People need jobs to fulfill their time, socialize, and to gain skills and knowledge. But they mostly work to get paid and earn a decent living. Financial compensation is one of the crucial preconditions for professional satisfaction, so the majority of employees hope for an occasional raise.
Surveys revealed that 35% of people will start looking for a new job if they don’t receive a pay raise within the next 12 months. However, some of them don’t get a higher salary in spite of doing their jobs efficiently. If you find yourself in this group, check out the 6 most common reason why employees don’t get a raise.
Why don’t I earn more?
Even though it’s logical to assume that the job well done will lead to the higher income, there are many other factors which can determine whether you’ll get the raise or not. Let’s see the most widespread reasons:
- You didn’t ask for it
You are very good at what you do and always deliver on time but somehow pay raise always seems to bypass? It’s probably because you didn’t ask your boss to increase your salary. A recent analysis revealed that almost 60% of employees don’t demand a higher financial compensation for their work.
This issue is indeed delicate and you might be afraid to jeopardize relations with your superiors. But if you really believe that you deserve a bonus for your high-quality work, don’t be afraid to let the senior management know about it. Sometimes they forget or neglect this topic and you just need to remind them. Most of the time, it’s much easier than it seems in the beginning.
- Bad timing
Sometimes a boss can deny your raise request simply because you didn’t realize that it’s a bad timing to ask for it. You shouldn’t make this proposal in the middle of the slow period when there is not a lot of work. Instead, try to ask for a raise some other time.
For instance, you can demand a higher salary after you have solved a big problem or successfully completed an important project. It’s also good to ask for it if you step in and perform some extra work when one of the team members leaves the company. In general, it’s natural to ask for a raise when you perform well and your boss is aware of it.
- You didn’t explain why
If you’ve been thinking a lot about earning more but eventually end up not explaining the reasons for a higher salary, you will probably get rejected. Always prepare well for the raise conversation and be ready to present valid reasons to justify your request.
Tell the boss how you complete many assignments in a timely manner, which makes you a valuable employee. Perhaps it’s the best to prepare for the meeting by creating a list of all professional accomplishments that support your claims.
- Colleagues don’t like you
Some individuals don’t receive a raise because other team members don’t exactly like them. You might be a great employee with fresh ideas and incredible work enthusiasm but you are simply a bad team player. This can really disturb relations within the specific company sector, which ruins your chances to get a bonus. If you are an ego maniac who is continuously complaining about the colleagues, chances are you won’t get a raise even if you are the most productive member of the team.
- You inspire others to ask for it
Sometimes the issue is not your request and individual achievements. Just like all other employees, your superiors also have a boss and they need to perform well. And in the case of senior managers, it’s almost always about budgets and cutting costs, so you don’t receive a higher salary because they are afraid that other colleagues could ask for the same thing soon afterward. In such situation, it’s easier for them not to give extra money to anyone.
- You don’t deserve it
Employees often get rejected even if they do ask for a raise simply because they don’t deserve it. Maybe you are a reliable worker with speedy delivery and the 100% accuracy but you just don’t add more value to the company. It’s not about performing well but being proactive and going one step further.
Most managers approve higher salaries only for the best employees. They reward professionals who are able to deliver results and also come up with new solutions and creative ideas. Such workers bring more benefits to the company and set the path for future success. If you are not really this type of employee, try to improve and you’ll get your raise soon enough.
We all work for money and hope for the higher incomes in our careers. But there are times when you just can’t earn more even though you deserved it. In this article, we presented 6 reasons why you probably didn’t get a raise. If you have other valuable experiences, feel free to explain it in comments.
This is a guest post from Micheal Gilmore, a professional resume writer at ResumesPlanet and blogger from Dallas, TX. He loves writing about business, marketing, productivity and personal growth. Micheal is also a passionate career adviser and facilitator
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