Asking for a Raise

Tuco_sl said:

I really hate that fact. It takes most people a year at a company before you can really start producing good work, and when you're in for two years you know much more about the dynamics of the company and what can be done. Plus I love my job (5yrs in) but wonder if I could make more if I switched.

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Doesn't hurt to look around and find out.

I'm never actively looking for a new job but my resume is always up to date and I never turn down a recruiter who approaches me with a possibly interesting position.

I've increased my salary by over 100% in the last 5 years but have only changed companies once in that time. I've almost tripled my salary in the past 8, also with only one job change. Some of that was leverage after another company made me an offer I could not ignore and my current company wanted to keep me so they bumped my pay. Twice I've simply asked for large raises based on my performance, responsibilities, work load and merits of my own work. I simply stated my case and the company agreed. One of those requested raises was for $25k more, which they ponied up for.

You don't HAVE to switch companies to get more money, I just think most people are more comfortable asking for more money from a company they have no ties to because they have some strange feeling of remorse/unloyalty in doing so with their current company.

We get the typical 3-6% merit-based raises every year here, but otherwise you can't even really ask. It's the problem with being with such a large company. There are bonuses you get based on goals and also employee recognition, but that's about it.

Just got a company wide email we're getting 1.5%. I'll have been there 2 years now and this is the only adjustment thus far.

I worked it out and at this rate in 2054 when i retire i'll be making the equivalent of 12,300 a year.

My question has to deal with new employment instead of asking for a raise but it is close enough.

So over the last week or so I have started to apply for new jobs and usually when I am asked for an in person interview after the phone interview, I start to REALLY research the company. One of the tools I like to use is Glassdoor (although I never bring that up during the interview).

My question is this. How much "weight" should I put on the reviews for the company at Glassdoor. Am I safe to assume that most reviews are bad due to people going there because they are pissed off / go to vent? Everyone is different and a million different things could have happened so what should I look for? Should I look at the volume of reviews per the size of the company more so then the actual reviews themselves?

Thanks

Glassdoor is only reliable if the company hires only professionals IMO. Entry level positions = shitty people do shitty jobs get fired and write shitty reviews. A Sr. Engineer is not going to disparage without cause or take the time to shit-post.

How do you guys handle interviewing in a relatively small field where people tend to know each other? I think I can move up to a higher paying job but am worried that when I start interviewing my current boss is going to find out about it pretty quickly. I'm worried that when she hears about it that she's going to line up a replacement and then fire me so if the interviews go south I won't have a job at all.

I don't be scared.

Xequecal_sl said:

How do you guys handle interviewing in a relatively small field where people tend to know each other? I think I can move up to a higher paying job but am worried that when I start interviewing my current boss is going to find out about it pretty quickly. I'm worried that when she hears about it that she's going to line up a replacement and then fire me so if the interviews go south I won't have a job at all.

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I've dealt with this twice now, and I think you should be fairly certain that either: a) you'll get the new job you interview for, or b) your current job won't be super pissed at you interviewing elsewhere. Both times I've interviewed at direct competitors of my current gig I was lucky enough to get the job, fortunately. However, the resentment was palpable at my current place between when I interviewed and when I got an official offer from the new place (2ish weeks in both cases). I have no doubt that if I hadn't gotten the new jobs, I would have been on the chopping block at the current place.

Also, don't believe for a second that word won't get around. In both my job switches I was as secret as could be about interviewing for a new position (and in fact, in the second instance I never even sent a single email about it; I lined it all up through informal telephone calls and face-to-face conversations), but word STILL got around at my current place that I had interviewed elsewhere.

I use glassdoor as a baseline for salary and read some reviews, but I think what I've found is most people putting reviews on glassdoor are people that have left the company - not people still working there. So keep that in mind.

My position had a median salary of $60k/year and I wound up at the top of the range (Told to me by my manager after I left his roup) at $76k. It gave me a good idea of what would be acceptable for an offer from them though.

This mainly applies to IT based jobs for medium/large size companies but you can also look up official salairies at sites likeH1B Data 2015If you know peoples hire date you can get specific people's salaries too.

Regarding salaries for negotiations I tend to use theRobert Half salary guide. I have a feeling that what you use to judge salaries could be industry specific.

Xequecal_sl said:

How do you guys handle interviewing in a relatively small field where people tend to know each other? I think I can move up to a higher paying job but am worried that when I start interviewing my current boss is going to find out about it pretty quickly. I'm worried that when she hears about it that she's going to line up a replacement and then fire me so if the interviews go south I won't have a job at all.

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They will find out. You will have to be either open with your boss or not care about potential ramifications. This really depends on your performance/value and the breadth of any issues you have with your current employer. In an ideal spot, you could be open with your boss that you are looking to move up and appreciate the opportunities you've gotten here but are going to apply for advancement at a company with open positions.

As an employer I don't worry about it, though. I want people to be where they want to be and be successful at what they want to do. If it is talent that I want to retain I'll find a position for them. If they do a good job but want to move on to other opportunities that we don't have available at the moment, more power to them.

Either way, I'd rather someone who wants to leave, leave.