How often do you expect a raise or promotion?

Question

Career trajectories certainly vary across industries, but I'd love to hear what your expectation is for the length of time between raises/promotions. Is that once a year, once every two years, etc.?

Six Figure Salary Coach · Answer

I love this question! Do you have specific expectations for yourself thay aren't being met.

From my perspective, it's reflective of your accomplishments. If you're what I call a 'steady Eddie' then you're showing up everyday, doing your job (but nothing necessarily extra), accomplish your 'to do list', turn work off and that's it.... Then I dont expect to receive a massive raise or promotion. You're being paid for an exchange of services and unless sthe services evolve, it's hard to justify anything more than what your original employment agreement entails.

But, if you're a high performer. Going above and beyond. Always making your job or department better. Finding problems and brining up solutions (not just identifying them). Taking on more projects/processes. Holding yourself and those around accountabile. Then I expect an annual salary review (beyond the basic cost of living increases). Promotions are harder to define because it depends on the company, opportunities, flexibility to make new positions, etc. But I advocated or my own promotions even if I don't see a direct position available.

I coach / train women now to craft their own promotions and ask for pay increases with confidence (so I am a HUGE advocate of pushing yourself and your wage forward).

So many women are FANTASTIC at their job but aren't properly rewarded and it breaks my heart. I want to see women push themselves forward. It's actually very easy to do if you have the right tools available to you.

Lady Pele · Answer

I expect a salary review annually, and ask whether that includes cost of living or if that is evaluated separately.

Annetta Moses · Answer

I encourage you to not focus on time unless you are in an industry or company that bases promotions and raises on years of service.  For example, all associations who perform at a satisfactory level are promoted after two years. If you are at a company that bases raises and promotions on experience and accomplishments, understand what you need to demonstrate to get credit for having the skills required for a promotion. 
I encourage my employees to create a grid with a columnfor the skills required for a promotion and another column detailing your accomplishments that demonstrate the skills. Share this grid with your manager and mentors. You want their feedback to make sure your accomplishments demonstrated the desired skills.
Make sure you share your accomplishments with others. Do you have an elevator speech so that if you meet your manager's boss in the parking lot or the elevator, you can tell her about a recent accomplishments in which you increased sales or decreased cost? 
Look at LinkedIn profiles and see for your industry if a person stayed at the company, what was the time before there was a promotion. Often as you progress in your career, promotion require more years of experience. 
One thing to consider about when asking for a raise is to consider timing. If you are given a promotion negotiate and see if you can get more money than the initial offer or vacation time or something you want.  If you are asked to take on more responsibility ask for a raise. If the initial response is no, see if the co.company will give you a raise if you take on the additional responsibilities and complete certain projects within 3 to 6 months.

SShep · Answer

I'm impatient and want to get ahead. If I'm not growing at a company - which for me means taking on new roles and being recognized for my contributions - I start looking for a new job. Perhaps this is a side effect of working in tech, where people arrive, advance, and leave at a rapid pace.

A yearly promotion (even minor, such as Tech Writer to Tech Writer II to Senior Tech Writer over three years) and raise are a must for me. I can't stand still! Maybe once I get into the higher levels I will feel better staying with the same title for a while.

Anonymous · Answer

I think yearly for a compensation review is normal in most big cities!

Melanie · Answer

Generally, you should expect a merit increase based on your performance annually.

As far as promotions, this is not as clear cut.  Check to see if your company has policies on how long you have to be in your current role before you can post out. Also,  it depends on the job and the requirements. If you have the skills, you should apply.  No one should assume if they have been at a company for X years automatically entitles a promotion.  Promotions typically will give a larger increase in comparison to a merit increase.  Good luck!

How often do you expect a raise or promotion?

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