The best managers know when it’s time to increase someone’s pay. But Reddit user u/8bitmorals’s boss is far from perfect.
When they finally summoned the courage to ask for a raise (something people put in a lot of thought and agonizing before), not only did they receive a very low offer but had to justify themselves and their work, as if the results were not enough.
So u/8bitmorals resigned. After all, their “jobs pretty much run themselves.” However, as soon as the manager heard the news, they had a sudden change of mind.
Image credits: Scott Graham (not the actual photo)
Image credits: 8bitmorals
We managed to get in touch with u/8bitmorals and they agreed to have a little chat with us about what happened.
“From the beginning, I would say that the manager and I had very different ideas,” the Redditor told Bored Panda. “He didn’t go to college but was really smart. Culturally we were very different, I never really felt like I really fit in.”
“He is great at what he does, but doesn’t have a background in engineering, so we approached problems differently, while I sought solutions, he would seek money,” they explained.
At the end of the day, u/8bitmorals is happy with how they handled the situation, “there is plenty of work out there.”
It can be difficult to approach your manager for a raise even if they’re a reasonable person. But according to Diana Faison, a partner with leadership development firm Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, there’s an art to making this request, and mastering it will significantly better your chances during these discussions with your bosses.
“You want to be able to demonstrate how you add value and how you’ve made a difference to the company,” Faison told Harvard Business Review. And as in any type of negotiation, you should try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and design your approach accordingly.
“You have to think about why your boss should even consider granting your request,” Kathleen McGinn, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, said. By understanding your boss’s interests and goals, and aligning those with your own case, you are more likely to get what you want.
Do:
- Prepare your case by gathering data on your unique contribution to the business;
- Consider your boss’s priorities and explain how you’ll help;
- Practice the conversation ahead of time.
Don’t:
- Wait until review time. If you’ve taken on a new role or just notched a success, approach your boss to test the waters;
- Compare yourself to a colleague. The request is about your work and your value to the company;
- Threaten to go somewhere else.
Good luck!
People were both sad and happy to hear this story
To the boss: What do YOU do 40 hours a week that leaves you unaware what I do 40 hours a week?
I think you might find it interesting that this is a textbook talk that you usually have with a person because you know exactly how much they're contributing, but they actually don't or think you don't (Dunning-Kruger syndrome) and you are trying to make them realize what needs to be done better in order to achieve one's goal, in this case the raise. Judging by the results, the talk wasn't done in the best productive way, nor at the correct moment, but the person is trying to evolve for their role. Or they've never achieved a good healthy relationship and mutual trust and respect in order to be able to build on it. Either way it's best to part ways and find a place where you feel appreciated and fit for a promotion, instead of holding a grudge and trying to click where it's not clicking and you're constantly brushing each other the wrong way.
Load More Replies...
Early in my career, I was working on inside sales and also doing underwriting for an insurance brokerage. Marketing would send out mailers to bring in more business. After those went out, I would get over 100+ calls/day. Naturally our underwriting production slowed. My boss had me (and my co-worker in the same job,) write down what I was doing each 15 minutes of the day. I even wrote down, "pee" for bathroom breaks. After he saw that schedule he said nothing further but soon after, he hired another guy to take load of us.
They always gave me good salary increases and promoted me a lot. I proved myself with that schedule.
Load More Replies...
I was told by the head of HR at one company that I should just do as I am told as I am not that important to the company. I handed in my notice on the spot and walked out. They hired 2 people to cover the work I was doing, and 6 months later closed the department as the new people just couldn't cover the work. Makes you wonder how I managed it, you know being so unimportant.
It’s all perceptions and priorities. As Shane S says below, really everyone is replaceable. But it’s a question of whether a company can afford to lose a key employee on his terms or on theirs. They’re not always honest with you or themselves about that. They’ll write key personnel up for mistakes they’ll tolerate in rank and file workers, claim it’s because you’re so reliable there must be a crisis, hide behind “well, you’re too important for us to accept imperfection” when you show it’s a double standard, but still do nothing about the factors outside your control. Then when you leave, the things you would have prevented but they couldn’t are written off as growing pains and they pat themselves on the back for meeting the lower standard they hold themselves to. After all, they can still blame you for leaving them in the lurch; what good would a succession plan have been if they haven’t hired two people to take over your duties yet?
Load More Replies... Ohhhh this is a special type of island hell. On the islands it’s who you know, then what you know that gets you good work. I feel for the OP. Best of luck in whatever path you choose. PS - my friends husband was laid off a job he loved, did six months work in places he hated for half the pay. I asked him if he really wanted his old job back, would he be willing to work for less money than he was, he said YES, I encouraged him to call up his old employer, many business fire too many good employees and get stuck with incompetent staff, he called them the next day, got his job back, a bit less in pay but he said his happiness was worth it. Maybe the old employer will rehire
Everyone is replaceable. It will take time and a rough transition but they will move on without you and hopefully the manager learned a valuable lesson. So many managers have no clue what their subordinates actually do. It’s so frustrating.
