never give the impression that you're only going through the motions, offering only a "courtesy" meeting. You need to genuinely listen, ask questions, and show the employee that you're prepared to listen and consider.

• Don’t get defensive:  Avoid being trapped into defending the company’s pay programs against the employee’s “research” into market pay. Company pay programs are typically developed by professionals and it's likely that the employee is using biased and simplistic figures.

• Don't get into an argument:  No one wins here, but you'll likely lose more because the court of employee opinion likely gave you one or two strikes before you came to bat.

• Don't make promises, especially if you're not authorized:  Avoid using throw away phrases like "I'll look into it" or "Let me talk to HR," unless you mean it. Unless you're going to take up the employee's issue and run with it.

Your prime goal should be to come away from the discussion where the employee has had an opportunity to have their say, you've had an opportunity to listen without pre-judgment and the points raised by both parties can be further considered. It doesn't mean that you must agree, but that effective communications have taken place. Meanwhile the employee should come away with a better understanding of the company's pay programs, where they stand and how they can improve themselves.

Chuck Csizmar CCP is the founder and Principal of CMC Compensation Group, providing global compensation consulting services to a wide variety of industries and non-profit organizations.  He is also associated with several HR Consulting firms as a contributing consultant.  Chuck is a broad-based subject matter expert with a specialty in international and expatriate compensation.  He lives in Central Florida (near The Mouse) and enjoys growing fruit and managing (?) a clowder of cats.

Creative Commons image "402 Payment Required," by Ape Lad

Comments

[E James (jim) Brennan]

Chuck is right, as usual. My very first post here was on this topic: https://www.compensationcafe.com/2010/06/i-deserve-a-raise-1.html. It lacks the solutions Chuck wisely suggests, but it anticipates the range of claims and may better prepare you for the Moment of Truth.

Best response I can recommend is, "because that is the required process and formal policy of this organization". Otherwise, look up my articles on "Fair Pay"... (hint: it always means "more!")