This is an anonymous question sent in by a member who does not want their name disclosed. Please be thoughtful with your responses, as these are usually tough questions to ask and answer.
I've only been at my company for seven months but we're a small startup and a lot has happened since I joined. Not only have I taken on a great deal of responsibility, I've also started managing other engineers. While I'm really enjoying my work and don't mind the long hours, I'm wondering if I should be asking for a raise.
Half the people I talk to say that I should wait until the one year mark (and use these responsibilities as part of a super strong argument), but the other half say I should address it immediately. I don't want to 'sell myself short' but I also don't want to come off as a selfish team player. And when it comes down to it, I'm perfectly happy with how much I'm making now. Have you been in this situation before?
Top comments (7)
If you weren't managing other engineers 7 months ago and you are now, your job role is different! A raise usually accompanies a promotion, right?
If there's a feeling that you're undervalued in a company, whether it's in terms of pay, benefits, or some intangible, I think it becomes a creeping red flag. Feelings are the first indicator of something going wrong, and while often times emotions are just emotions, if that cognitive dissonance is persistent then you got yourself a good indication that there's something not right.
As @taghatle mentioned, you also have more responsibilities! You're doing more than what you originally accepted an offer for, and that alone means you should be paid more, or compensated more somehow.
I'd agree with the others that if your role has changed you should expect a compensation change. Having said that, I'd suggest talking to your manager first. Explain that you are doing more than you were originally hired for. If he agrees, you should discuss increasing your compensation. However in a startup they might just see this as "all hands on deck" pitching in. In which case I'd leave the conversation to your year-end evaluation. Depends a lot on the company culture.
As the saying goes, a closed mouth does not get fed. You should not wait to bring the matter up in discussions with your managers. It's easy for a manager in an environment like the one you describe to let important but not necessarily urgent matters go unaddressed. You may not get the raise right away – they may wait until you've been there a year (or at all, to be honest), but it never hurts to have your managers know exactly what your expectations are. Your managers should also be clarifying what their expectations are of you, and if these responsibilities have been added to your plate without also clarifying the expectation changes, then that's something they should be clearing up. And keep in mind – not every factor controlling salary increases is in the immediate control of your managers, so maybe they'll be able to immediately respond in the way you would like and maybe they won't. But by setting the tone for clarify, they should step up to respond in kind.
While I agree that you should bring it up ASAP, it will be more impactful if you can show what you mentioned with data points. For example, instead of saying, I am leading team of engineers, explain how your leadership has helped your company achieve their crucial goals. Explain the value you bring vs. Demanding raise because of a position.
Best of luck.
I'm currently on the same page as you :) :)
If you start thinking about it, it means you are not happy with your compensation. If I was your employer I would like to know it, before you start looking for another job.