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Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

fearlesssalarynegotiation.com

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Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#61
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessarily true. I have had several occasions where I told my boss that I had this offer and what does he recommend to do. I always got a raise and wasn't laid off.

How long did you stick around after you presented the other offer?

Quite a while. There were no negative consequences.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#62

If only things were so easy. Our department gets allocated $XX,XXX each year for raises. My boss has to split that among eight people. If I were to get a 5% bump like OP recommends, other people would get nothing. Sounds like typical D-grade manager motivation. "Everyone work yourself to death and I might throw you a bone after one year!" I'd rather give up that 5% to have a sane work-life balance. It's common knowle…

That sounds like a communistic regime :S

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That surely sounds like a negotiation tactic was played on you. "I cant give you a raise without taking it from someone else" or "It's out of my hands" are cut and dry sales tactics. I am a bit pejorative to that tactic because if answered correctly, it actually harms the salesman: proclaiming you cant give X salaries means that they dont respect market rates and thus an employee is incentivized to leave to someone t…

Sure it's a weakness, but they (management) don't care. If the developer leaves, they'll hire another and in the mean time the remaining devs get to pick up the slack. It's actually a convenient excuse for the schedule slipping; they blame it on the developer who left because he "wasn't a team player", even though management knows the real reason is because they simply don't ... know ... how ... to ... manage.

Great, that's win. The company gets another interchangeable cog that they value equally and the developer that leaves gets to work someplace better.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#64

If only things were so easy. Our department gets allocated $XX,XXX each year for raises. My boss has to split that among eight people. If I were to get a 5% bump like OP recommends, other people would get nothing. Sounds like typical D-grade manager motivation. "Everyone work yourself to death and I might throw you a bone after one year!" I'd rather give up that 5% to have a sane work-life balance. It's common knowle…

That surely sounds like a negotiation tactic was played on you. "I cant give you a raise without taking it from someone else" or "It's out of my hands" are cut and dry sales tactics. I am a bit pejorative to that tactic because if answered correctly, it actually harms the salesman: proclaiming you cant give X salaries means that they dont respect market rates and thus an employee is incentivized to leave to someone t…

It's just reflective of the level of trust invested in the business leadership.

Bigger orgs manage compensation seperately and usually only gives management limited levers to pull to affect changes. They do this to manage costs, avoid internal competition and because they don't trust line management.

Workers are a cog in the wheel in these orgs, and treating shiny cogs better is ultimately worse for the org.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#65
post #59
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if your boss goes to their boss and says, "Hey, one of my employees is planning to jump ship for salary reasons, can we do anything here?"

at my company the answer would be "good, hire the replacement for 25% less than current so I can tell the vp we're saving money"

What happens if he replies that "We've been recruiting for 6 months for this position and we couldn't find anyone decent enough even at his current salary"?

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#66
post #8

If only things were so easy. Our department gets allocated $XX,XXX each year for raises. My boss has to split that among eight people. If I were to get a 5% bump like OP recommends, other people would get nothing. Sounds like typical D-grade manager motivation. "Everyone work yourself to death and I might throw you a bone after one year!" I'd rather give up that 5% to have a sane work-life balance. It's common knowle…

What happens if your boss goes to their boss and says, "Hey, one of my employees is planning to jump ship for salary reasons, can we do anything here?"

Depends.

I've had success in getting promotions for some people when this sort of thing happens... sometimes it's a wake up call for the execs to light up a back burner conversation with HR.

Other times, I've gotten a shrug.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That surely sounds like a negotiation tactic was played on you. "I cant give you a raise without taking it from someone else" or "It's out of my hands" are cut and dry sales tactics. I am a bit pejorative to that tactic because if answered correctly, it actually harms the salesman: proclaiming you cant give X salaries means that they dont respect market rates and thus an employee is incentivized to leave to someone t…

Sure it's a weakness, but they (management) don't care. If the developer leaves, they'll hire another and in the mean time the remaining devs get to pick up the slack. It's actually a convenient excuse for the schedule slipping; they blame it on the developer who left because he "wasn't a team player", even though management knows the real reason is because they simply don't ... know ... how ... to ... manage.

I notice you don't mention increasing revenue or cutting costs anywhere in your analysis.

Which is exactly why any developer in that situation needs to get out as soon as they can find a better position. Such a company is obviously not going to prosper in the long run.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#68
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You typically only get to play that card once and you'd better be looking to leave in the next two years anyway.

Definitely true, but in software engineering it's typical to have short stints anyway. If you change companies every few years, why not play this card all the time before jumping ship?

> If you change companies every _few years_

Pretty sure that in the current era there isn't a "S" at yearS for someone decent (and willingful).

Most companies are perfectly fine to hire/poach from elsewhere whereas most companies are sucking at retention (that is, if not actively pushing people away). The combination is an aggressive environment.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That surely sounds like a negotiation tactic was played on you. "I cant give you a raise without taking it from someone else" or "It's out of my hands" are cut and dry sales tactics. I am a bit pejorative to that tactic because if answered correctly, it actually harms the salesman: proclaiming you cant give X salaries means that they dont respect market rates and thus an employee is incentivized to leave to someone t…

Sure it's a weakness, but they (management) don't care. If the developer leaves, they'll hire another and in the mean time the remaining devs get to pick up the slack. It's actually a convenient excuse for the schedule slipping; they blame it on the developer who left because he "wasn't a team player", even though management knows the real reason is because they simply don't ... know ... how ... to ... manage.

Replace-ability is actually a solid negotiation tactic, but that's not the same as intransigence regarding budget.

The characterization of management as incompetents backastabbers is as childish as the one that says employees are lazy bums who should be grateful of their salary.

Re: Software Developers: how to get a raise without changing jobs

#70
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You typically only get to play that card once and you'd better be looking to leave in the next two years anyway.

If the option of giving people nontrivial raises is unblocked, you only need to play it once. It is harder to play it this way, of course, but once you have an exception / your boss has more budget / etc., you can hopefully just do normal raise negotiation.

If "threatening to quit" is the process to get a raise at your company, what makes you think that doing so will suddenly stop that process?
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