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To leave for more money or not to leave
Dear Joan:
I have been at the same small company for nearly three years. Over time, my job
has evolved quite a bit. I am currently the receptionist, office manager and
marketing assistant.
After one year on the job, I made a proposal to my boss that I keep the office
manager position, do more marketing and public relations, and less reception. I
also asked for a substantial raise for the new position.
He said he couldn�t afford to hire another person to do reception and he
couldn�t give me the raise I wanted, although I did get a small increase in pay.
A few months ago, I revisited the proposal with him and made my request again.
When I was met with the same answer, I indicated that I would be looking for
another job. He said he didn�t want to see me go, but never counter-offered with
anything to entice me to stay.
It�s been four months now, and I have not found a better job. I have been given
more opportunities to use my marketing and PR skills and have begun to enjoy my
current job again, however, the pay is barely enough to cover my monthly bills.
If my boss would give me a pay increase, I would stop looking for another job
and stay like he wants me to. My question is: how can I approach him without
sounding like I was defeated in my job search and I am living beyond my means
(which I�m not).
Answer:
On the surface it seems so simple�your manager should give you more money for
more responsibilities. But there�s usually more to it than that. Let�s examine
this from both angles.
Congratulations on taking the initiative to propose adding responsibilities to
your job. It�s a wise move. Marketing and PR are higher level skills than
reception work and it will pay off in the future.
Your boss is smart enough to see that you are an ambitious and talented person
who wants to grow and stay marketable. He knows he needs these functions done
and can�t afford to hire a marketing and PR person to do them, so you both win.
I suspect he is telling you the truth when he tells you he can�t afford a raise
right now, because when you said you were leaving he didn�t try to stop you. If
he had the ability to give you what you wanted, he probably would have.
Even though you aren�t getting a significant salary increase, you are investing
in your future earning potential. As long as you are still building your resume,
it�s worth staying. However, don�t stop looking for a higher paying job, since
you are struggling on this salary.
For many small business owners, cash flow is a problem. If he is worrying about
making payroll each week, he is going to be skittish about committing to adding
an additional fixed cost that he may have trouble paying. However, if you
continue to add considerable value, he may be penny wise and pound-foolish if he
doesn�t give you more money. For example, if he were outsourcing marketing or
PR, it would likely cost him far more than a bump in your salary. Or, if you
left and he had to hire two people to replace you, he might quickly realize his
mistake. He may change his mind if you begin to add so much value he realizes he
couldn�t afford to lose you.
You�ve asked your boss for a raise twice and he knows it�s ever present on your
mind. Continually asking him will only irritate him.
On the other hand, you might want to discuss a bonus plan rather than a salary
increase. A bonus could be based upon some agreed upon criteria. For example,
one criterion could be if new business increased over an agreed upon number.
Another way to do it is to tie the bonus to meeting certain marketing or PR
goals for the quarter. Or, perhaps he would pay you a flat amount for each new
customer. The criteria would depend on the way the business works. This may be
desirable for him because he would only be paying for results.
You would probably want the bonus to be paid out quarterly, since you are trying
to meet your bills.
In the end, you are likely to be the winner since your resume will either land
you a bigger job, or you will demonstrate so much value to your current business
your boss will be able to pay you what you�re worth.
JoanLloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm,
JoanLloyd
& Associates, specializes in leadership
development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive
coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership training,
conflict resolution between teams or individuals,
internal consulting skills training for HR professionals and retreat
facilitation. Clients report results such as: behavior
change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committed
workforce.
JoanLloyd has earned her C.S.P. (certified speaking professional) designation
from the National Speakers Association and speaks to corporate audiences, as
well as trade & professional associations across the country. Reach her at (800)
348-1944, mailto:info@joanlloyd.com, or
www.JoanLloyd.com
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