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Let me get this out of the way first. Yes, I'm glad I have a job in this job market.
However, I was just figuratively slapped in the face by my employer. I started in August 2011 at this place. My first merit increase for the first five months I worked there was 2%. I was told that it was relatively low because I only worked for five months out of the year. In 2012, I was thrown under a new supervisor in September. Over time, I started realizing that he did not like me much. He never stood up for me and he was always willing to throw me under the bus. He left at the beginning of this month for a new position in the company. So essentially, he was my supervisor for a mere four months out of the entire 2012 year.
I just found out that he gave me a generous 1.99% merit increase. I asked my new supervisor what the target for the company was and she said it was 3%. Wow! This guy gave me a pretty decent performance review. I even got the highest rating you can get in one area (an Outstanding). Then I get this slap in the face. I got a lower merit increase this year (for 12 months) than I did for my first year, in which I worked only five months. How is this even possible? Not to mention, I busted my butt last year, I even helped a co-worker out who was drowning in my own free time (outside of work; and I told him this). And the stress...don't get me started about the stress I had to deal with.
The wind in my sails has gone away completely. I'm moving across country next week, with this job, and I'm going to immediately start looking for a new job. In the meantime, please make me feel better about this.
Should you let it be known that you don't agree with this raise? Especially given the fact that the company target is 3% for its employees. Anything less than that is like saying that you didn't do a good job, right? And I know that's not true, given my own evaluation of my work and given the evaluation my supervisor (at the time) gave me just a few weeks ago.
And to think, I gave this guy a ride to the airport at my own expense when he was here to visit. What a fool I was.
I used to work for state government. There were years where the only way to get a raise was to get promoted, because there was no money in the budget for raises. In such an austere environment, it helps to be prepared to not just do your job well, but to be looking for opportunities to justify your employer promoting you to a bigger job.
Most of the people I worked with were only focused on doing their jobs well. They had the same job there for their entire careers. I did my job well and I got promoted twice.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Our annual performance raise cap is determined every year at budget time, currently 3.5%. The budget assumes that only about 10-15% of employees will get that. The rating of outstanding means more than just being able to do your work accurately and in a timely manner and have good attendance. It's reserved for someone that is innovative, comes up with money-saving ideas, prevents a crisis, or otherwise makes the company a lot of money, beyond their normal job duties. With many companies and public agencies freezing pay and all the recent layoffs, I would think you are lucky to have gotten a 2% raise followed by the 1.99% raise. Many others are getting by on the same pay with higher costs and taxes. Your raise at least covers the increased medicare payments. Our performance reviews are written but then discussed by the employee and manager, and the amount can be negotiated, though the manager has the final decision.
Should you let it be known that you don't agree with this raise? Especially given the fact that the company target is 3% for its employees. Anything less than that is like saying that you didn't do a good job, right? And I know that's not true, given my own evaluation of my work and given the evaluation my supervisor (at the time) gave me just a few weeks ago.
I'm not sure what that would achieve.
What I would advise, if you want to stay with the company, is to define with your current supervisor what is needed to attain Outstanding ratings in all eval categories and set them as goals/objectives. If once you're rated as Outstanding and the raises are still meager, then it's time to leave.
I'm not sure what that would achieve.
What I would advise, if you want to stay with the company, is to define with your current supervisor what is needed to attain Outstanding ratings in all eval categories and set them as goals/objectives. If once you're rated as Outstanding and the raises are still meager, then it's time to leave.
I did get an Outstanding in one area. I felt that I deserved at least a Higher than Expected in another area because I went well out of my way to help another co-worker who was struggling. Yet, I was still given an Expected Contribution overall. The problem I think is that I work regionally. My supervisor and department manager see me once or twice a year at best. I don't feel like they are able to properly evaluate me in this situation. That said, I no longer have any interest in working for a company that is structured this way. Too often you fall off their radar, and are only recognized if something bad happens. My last job was set up the same way. I'm done with that.
What were the overall ratings like, as in the average?
I think there were five areas being measured. In one area, I got an Outstanding. In another area, I strongly felt that I should have received a Higher than Expected because I spent time outside of work helping my struggling co-worker. But he only gave me an Expected Contribution. Overall, I guess it averaged to be Expected Contribution, because that's what I got as an overall score.
Again, I strongly feel that this is a result of working remotely from your management. When they see you every day, see what you're doing (good and bad), they can get a better feel for how your performance is. When all they have to go off of are some measurable stats and a bunch of qualitative assessments, it's not good enough to know what type of worker you are. That's my opinion, at least.
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