What Do Employees Wish for Most (And How To Get It)

What do many employees wish for at work? A bonus or raise. At least that's so according to results from a recent survey developed by OfficeTeam, a global staffing service that specializes in placing administrative professionals. The telephone survey, conducted by an independent research firm in February, polled 571 men and women in the United States over the age of 18. All respondents were employed full-time in professional positions. Survey results revealed that almost half (48%) of the respondents put "a bonus or raise" at the top of their "wish list" at work.

But that wish probably doesn't surprise those of us who already feel overworked and underpaid or are in need of just a bit more money for personal financial reasons. But is that wish based in reality and if so, why isn't it happening for some of us?

Well, while I can't tell you with absolute certainty how to get a raise, I can tell you it often takes more effort than simply crossing your fingers or putting it on your "wish list".

Your first step toward getting a raise or bonus is to tackle that reality factor associated with wanting more money; that is, you must determine if and when you warrant a raise or bonus. And today's reality says that being a worker who gets to work on time, does a good job and sometimes even stays late just isn't enough to warrant bigger bucks in business. Neither is personal financial need.

"A lot of people have the misguided notion that because they're working really hard, they deserve a raise," says syndicated workplace advice columnist and leadership development consultant Joan Lloyd. "Or people think that because their personal expenses have gone up, they deserve more money." Not so, says Lloyd who owns Joan Lloyd & Associates in Milwaukee (www.joanlloyd.com).

"The bottom line is there are only two basic ways to earn more," Lloyd says. "And that's either increase the size of the job or increase the level of performance."

More specifically, Lloyd explained these two factors this way:

1. If you have roughly 20 percent more responsibility and authority in your job, you're within your rights to ask for more money, she says. That's because your job is more substantial and thus truly worth more now on the open market.

2. If your performance on the job is over and above, then a merit increase or bonus pays you for the effort and results you're getting.

And determining if or when your performance has increased relies on more than instinct or guesswork. Use methodology. Have a plan.

"At the beginning of every year after the performance review, talk about expectations [with your boss]," advises Lloyd. "Ask 'What would excellent performance look like?'" she says. And persist if your boss doesn't give you a straight answer. "Say 'I really want some examples,'" says Lloyd. "Ask 'Does it mean this? Does it mean that? How can I aim for a higher goal so that at the end of the year, I'm eligible for a bigger merit increase?'"

After that, Lloyd suggests you check in twice during the year. "Don't wait and be surprised," she says. "Check in and say 'How am I doing against what we talked about? These are the expectations you said (write them down beforehand). How am I doing against them? And if I'm not at an excellent level, please tell me how I can get there so at the end of the year I'm eligible.'"

Then if you've been getting feedback throughout the year and keeping communication channels open with your boss, his jaw won't slacken at your request for a salary increase when you make "the ask".

About two months before performance reviews, or before the appropriate budget cycle at your company if you don't have performance reviews, give your boss a heads up about your specific desire for a raise or bonus. Why? Because your boss needs time to present your case to his boss, the owner or the human resource department and to do so before the budget has been finalized for the year.

So be proactive and initiate a conversation about your performance at that time, says Lloyd. Don't stay silent, possibly indicating you're satisfied with things as is or just plain getting lost in the shuffle on your boss' to do list.

And when you ask for the raise, don't make demands or whine but rather be factual and make a very strong business case, Lloyd advises. Consider even putting your case in writing so you make it easier on your boss to restate if he must take your request to someone higher in the company.

Your case should include previously discussed expectations and how you fulfilled them and what results you attained. Or make a chart showing your responsibilities at the start of the year and your current increased responsibilities and decision-making authority.

"It should be pretty evident to the manager that you want more money and that you are open to taking on more responsibility or improving your performance," says Lloyd. "So this [salary request] shouldn't come as a surprise at the end of the year or cycle."

And before you make your case, always have a plan B. You may truly warrant a raise, and your boss may truly want to give you one. But for whatever reason, a raise may not be plausible this year at your company. So plan B could include what else you'll settle for in lieu of a raise, such as a couple more days of paid vacation, a flexible work schedule that allows you to work at home one day a week or just a spot bonus.