At my last two jobs (15 years total), I wrote down every little thing in a book. So when the owners would ask that question I’d pull out my notebook and start reading it to them🤣🤣
One of my early office job was to manage the company website and add new listings (2-5 per day) using data given to me. A year or so, the new listing task given to another staff whose original job description was unrelated to website. It's the boss' decision so I just go along with it. Few months later he fired me for being unproductive. I was like 'Whose fault was that?'. But being a novice I was, I didn't defend myself and I was stuck in that company anyways so I just quit. This leads me to a similar job with offer of twice my previous salary and it provides an environment where I can improve my skills. I lost but gained more.
Usually the employers who are thinking in achievement rates are the ones that like taking the easy road of denying their employees a well earned raise. I'm sure that you never see a hardworking person on your team who qualifies for a raise. Even if they are.
Load More Replies...
To the boss: What do YOU do 40 hours a week that leaves you unaware what I do 40 hours a week?
I think you might find it interesting that this is a textbook talk that you usually have with a person because you know exactly how much they're contributing, but they actually don't or think you don't (Dunning-Kruger syndrome) and you are trying to make them realize what needs to be done better in order to achieve one's goal, in this case the raise. Judging by the results, the talk wasn't done in the best productive way, nor at the correct moment, but the person is trying to evolve for their role. Or they've never achieved a good healthy relationship and mutual trust and respect in order to be able to build on it. Either way it's best to part ways and find a place where you feel appreciated and fit for a promotion, instead of holding a grudge and trying to click where it's not clicking and you're constantly brushing each other the wrong way.
Load More Replies... Early in my career, I was working on inside sales and also doing underwriting for an insurance brokerage. Marketing would send out mailers to bring in more business. After those went out, I would get over 100+ calls/day. Naturally our underwriting production slowed. My boss had me (and my co-worker in the same job,) write down what I was doing each 15 minutes of the day. I even wrote down, "pee" for bathroom breaks. After he saw that schedule he said nothing further but soon after, he hired another guy to take load of us.
They always gave me good salary increases and promoted me a lot. I proved myself with that schedule.
Load More Replies... I was told by the head of HR at one company that I should just do as I am told as I am not that important to the company. I handed in my notice on the spot and walked out. They hired 2 people to cover the work I was doing, and 6 months later closed the department as the new people just couldn't cover the work. Makes you wonder how I managed it, you know being so unimportant.
It’s all perceptions and priorities. As Shane S says below, really everyone is replaceable. But it’s a question of whether a company can afford to lose a key employee on his terms or on theirs. They’re not always honest with you or themselves about that. They’ll write key personnel up for mistakes they’ll tolerate in rank and file workers, claim it’s because you’re so reliable there must be a crisis, hide behind “well, you’re too important for us to accept imperfection” when you show it’s a double standard, but still do nothing about the factors outside your control. Then when you leave, the things you would have prevented but they couldn’t are written off as growing pains and they pat themselves on the back for meeting the lower standard they hold themselves to. After all, they can still blame you for leaving them in the lurch; what good would a succession plan have been if they haven’t hired two people to take over your duties yet?
Load More Replies... Ohhhh this is a special type of island hell. On the islands it’s who you know, then what you know that gets you good work. I feel for the OP. Best of luck in whatever path you choose. PS - my friends husband was laid off a job he loved, did six months work in places he hated for half the pay. I asked him if he really wanted his old job back, would he be willing to work for less money than he was, he said YES, I encouraged him to call up his old employer, many business fire too many good employees and get stuck with incompetent staff, he called them the next day, got his job back, a bit less in pay but he said his happiness was worth it. Maybe the old employer will rehire
Everyone is replaceable. It will take time and a rough transition but they will move on without you and hopefully the manager learned a valuable lesson. So many managers have no clue what their subordinates actually do. It’s so frustrating.
At my last two jobs (15 years total), I wrote down every little thing in a book. So when the owners would ask that question I’d pull out my notebook and start reading it to them🤣🤣
One of my early office job was to manage the company website and add new listings (2-5 per day) using data given to me. A year or so, the new listing task given to another staff whose original job description was unrelated to website. It's the boss' decision so I just go along with it. Few months later he fired me for being unproductive. I was like 'Whose fault was that?'. But being a novice I was, I didn't defend myself and I was stuck in that company anyways so I just quit. This leads me to a similar job with offer of twice my previous salary and it provides an environment where I can improve my skills. I lost but gained more.
Usually the employers who are thinking in achievement rates are the ones that like taking the easy road of denying their employees a well earned raise. I'm sure that you never see a hardworking person on your team who qualifies for a raise. Even if they are.
Load More Replies...
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