CareerJournal.com has this attention-grabbing article – Getting a Raise From the Boss. I opened that one immediately. Then, I read this:
Complicating matters for working stiffs: Employers increasingly are doling out money based on performance, instead of giving out across-the-board raises that were more common back in the 1990s. This year, for instance, bonuses will account for 11% of payroll, Hewitt estimates, up from only 4% in 1990.
I emphasized that one part since this is a pet peeve of mine. Performance-based incentive should be the norm for all positions within a company. Almost all sales plans contain a form of variable compensation based on success. In “working stiff” terms, you eat what you kill.
Compensation is a tricky topic that seems to swing (to some degree) based on the unemployment numbers. Unemployment is low, good workers are in demand and employees know it. Fair enough. I believe this trend is going to continue as the boomers exit which will decrease the supply side of the hiring equation. Naturally, demand will increase and so will compensation.
However, the best piece of advice is found in the last sentence of the article:
“The best way to get a great raise is to do a great job,” Ms. Watson says.
All compensation discussions pivot on that most crucial point. No spreadsheet, calculator or forecast can match the power of remarkable success in the position.