Does asking for a further raise while already on an increment scheme make it unlikely? [closed]

Question

I work at a quite big company on a very big C# project, I have been here 12 months and this is my first real programming job. When I started I was on £23,000, but last November my manager called me in and explained I will be given regular wage increments over the next 18 months, which will take my salary up to £30,000 (this wasn't asked for, nor was it a discussion or a real negotiation, it was a 'this is what's happening' talk).

I was, at the time, very happy with this. Recently however another company offering £40,000+ has approached me, and they do seem like a good company too. My current job is a good one, it has some problems but (ignoring the money) I would prefer to stay where I am for now. This jump in salary is significant though, and I don’t want to wait another year and a bit to only be on £30,000.

It seems like I should just talk to my current boss, but I don't want to seem ungrateful and force myself out of the company, or seem like I'm giving ultimatums.

What should I do about getting a raise at my current job? Is it unlikely to happen now that I’ve accepted the current increment? Should I try to get a firm offer and numbers with this new company first?

Answer 1

Your best bet (if you're certain you want to stay with this company) is to wait until you have a firm offer in hand from the other company, then go to your company and ask them to match (or at the very least, to give you a written agreement to put you on a path to a similar salary in short order).

What do I do then?

Once you've gotten the final offer from the other company, sit down and compare what they're offering to what your current company gets you. Don't forget to take other things into account - are they farther away? Will you be expected to work longer hours? Are the benefits better/worse/the same? In the end, you may decide it's not worth switching jobs, and you turn the new company down; you may decide that it's so much better than your current position that you don't offer to let your company match; or you may decide that it's possible that your company could "sweeten the deal" enough to get you to stay. Decide at exactly what point that would be - 85% of the salary? 110%? Improved benefits? Know all of that before you go talk to your company, because you may not get a lot of time to decide once you're talking to them.

Why wait for the final offer?

A £10k+ raise is nothing to sneeze at, and it's entirely possible that your company will realize that they can't match your requested salary, or they don't want to increase your salary any faster than you're already planned for, and they'll let you go immediately. If at that point the other company hits a snag with your application and goes with someone else, you'll be out in the cold.

On the other hand...

Why offer to let them match? Your company seems to be telling you they have no intention of paying your "market rate" (which is defined by what other companies are willing to pay you). If everything else is similar at the other company (benefits, company outlook, company culture, etc.), the other company should have a leg up because you're starting there at a much higher rate - a rate which, at your current company, you might not get to for years.

But I really like this company!

Fair enough. Only you can decide whether the increased pay at the new company outweighs whatever benefits, including intangible ones, you have at your current job.

Best of luck!