In the past decade, has anybody had any luck with asking for a raise? (job offer, employee)

[Svatos]

And I don't mean bargaining for a wage increase (i.e. using another job offer as leverage). I mean just going into your bosses office and telling him/her you deserve a raise and this is why. In this day and age, is there any point in doing that? Or should people just assume they need to job hop if they want to see any increase in salary?

Some of my friends, family and co-workers have gone several years without a raise, so I'm curious if this is a widespread phenomenon. Particularly in a time where headlines read along the lines: "Companies See Record Profits", I question the morality of witholding the workers' cut of the profits after their obvious increase in productivity and efficiency (doing the jobs of more than one person, etc.)

[EdJS]

Originally Posted by Svatos

And I don't mean bargaining for a wage increase (i.e. using another job offer as leverage). I mean just going into your bosses office and telling him/her you deserve a raise and this is why. In this day and age, is there any point in doing that? Or should people just assume they need to job hop if they want to see any increase in salary?

Some of my friends, family and co-workers have gone several years without a raise, so I'm curious if this is a widespread phenomenon. Particularly in a time where headlines read along the lines: "Companies See Record Profits", I question the morality of witholding the workers' cut of the profits after their obvious increase in productivity and efficiency (doing the jobs of more than one person, etc.)

Indeed, I did it once successfully, just about nine years ago.

A co-worker left the company, and I was called into a meeting with my boss. She told me that I was going to have to take on that person's responsibilities. I said that in that case I would like to have my pay increased in accordance with my new role. She thought about for a few minutes and then said that seemed reasonable. So I received an instant raise of about 25%.

[dnvrsoul]

I used to get a raise every year-and a bonus...working for a big company had its advantages....

Now I've only been at this job two months-once my probation is over I'm going to ask for a raise. I do a lot of work and I've learned my job quickly-not much but a little bump would be nice...

[iliketrains]

My company gives yearly merit bonuses plus bonus. In 2009 they decided to not give any raises and or bonuses but in return, they didn;t do any recession layoffs and only raised our health insurance slightly. I guess I'm lucky.

[slackjaw]

I was hired at my current job in January, and it is a small growing company with no formal review process in place so I've been kicking around the idea of at least finding out what their plans are regarding merit/cola increases. I'd probably be willing to go two years at most with same salary before I'd go work somewhere else.

[MSchemist80]

I'm afraid raises are a thing of the past. Job hopping is the only way to do it.

[AnonChick]

Part of the last decade I was in a collective bargaining unit (union) and we didn't ask for raises, they came automatically whether the employee deserved it or not.

Part of it, I worked for Burger King, and got a raise every time I asked for it, though one time it was only 15 cents. I told the store manager it would've been less insulting if he had just told me I had to wait for my next raise. I then learned that the only way the franchise owner -would- give out a raise at all, is if he was asked for one. If you don't ask him, you never get one. It never came for good work, or for yearly anniversaries.

Part of it, the boss gave me a raise before I had to ask for it.

And part of it I was working temp jobs and got paid according to the temp company's contract with the client.

[Svatos]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

I'm afraid raises are a thing of the past. Job hopping is the only way to do it.

Well, I'm sort of thinking that they may just be more difficult to obtain. See, I'm starting to realize that many companies today won't just give you a raise for being a good employee or taking on additional responsibilities. It seems now you have to A) ask for one, B) have some kind of leverage in some cases (e.g. another job offer) and C) be seen as a long term asset, which has probably always been the case anyhow.

I've received two raises in the past two years, but they were only made possible when I threatened to leave for another job I was offered. OTOH, I have a friend in NY that just requested an $18k raise without having another job offer. I have not yet heard of the results, but it will be interesting to see what she gets, if anything.

[EdJS]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

I'm afraid raises are a thing of the past. Job hopping is the only way to do it.

Not true: I got a raise just this year. Admittedly, it was a small one: Only about 2%. But it was a raise.

[hnsq]

I have done this twice, and was successful both times. I did not walk into my boss's office and point-blank ask for a raise, though. I looked up the job description of the position one step higher than me, spent six months volunteering for extra projects so that when I walked into my boss's office I already was doing the job of someone who had the raise. Then I told my boss "I would like to get a promotion in the next six months. What do I need to do to meet that goal?" My boss thought about it and told me that when he really thought about it, I did deserve the raise. Both times, I ended up getting it.

Never say "I deserve a raise". It puts your boss on the defensive. Ask what you need to do to get a raise, and make your boss realize you deserve it. That way they feel like they are 'developing young talent', and they feel better about themselves in the process.