June 23, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I'll never again try to convince my company not to be stupid. Don't get me wrong, there are times when even intelligent managers just need a simple reminder and that's fine, I have nothing against that. But if I have to pull teeth and twist arms to be kept at an industry standard compensation for well above average performance I would simply go elsewhere. I have no desire to be somewhere where every promotion or raise comes at such a cost. Also, if that is how I am managed then that's how other people are managed and it's unlikely that such a company has the talent to have a very bright future.
Also, I would not give any foreshadowing of leaving if you're considering that option. The reality is that all these crappy companies can and do manage to go on when they have their best people leave and they know that. No reason to give them an opportunity to cut you before you have something else lined up.
I stayed at a company for years and years hoping they would wake up. I finally decided to leave and immediately got an offer for more than I even requested and I get to work with bright and motivated people on a daily basis.
June 24, 2010 at 7:54 am
You need to deal with getting a raise in the same way you would in getting the job in the first place.
Write your boss a letter. Not an email; a letter on good stationery. Explain as you have here why you have earned the raise. Do not say that you deserve it. No one deserves anything. You have to earn it. Do not threaten to leave; do not threaten to reduce hours; do not threaten anything. Make your case without emotion and with good logic as to why you deserve the raise.
Wait two weeks. If the letter hasn't been acknowledged or you haven't had your review; then, find a different employer.
June 25, 2010 at 6:46 am
It sounds like you have some reasonable people at that company, so I can see why you'd like to stick around. Two employers ago, I was underpaid based on my increased responsibilities. So I sat down with my manager and we came up with a plan. We set a list of achievable goals which were very specific (get my MCDBA, consolidate two of the servers, complete this project, etc) and if I achieved them all, I'd get the raise we were looking at. If I didn't achieve it, we came up with a subset of that list and a smaller raise.
If you're hoping to get another significant raise next year, I highly recommend you talk to your manager and come up with a list of goals and a reward. Since you guys have gotten the ball rolling already, it'd be a great time to do it if you're not 100% satisfied with your salary.
I'm quite happy with my salary at my current job, so the COLA raise didn't bother me a bit.
Thank you for sharing your story, it's nice to hear about someone working hard and getting a reward. Good luck.
June 25, 2010 at 9:06 am
Steve Jones - Editor (6/18/2010)
We got COLA raises, small ones this year. Slightly more last year.
Same here. 1% max last year, 2% max this year - almost felt like telling them to keep it but the market is still somewaht depressed and I like what I do. The ONLY time I saw a significant pay raise was by leaving one job for another. It was review time, I got my percentage, went back and said I deserved/needed substantially more (as I was also starting a family). He did his best, thanked him and found better (as in 30% better - keep in mind this was years ago). Best move I ever made. It wasnt just the money either, it was a better move professionally as well.
-- You can't be late until you show up.
June 25, 2010 at 5:37 pm
If I were you I would start doing the following (as many suggested): work with your manager, but most likely it will lead you to nowhere and his promise to talk to the Senior guy is a BS. (Been there once 4 years ago)
I rarely saw people getting raises in the middle of the year( yes, it depends on the industry also) no matter how good they are.
How much of the total DBA exprience you have? Try to find out an average salary for DBA with your experience in your area. Are you within the range, above/below? Show those numbers to your boss, if it is below. Don't show if it is above 😉
Work on your resume. Being a DBA is one thing, but passing an interview is a bit different and could be quite challenging.
Start looking for a new job. I know that DBA are in a good demand now(at least in my area)
Picture your dream job and work on that. For me it took over a year to find a dream job.
Good Luck.
June 29, 2010 at 8:55 am
I did notice that in the very beginning you stated that your position was not considered a DBA position. Maybe more than the raise (which it sounds like you got) you need to be pushing for a new title of Database Administrator.
This will do three things, 1) provide satisfaction by recognition of the work you did to become a DBA, 2) position yourself for better pay in the future since a DBA makes more, 3) if you need to move to a new company, comming from a DBA position will look better.
Steve
June 29, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I want to thank everyone again for all their advice.
I did end up getting what I was after late last week. As frustrated as I was (still am a little) with having to fight so hard to get something I had already earned, it feels kind of good to have fought so hard and won.
I'm not sure what made my boss change his mind. Without my saying anything, he seemed to have a very real fear that I would have gone somewhere else. He actually said that this was no something they (the company) would want to happen. In the end, I guess the job I had done spoke for itself, and when he saw how disappointed I was, it forced him to think about it.
I'm still a little concerned that my ambition may be quickly outgrowing the company I work for. I've been moving up the ranks quickly for the last several years, and it's getting harder and harder for them to justify increases every year. Eventually, I may have to go somewhere else in order to truly realize my professional goals, and I've learned that I need to prepare for that. However, I would probably understand them not giving me a raise next year if they'd only manage my expectations better...
This last year, they encouraged me to grow professionally, then tried to hold me back financially. It's those kind of mixed messages that disheartened me the most. That, and waiting a month and a half only to have them tell me I wasn't getting a raise. They could have told me when I asked, but I'm sure they didn't want to. I think that was a bad choice on their part. They waited until I was so ready for a raise that I was almost certain I would get one... then they told me no. I don't feel that was right. It's like they wanted me to develop professionally, but didn't want to pay me more (and I was already underpaid). I understand why they would want to do this, but I'm nobody's fool. The way I was treated makes me feel as though they intentionally tried to take advantage of me. That's what I liked the least.
My formal title has been changed to "System Analyst". That's what my boss used for comparing rates, and it's actually a really good description of what I do. In truth, being a DBA is only part of my position. Professionally, they'd like to see me develop into a Senior System Analyst, with others underneath me. I like the sound of that, but I'm certainly not going to do that without adequete compensation.
--J
June 29, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Congrats, and good luck going forward. Manage your expectations this year, and be prepared to leave if that's what you think is best for your career. Nothing wrong with outgrowing a company.
June 30, 2010 at 3:16 pm
You know your situation better than I do but could it be possible that there were budget issues that your supervisor was having to deal with and maybe if he delayed your review, and hopefully, a raise commensurate with your performance, that he could get your compensation increase approved by upper management?
Some companies have strict budgets and budget cycles and managers have to contend with them.
______
My own career experience has not matched the above scenario. I have had to leave employers in order to obtain income commensurate with the contributions I've made. In one case, I left a 5 year job with an employer, worked for a year somewhere else, and then was rehired by my original employer with a 40% increase in pay. Under the strict budgeting rules that employer had, it would have taken me quite a few years of steady pay raises to realize an income increase of 40%. But as a "new hire", there was no problem with obtaining a much higher salary.
I hope this helps,
LC
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