2023 Raises Poll

everything is coming up Millhouse

Had a nice YE, although broader work stuff went well. If it had been a relatively forgettable year then I think I would have been a bit annoyed about the result relative to inflation.

Got the number. Nope, they aren’t taking inflation into account explicitly. The raises are a little higher this year than they’ve been running, but they aren’t close to keeping up with inflation.

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I can’t believe how many people who should know better buy the absolute bullshit corporate line that your salary increase should be completely uncoupled from inflation. That ream of paper your office bought for the printer isn’t doing any more than last year, but costs more regardless.

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The official story is that hr surveyed the industry and offers a competitive salary. I think that translates to “we picked a number high enough that we don’t expect too many people to quit and go elsewhere.”

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Our official story is that during times of 1% inflation, they were still giving out 2~3%.

I guess they may have a point, but I wasn’t there during the good days I suppose

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They ran a retention study on the people that run retention studies.

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100% agree on your interpretation. You effectively get punished if you have a tenure value that gets too high, unless you maintain fear that you might leave. I was pondering this the other day… you don’t want them to think you’re literally out the door because then they won’t bother, but you don’t want them thinking you’d never leave or why pay you at all. Gotta get that sweet middle-ground of chaotic retention risk.

Boss reconfirmed my promotion is still in the works/happening maybe (but not to get too excited because this company is being weird about expenses right now and for all I know somebody could be like WHAT THAT’S TOO EXPENSIVE ABORT!! ABORT!!!)

I would still be okay with just the name change (Senior Industry Consultant → Principal Industry Consultant). It sounds fancy and differentiates me from the seniors on my team that may or may not be producing much, much less value.

Do people still get demoted :thinking: - maybe they could just demote everybody else. Win win.

I work for a huge corporation with rules that significantly restrict managerial judgement regarding stuff like raises. Mostly, that’s probably a good thing. But it means it doesn’t make a lot of difference if you manager thinks you might leave. What matters is if HR thinks a lot of people like you might leave.

You and Woody…and Sam…and Carla…

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Agree with @Loner

i learned in my first job that the annual review process was a stare down. employee had a number in mind like “if I don’t get $X i will be pissed and leave.”

Corporation/HR took a long sip from a soda while staring back at you. slides a piece of paper across the table that is some smaller portion of $X and shrugs to communicate “whaddaya gonna do about it?”

they need to find the number that keeps you there and reasonably productive (assuming you are deemed worth keeping) and not $0.01 more.

I have been pleasantly surprised by my annual review approximately 4 times in over 20 years. and two of those 4 were off-cycle adjustments I shouldn’t really count bc i had no idea they were coming. Likely bc they guessed wrong on the threshold that kept people present and people were actually leaving en masse (while I was proving them right by still being there).

I’ve received “exceeds expectations” 10 years, I have received “meets expectations” 5 years, and the raises I’ve gotten every year have been pretty consistent regardless. And the bonuses have really not varied much either. It sucks.

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If they can abuse you like this, you can shove it right back! Jump that ship, get your 50% raise, and be happy.

I don’t want to leave my company. So I put up with the crappy raises and throw parties for the people who do choose to leave.

I know how to make more money, and choose not to. There’s a lot more to work than salary, and I prioritize the other stuff. It’s still discouraging, sure, but overall, I’m happy where I am and I’ve never worked at a company where I was happier.

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When everybody is special . . .

Then no one is.

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then that’s all that matters!

that’s nice!

Where are these ships to jump into? Does it help if I go YARRRR like a pirate?