One Easy Way to Not Get the Pay Raise You Want

I sat in Carl’s office. Nervous. I was working up to why I’d asked for the meeting through my mastery of small talk at the time (I wish!).

I’d decided that my last pay raise wasn’t enough and felt I deserved and needed more. It was time to ask. I’d never needed to do that before (and thankfully, I’ve only needed to have a similar conversation a few times over my career).

I’d been on the Cadence team for 6-9 months and was starting to get an itch for something different (more about that next time!). I had some confidence I was still excelling although it wasn’t because I was getting that feedback directly from my TL. That just wasn’t how he managed unfortunately. All I had to go on was my output: be it speed, quality, ideas, successes, challenges, etc.

In the days before the meeting with Carl, I worked myself into a nervous frenzy. I had a mental flow chart constructed of like 30 thousand different ways the conversation could go as soon as I made my request.

”I’d like to get a raise

[INSERT DRAMATIC PAUSE]

for no less than $$$…”

SERIOUSLY. I said that. “No less than …”

It doesn’t matter how much the request was for as I had established the rock bottom amount!

While I’d mentally prepared a low-end number that I was going to negotiate with if he outright refused (as I was prepared to declare that I would probably leave), I had never intended to say it out-loud except in flow chart branch #2102, “low-end-salary-requirement.”

And here I was giving away that number right away!

I tried to back-peddle a bit and provide a broader range, but it fell flat. There was no escaping the $ amount I’d already said.

Chit chat ended. I left, dejected, but a bit hopeful he’d see past that number and offer more.

Don’t do this. Ever. You may think it’s obvious. It was even to me! My nervous brain decided to give out all the facts right away.

Epic pays monthly for salaried staff, and the next pay period was only a week or so away.

I looked for my paycheck in my mailbox a LOT on payday. Finally, it appeared.

Cautiously, I opened the envelope to look at the check and pay stub. I could see that the check amount was larger, but given taxes, I didn’t have the math worked out without looking at the stub.

A Giant Slice of Humble Pie

A few days later, I was again in Carl’s office. My pay had increased by the exact minimum I’d asked for.

This time though, things were different. I was ready and I’d decided that I wasn’t going to negotiate like I’d tried earlier. I told him I’d messed up.

”I need $$$.”

The amount was twice what I’d just gotten.

Carl responded that he’d check with Judy, but didn’t see any reason that he couldn’t make it work. I got an extra check that month to make up the difference. That was a nice touch I admit.

While the humble pie was bitter and nasty, I learned a negotiating skill!

Have you done something like this? Or am I completely alone on this?