Q & A Table of Contents
Compensation and Performance Reviews
From: Public Relations person
Portland, Oregon
Question: I am coming up on my first compensation and performance review after a year with my current employer. I believe that I have not only been a good employee but have demonstrated my value to the company and our clients. I am currently making below the national average starting wage for my position. The national average starting wage for public relations is 24,900, I am currently making 21,000. I would like to know how to successfully negotiate a salary for my level of experience.
Response: In addition to what follows, I would recommend you take a look at other questions and answers on our TNSC Helpline for more ideas.
Your approach to your supervisor should be based on consideration of the interests involved: yours, the supervisor's, other people with jobs like yours within your company, and the company itself.
Examining your interests should include money, job satisfaction, other tangible and intangible benefits, your long-term commitment to this company or community, etc. The supervisor's interests may include budget limits, demonstrable profitability of your work, his/her relationship with superiors and subordinates, etc. Is your pay range and compensation package in line with other folks at your level or with similar jobs? How will any modification of your situation have an impact on their interests? For the company, you need to consider what benefits are derived from your work, both within the organization and in relationship to outside clients, suppliers, competitors.
The range of interests you consider has to be viewed as a series of assumptions. As you most likely know, when you assume there's a risk the assumption can 'make an ASS of U and ME'. So even though you make a best guess of the interests listed above, remember they are assumptions. The questions you ask based on those assumptions work as a reality check. If an assumption is incorrect, dump it and go forward.
While your $21K salary is below the national average of $24.9K, it is important to know how that relates to the local job market. How easy might it be for you to find more remunerative work in the same market if you were to change employers? How easily could your supervisor find a more or less equally qualified replacement at the same or lower salary? Answers to these questions give you a clearer sense of the balance of power in the negotiation.
Have you kept records of your achievements over the past year? Have there been interim (e.g. quarterly or monthly) performance reviews of your work? If your boss has been putting 'good stuff' in your personnel file, that's important to know.
When you start the actual process, try to ask questions and listen attentively. Someone has said that we were given two ears and one mouth -- and should use them in that ratio. Paying close attention to what your supervisor tells you, particularly in response to respectful questions, may help you formulate responses that really hit the nail on the head in terms of what your boss is looking for.
Finding out what kind of career & compensation ladder is available can help you determine whether focusing on the short-term or long-term is more useful.
Clearly the issue is doing a good job of preparation regarding the substantive issues. If you prepare well on those issues, you should arrive emotionally well-prepared as well.
Please let me know if you have additional questions. Good luck with your review and your raise.
Good luck and good negotiating, Steve.
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