Asking for a raise
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- utopian0
What would "Fouty" ask for?
- He'd fail to turn up at the meeting!Continuity
- 190k + benefitsukit2
- d_rek0
Currently I am at a large company (2000+ employees globally).
Our company's raise structure allows for a 6% maximum increase from your base salary per year.
The last two years I have asked for double - 12%. The first year I received 7.5% and the second I received 6%.
Both years I have written out an informal list of accomplishments of the previous year and things I (think) I need to work on, along with whatever annual performance review sheets I am required to fill out.
Previously I was at a small studio (10 employees). Raises were almost completely out of the question and rarely given. Three years running I requested a raise... only to be denied.
Realizing that I had hit my pay ceiling at the studio I decided I needed to jump ship. My jump to the current job yielded a nearly 27% increase from my previous salary. While the client work at the small studio was, on paper, more lucrative the pay was subpar for the area.
I have discussed with several colleagues about bonuses and raises in the creative industry. From a pure word-of-mouth standpoint it seems that changing jobs is the only surefire way to guarantee a decent salary increase.
I've also heard that employers rarely match salaries when designers are entertaining other offers. It's nice to thing that you may be able to utilize another offer as a bargaining chip to get a salary increase, but most employers are happy to let you go and hire someone for the same pay or cheaper.
With all that said it certainly doesn't hurt to ask. At worse they'll say no and at best you'll get a raise. Just try to be realistic about what you're asking for. Lateral movement in a company rarely results in a significant pay bump. Vertical movement typically does, but it depends on the company. Sadly, I know that I make more than a handful of the 'Managers' here who are technically higher in the pecking order.
- I just had my annual review and it was off the chains, I am hoping to get at least a 6% salary increase!utopian
- Off tha chain yo, off tha chizzy.d_rek
- Heh, it's as absurd as it sounds. But that's what happens in large, beauracratic companies.d_rek
- Yep. More often than not you need to move to a new company.studderine