"If you're a good employee, bosses don't want to lose you and they feel just as badly as you do that they can't reward you for what you're doing," Lloyd says. "And the thing that worries every manager when they can't give a raise is 'Am I going to keep my good people?'" Plan B might just answer that question for both of you this year. And then next year is a whole new ballgame.

© 2004 Karen Fritscher-Porter

About The Author

Karen Fritscher-Porter is the publisher and editor of The Effective Admin, a FREE monthly e-zine for administrative support professionals who want practical tips to advance their career and simplify their daily job duties. Learn more about The Effective Admin and sign up today to receive your FREE issues full of helpful career and workplace tips at http://www.admin-ezine.com.

Note: Want to use this article in your print publication, e-zine or website? You can do so for *free* as long as you use it in its complete and unaltered form followed by the brief credit line above. I'd love to know about its usage too if you'd like to send me a link or copy at karen@admin-ezine.com.

---

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

---

Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love
Tough words..

---

Are You Winning the Talent Wars?
How many times have you heard or read, "Our employees are our greatest asset"?What are the chances of any company surviving if it cannot find the right employees - or find enough of them? In 2003 Roger Herman, Tom Olivio, and Joyce Gioia wrote in Impending Crisis that by the year 2010 the U.S.

---

Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs
Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no one wants. Or, they are those that new businesses are looking to fill.

---

Taking Job Loss Seriously
Anyone reading this article and hassuffered a job loss recently IStaking the job loss seriously. Thestages often are: 1.

---

So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct phrase these days is not "bodyguard" but personal protection specialist, executive protection specialist or close protection operative, depending on your place of training and other preferences.

---

Becoming A Police Officer Just Became Easier
As many law enforcement candidates can vouch for, taking the police entrance exam can be a stressful and highly competitive experience. I decided to research some preparation web sites and purchased several E-books on the topic to get a better understanding of what it takes to become a police officer.

---

Acceptance is the Answer to All Our Problems
Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service; many others suffer within jobs they can see no way out of. In order to survive a painful job loss - indeed, any type of painful loss - we must come to some acceptance.

---

No Experience? No Problem!
Are you a new graduate with little or no work experience?  Sometimes it can be tough to get a job without experience, and how do you get more experience if you can't get a job? Well, your chances are better than you think. Even if your work experience is a little weak, you've probably got life experience that will help you.

---

The Chicken or the Egg?
Even before I checked my calendar on Monday morning, I knew the appointment would be there. Passed over for promotion again, Ralph wanted specifics on why I hadn't chosen him for the position.

---

50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them
1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant.

---

What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist
Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs.

---

Job Search Blurts
I coined this word to draw attention to the nervous and apprehensive way of saying something in the job search that makes you feel like a buffoon. A "blurt" is a catchy way of saying: Gaffe.

---

How To Receive Payment as a Freelance Translator?
A problem most freelance translators are facing with is how to receive payment. In particular: How to receive payment for small jobs.

---

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the market for a new job right now. Perhaps.

---

Job Search Campaign Tip: An Activity Diary
Looking for a job involves a wide range of responsibilities: preparing a resume, looking at ads, contacting employers, calling and visiting friends and acquaintances, follow ups, interviews. While none of us ever plan to be out of work for very long, it can be very useful to immediately start documenting your activities and your feelings to provide a road map of where you have been and where you want to go.

---

How Important Is It To Stand Apart From Others In An Interview And How Difficult Is It?
Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these questions are the most asked by people involved with job-hunting. How important is it? Absolutely vital! ? How difficult is it? Not hard at all.

---

Dont Forget to Say, Thank You
One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to not follow up an important interview with a thank you note to the people who interviewed them. Human Resources experts note that as few as 10% of interviewees take the time to say, "thank you.

---

60 Hour Work Weeks - Can You and Your Career Survive Them
In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM.

---

20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career
You don't want to stay in your current position forever..

---

Working as a Knowledge Worker in the Information Age
The old adages: "It's not what you know, but who you know" and "High Tech, High Touch" could be the mottos of knowledge workers in the 21st Century.Never before in the history of the world has both networking and interpersonal communication been potentially easier, broader, more wide-spread and paradoxically, more difficult.

---