Let’s face it: Many jobs have stagnant salaries and little capacity to grow or ladder within a company. Coupled with increasing consumer prices, not to mention gasoline and mortgage costs, surviving on a diminishing income is an understandable—and real—concern.

Alumni often seek my advice about finding a job that offers greater incentives and a better livelihood. They are frequently motivated because a baby is on the way or a home mortgage has become crushing or they feel trapped because of income stagnation. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that employers are never motivated to give you a raise based on your perceived need.  So you lost money in Wendover or spent too much on your vacation in Cancun? Don’t expect sympathy from a bottom line-oriented, tight-fisted manager.

Prior to lobbying your boss for a raise, there are a couple of things you need to consider:  

• While you might actually be successful and receive bonus pay, a raise, and/or a promotion for your efforts, conversely you could discover that you are less valued than you had imagined. In that case, the discussion between you and your employer only serves as a reality check.
• You may discover that your boss has been thinking about eliminating your job or replacing you; thus, the discussion only serves to ease the way to point out your lack of performance. 

Remember: Asking for a raise is a high stakes game— not to be played by the faint-hearted.

So, how do you leverage your skills and talk to your boss about an increase in financial compensation?  One answer is the Performance Review.  No, not the staid traditional review handed out once a year by your department head or human resources—the one that keeps you operating exactly the way you were before the review.  Instead, the “Performance Review” I’m talking about involves devising an effective strategy, which is contingent on your ability to plan, command, and initiate. You must take control and be prepared to strut your stuff in order to increase your chances of success. 

Question: What can you do to convince your boss that you are a valuable, high-performing employee?

Answer(s):

1. Be able to present hard data—facts and figures that support and document your work performance.
2. Prepare a script containing corroborating evidence that demonstrates your value to the company.

By so doing, you are actively influencing the outcome.

So, where to begin? Following is a crib sheet to help you get organized:

1. Outline the obstacles, challenges, hurdles, and problems facing you in your job the coming year.
2. List three to four things you plan to implement to overcome these hurdles. Provide sufficient detail but don’t bury your boss in minutiae.
3. Be prepared to discuss how your approach will be beneficial and/or profitable for the organization.
4. Review your accomplishments during the past year, including overcoming obstacles and achieving results.  (The word “results” is the critical word here. If you haven’t achieved any significant results, then read no further. You haven’t a prayer at this point). Highlight the challenges—the way you addressed them and how this resulted in progress (boosted revenues, reduced expenses, extended outreach, etc.).

Your job in this “Performance Review ” is to control the discussion so that you can influence the outcome. This type of strategy demonstrates careful planning and an understanding of the company—and the reality of the situation. 

Need strategies to be more successful in the workplace?
Contact Julie Swaner, Program Manager, Alumni Career Services
jswaner@sa.utah.edu, (801) 585-5036

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