Help! My salary no longer matches my job duties or contributions.

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Situations happen. Employees leave, but they do not rehire. Companies grow, but they do not add staff. You have added more job duties to your plate but have not been compensated.

Other situations happen. You may have played an integral role in your company’s growth and success by saving money, making money, streamlining procedures, etc. Despite your significant contributions to your company’s bottom line, your raises have not reflected your accomplishments.

So, you want to be compensated fairly. What would be your plan of attack? How would you approach your boss?

CREATE A HANDOUT WHICH CONVEYS YOUR VALUE

Highlight your accomplishments and then discuss each accomplishment. Don’t focus on job duties; rather, focus on your successes. To help pinpoint your successes and accomplishments, here are some questions to ask:

• What do you feel most proud about accomplishing during your tenure (or since your last performance review)?
• Have you done anything to boost your company’s bottom line? If so, do you have any numbers (or percentages) to back up what you’ve accomplished? 
• Have you found any ways to save money? Again, use numbers or percentages.
• Have you found any ways to streamline procedures?
• Have you solved any big problems?

Have you been given additional duties and responsibilities? If so, make a list of how many more in recent years (or since your last performance review).

Have you ever stepped up-to-the plate and volunteered for additional duties or stepped in when someone needed help. If so, add this to your handout.

Have you ever went above and beyond the call of duty? If so, what did you do?

Tips for creating your handout:

• Utilize graphs if possible. They serve as great visuals for getting your message across. For example, show increases (or decreases) by using numbers or percentages.
• Use “before and after” columns to showcase accomplishments.
• Have you ever received any written or emailed thank yous from customers, coworkers, or industry connections? If so, create a separate page for these.
• Have you received any LinkedIn recommendations that showcase your value? If so, create a separate page for these, also.

Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your value and salary concerns. Or, if you have an upcoming performance review, this would be a perfect time to approach your supervisor and discuss your value to the company.

Once your meeting is scheduled, you may have questions on how to ask for a raise during the meeting or questions on how to respond if there are objections to your request. Feel free to email me at careerproservices@gmail.com for more info.

The Dreaded Interview Question: What is your salary requirement?

Let's face it. Most people want to start out with as high a salary as possible, but on the flip side, it's important to tread carefully, because a person doesn't want to quote a salary too high so that he/she is out of the running for a job.

That's why it's so important to try to find out the salary range before your interview. Two sites that I really like are Glassdoor.com and one through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic and Development: https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/oes/. If you are from Minnesota, the site through the Department of Employment and Economic Development is great, because it breaks down salary ranges geographically. 

When asked the salary question during your interview, there are several strategies you can use. Your goal is to allow the prospective employer to volunteer the figure first; however, this can be difficult, because with our recovering economy, it is still an employer's market. Despite this, here are a some suggestions on ways to to respond:

Early in the Interview:

• I would rather discuss salary after I know more about the position and the responsibilities.
• It's negotiable after I learn more about the position, the responsibilities, and the compensation package.

Later in the Interview:

• It's negotiable and would vary depending upon the benefit package.
• That's a good question. What salary range are you offering?

If the interviewer is persistent, then it's important to give a range for your salary. Giving a range will not box you into a salary and leaves room for negotiation at both ends. Here is a suggestion on how to respond:

"Based upon my experience and what I can bring to this company, I am considering a salary between $45,000 and $50,000; however, that range may vary depending upon the benefit package offered."

Preparation is the key when interviewing, and researching the salary range, is just one of many ways to prepare for an interview. 

About the author: As a certified interview coach, Connie Hauer coaches clients on interview preparation, provides strategies on how to stand out from the competition, and helps clients polish their interviewing skills so they feel more confident. (Learn More)