10 Key Signs You’re Keeping Yourself From Getting a Raise

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Other than cost-of-living raises, which companies tend to award on average to the tune of about 3% per year, many employees work for years without getting a significant raise, according to Indeed. While there are always factors out of your control within the company you work for, habits or practices of your own are more likely to prevent you from earning more money over time.

Here are 10 key signs you may be keeping yourself from getting a raise.

Failing To Chart Your Achievements

The first and biggest reason you may not be getting a raise is failing to record what you have achieved at work, according to Sam Taylor, a policy analyst and benefits consultant at ChamberofCommerce.org. 

“A lot of people just try to get through the day without logging in what they have accomplished and how it will contribute to the business,” Taylor said.

You may not think much about it until it’s time for a performance review, and suddenly you have no hard facts to prove you’re owed more money. 

“A track record of your projects and the difference they have made in efficiency, savings or generating revenue really helps to make an argument for a higher pay rate,” Taylor said.

Not Tracking Your Impact on the Company

While not every job makes it apparent, Taylor said if you can directly track the relationship between your work and the company’s financial picture and you’re not, then you’re making another mistake. 

“Most people just consider their day-to-day work tasks without contemplating their importance in the bigger company’s bottom line,” he continued. “Show you care about the impact your job has on company profitability and engage in activities that increase financial performance, you’re more likely to be viewed as a key contributor who should be promoted.”

Avoiding Responsibility

HR personnel and managers are more likely to reward people who put in the extra work and assume responsibility, Taylor said.

“And avoiding responsibility or not pitching for harder projects can also get in the way.”

He pointed out that you can’t just coast along and expect to get a raise. While you shouldn’t take on responsibilities that are not crucial to your job, start keeping an eye on what you could add, reasonably, to show your value.

Not Communicating With Managers

Taylor pointed out another common mistake is that many people just don’t talk about their desires for promotions or responsibilities with their managers, so they don’t know.  

“It’s important to discuss what you want, get feedback and show that you want to get promoted,” said Taylor. “Managers are more likely to choose employees that they perceive to be actively involved with the company and who are articulate in their career plans and aspirations.”

Settling For Less

If you’re remaining in a job role that only offers you a salary, instead of “mixed model orgs that offer additional compensation like bonus and stock,” you’re likely missing out on different kinds of “raises” in the form of compensation a traditional job just can’t deliver, according to Daniel Space, a human resources expert and founder of DanFromHR.

Not Doing Your Best

While it sometimes can be hard to measure your own job performance, barring what you hear from managers regularly or at an annual review, if you aren’t getting a raise, there’s a chance that you’re just not doing your job well enough to warrant one, Space said. It may be time to get honest with yourself about the quality of your work or the level of your commitment.

“Most companies do offer salary increases for a job well done either with raises or promotions, so if you’re doing your job poorly, or not at all, it’s likely you will be passed over,” Space said.

Your Company Claims It Doesn’t Have the Budget

Another big reason people don’t get raises is they don’t know they can get one, Space said, especially if a company is stating that they can’t or won’t give them. 

“If you are working for a company that has given you a significant increase in responsibility but has not yet compensated you or claims there is no budget for raises, you should feel comfortable to put yourself on the market and find a place that does,” Space said.

Not Addressing the Gap Between Expectation and Reality

If you’re falling into the trap of assuming you’ll get a pay increase because you think you deserve one but haven’t requested it, there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed, according to Cache Merrill, founder of Zibtek and an advisor to startups and growing businesses. 

“In fact, there is a significant gap between expectations and reality — business leaders are focused primarily on cost control. Not making a request or waiting for the ideal moment can result in a period of stagnation in one’s income. Back your propositions with facts and data and what you have done that warrants such a raise.”

Not Upskilling or Investing In Yourself 

As much as it might be nice to coast through your job at the same level of skill or responsibility, Merrill pointed out that may not be enough to warrant a raise.

“The workforce is extremely competitive in the modern era, and employees must be constantly evolving,” he said.

You should focus on expanding your skills by gaining new knowledge or undertaking new personal opportunities that will make you more appealing not only to your current job but future prospects.

Allowing Yourself To Be Distracted

If you work in an office setting, Merrill pointed out that it’s easy to fall into some bad habits that could affect your ability to get a raise.

“Interactions between teams or even with other departments can go awry due to unintentional behaviors like mild gossip, unreliability or simply boring everyone in the room.”

If these sorts of behaviors are distracting you from getting your work done, it could also be affecting your ultimate ability to fatten your salary. 

Most of these signs are easily overcome once you become aware that they’re causing you problems or preventing you from making more money.

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