i've been building to this conversation for six months. done my research, compiled my wins, knew my market rate. practiced what i was going to say probably fifty times.got on the call. said my number. my manager paused and said 'i hear you but the timing isn't great right now with budgets being reviewed.'and i just folded. said something like 'yeah totally understand, maybe we can revisit in q3.' and moved on to talking about a project update.why. why did i do that. i had a whole rebuttal prepared for exactly that response. i knew the budget thing was a deflection. i knew what to say. i just couldn't say it in the moment.did anyone actually successfully push back on 'bad timing' and get something out of it? or is this just how it always goes
Asked for a raise today and completely caved when my manager said 'it's not the right time'
byu/AzoxWasTaken inpersonalfinance
Posted by AzoxWasTaken
13 Comments
Do you have other offers? If not you have a very limited leverage. What worked for me is to make clear I would go if no raises happen. But that only works if it is a credible threat.
So bring it up again next 1:1. “ I was thinking about what you said about budget and that doesn’t change my worth…”
Try again in Q3, part of earning a raise is being able to negotiate it. Good luck!
It’s not a problem that you caved. You showed the boss that you’re aware of and respectful of the situation of the business, which is a good thing.
You’ve started the conversation, and so now the boss knows you’re expecting a pay increase before too long. Be sure to keep talking with the boss about how you can improve your value to the company, see what kind of answer is given.
You’re doing well, keep going!
The gap between what we rehearse and what we say in the moment is brutally real. You’re not alone.
My boss has been promising me a promotion for a couple years now. Turns out he just got made director of a new department took all the folks in our old group with him and promoted two of them and left me behind.
knowing the rebuttal and actually saying it under pressure are completely different skills. huddlemate, yoodli, and poised helped me stop folding on the first deflection
Sounds like you need to get another job with another company paying the market rate, to be honest.
No point being loyal to companies that have no loyalty to you, and can fire you on a moments notice.
Go get what you’re worth.
‘Not the right time’ is corporate for ‘let’s see if you forget.’ Don’t forget. Put Q3 on the calendar NOW.
You have to actually be ready to leave your job or you have no leverage
“Fuel just went up another $0.30/gal, there is no better time if you want me to keep driving here.”
How long have you been with the company? Any raises?
“Not the right time during budget review” sounds complete opposite to me – that sounds like the time it WOULD be beneficial for them to consider and include it – or they’ve already set budget and it’s ‘too late’.
The follow up would be – when does your manage consider the right time to have that discussion? Get specific timing.
It’s incredibly hard to advocate for yourself, especially when employers have spent the last 18 years wringing every drop of “uncertain times” they can out of the Recession to hold us to 2-3% raises.
Don’t beat yourself up too badly over this, but have a serious reckoning with yourself. Are you able to learn and adapt and push on this next time you bring it up? Or are you going to have to accept that you’re more comfortable in the scheduled review process – and if scheduled reviews aren’t yielding the results you want, are you better off just switching to coast mode at your employer and looking for a new job (lately statistically the best way to get the jump you’re looking for)?