Appraisal Upcoming - Advice Please

[amusingduck]

Hello All,

I've got my first proper appraisal coming up this month and I'm just looking for some advice for anything I might not have considered.

Backstory - I work in the IT dept of a manufacturing company. I had a placement year with the company and then continued my employment after the year started.

Though my role is very varied, my main focus is developing the ERP software the company uses. This development is not a part of my job specification. My current job spec is a general IT technician, whereas my actual role is more of a developer.

I've done my research, and developer jobs for this software tend have salary ranges of 8-13k more than I currently earn. In my appraisal I was planning to try and negotiate a 10k rise and promotion to developer, or perhaps 5k with targets to be reviewed in 6 months for the other half.

I've achieved a lot during the year, and I have the full support of my manager for a proper salary. Unfortunately he does not control the purse strings!

For the appraisal I have prepared my 'evidence' that I'm doing well, the projects that I've succeeded with, documented impeccable timekeeping and attendance, job adverts for similar jobs at similar salaries, average salary for this developer role, general work ethic and ambition etc.

I'm not worried about presenting a strong enough case, though I am slightly concerned that I will be relying on my Managers boss to make my case for me to the FD.

My real concern is that I'm essentially asking for a 10k payrise, which is a huge jump considering I'm only paid £17k at the moment.

Does anyone have any suggestions or success stories/past mistakes from similar situations?

Thanks!

[Brigand]

Sounds like you're already on target with what you want; you have a figure in mind, but more importantly you have evidence to back up your request.

I was in the same situation during my appraisal last year - I had two sheets of paper containing what I've done, what I could do, and where I think things could be done better. Like your situation, my manager didn't control the purse strings, and although he took it under consideration, the proposal fell flat on its face a few months later when my rise, but more importantly my ideas were utterly rejected by those at the top.

Good luck with your proposal though, keep a confident attitude, take what they say on board and at the right time you can put your side of the talk across. Appraisals are as much a chance for you to assess your place in the company as much as it is them assessing you!

[Gargamel]

I would say 10k in one hit is unlikely.

I prefer your approach of asking for 5k now (still more than a 25% increase) with another similar size at the next pay review. as you joined as a grad big increases aren 't unachieveable. but they will be sensitive to other employees too.

[Odie]

My advice is dont bother, you either need to apply for a developer role internally or the better option would be to use your experience and knowledge to apply for many many roles externally.

Keep good records of what you do and have a comprehensive and clear record on your CV.

While your doing the job for 17k they arent going to pay you 27k thats not how business works. Its all about the profit.

As for your boss being behind you 100%, he isnt, he is more worried about how he is perceived by his boss and the board. Who's payrise do you think he cares more about, yours or his own?

[maniac886]

I would agree with the advice above, a 10K rise will be unlikely but there is no harm trying to go for it.

I was in a fairly similar situation last year, I had asked for a rise based on working above and beyond what I had been asked to do and exceeding my targets. The manager was in agreement but the senior management were having none of it.

In the end I moved teams within the same company, with added responsibility and have managed to secure a little over 30% raise.

You are defiantly going about it in the correct way. If you do not obtain what you expect there is no harm applying for roles elsewhere, that is what I would do anyway in your position.

[amusingduck]

Thanks for the replies everyone.


I think my situation is moderately strong one, there are only 2 other people including my boss supporting several sites, and my boss is the only other person who develops our ERP system.

If I decided to move on, it would put my boss under a lot of strain being the only developer. The company would need another developer, leaving them 2 choices; hire someone for roughly what I'm asking for, or hire someone for less and train them up (leading to the underpaid situation that I'm in)

Logically what I'm asking for is fully justifiable. I doubt in practice it will work out that way, but there's no harm in trying!

[spikeyhead]

An appraisal should be about how well you are doing and how you're going to be measured over the year.

Matters related to pecuniary emolument should be secondary within the appraisal process and not it's primary aim.

If an employee of mine were to focus solely on his pay through an appraisal I'd mark him down for it.

[Odie]

spikeyhead said:

An appraisal should be about how well you are doing and how you're going to be measured over the year.

Matters related to pecuniary emolument should be secondary within the appraisal process and not it's primary aim.

If an employee of mine were to focus solely on his pay through an appraisal I'd mark him down for it.

I sort of agree but it surely depends on how it was approached.

[Odie]

amusingduck said:

Thanks for the replies everyone.


I think my situation is moderately strong one, there are only 2 other people including my boss supporting several sites, and my boss is the only other person who develops our ERP system.

If I decided to move on, it would put my boss under a lot of strain being the only developer. The company would need another developer, leaving them 2 choices; hire someone for roughly what I'm asking for, or hire someone for less and train them up (leading to the underpaid situation that I'm in)

Logically what I'm asking for is fully justifiable. I doubt in practice it will work out that way, but there's no harm in trying!

Logic doesnt come into it, profit does. They will bank on you not leaving, when you hand your notice in their ass may start to twitch but they will survive without you, no one is irreplaceable in the eyes of directors. Profit is their only concern nothing else.

[amusingduck]

spikeyhead said:

An appraisal should be about how well you are doing and how you're going to be measured over the year.

Matters related to pecuniary emolument should be secondary within the appraisal process and not it's primary aim.

If an employee of mine were to focus solely on his pay through an appraisal I'd mark him down for it.

Good point. I'll keep that in mind.

[amusingduck]

Odie said:

Logic doesnt come into it, profit does. They will bank on you not leaving, when you hand your notice in their ass may start to twitch but they will survive without you, no one is irreplaceable in the eyes of directors. Profit is their only concern nothing else.

I see where you're coming from. I like working here, so I'm keen to stay here if possible. Whilst I'm certainly not irreplaceable, our systems are heavily customised and would take a few years for someone new to catch up with everything I've learnt here.

I'm in two minds about hinting towards finding new employment. On the one hand I think it could add weight to my position, but should it backfire I'd be much worse off. Do you have any thoughts?

[Odie]

amusingduck said:

I see where you're coming from. I like working here, so I'm keen to stay here if possible. Whilst I'm certainly not irreplaceable, our systems are heavily customised and would take a few years for someone new to catch up with everything I've learnt here.

I'm in two minds about hinting towards finding new employment. On the one hand I think it could add weight to my position, but should it backfire I'd be much worse off. Do you have any thoughts?

Hinting your going to leave wont make a bit of difference. You have to realise the board, your boss and other senior managers dont give a fk about you or your wages except that any money they pay you isnt profit.

I had a colleague leave because he couldnt afford to pay his mortgage, the management didnt care, even after he presented them with masses of evidence of his 'commitment' to the company and the hardship that he was under at home. He found alternative employment, same role 10k more a year wages so similar position to you.

Im in the same postion as you aswell and have been through what your proposing, I just feel like I wasted my time, I even proposed a job title change instead of a payrise and my boss said it was a great idea, but HR said it couldnt be done. In reality my boss never even approached HR about it.


Ive now pulled back on doing any work above and beyond.

[Gargamel]

Odie, certainly raises some interesting points, but perhaps is quite cynical in outlook.

Some firms do care, after all without employees there is no profit.

As ever there is a balance, if the employer takes the piss, as Odie points out you get a cynical, unmotivated workforce.

That in my view is the worst working environment.

[Odie]

Yep im cynical, but after the amount of times ive been lied to blatently. I think most people would find it hard to be cynical.