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Anonymous

September 23,2023 at 2:25PM UTC

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Hello! My manager, the second one I’ve had in my 2 years in this position, is leaving.

Ok, so my organization is great- great people, work-life balance, benefits, etc. However, since I’ve been there (will be 2 years in November), both of my managers i had have/are going to leave for really great opportunities outside of our org. While I’m super happy for them, i am concerned about how it’ll potentially impact my career growth. I’d still be doing the same work just reporting to new people, which may change as they hire on a replacement. Which is annoying to start the manager/employee relationship all over again.

My manager is leaving in a few weeks and is invested in making sure there’s a plan in place for who i report to when they’re gone. I guess my question is what would you ask them/consider during this transition phase? I was hoping to start the “it’s been 2 years, I’d like a raise or at least something to help with inflation” conversation but I hate doing this, it’s always so awkward. At the same time, it may be best to get the ball rolling on that to see what can be done prior to my manager leaving?

any advice is welcome, thank you :)

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AnonymousSeptember 23,2023 at 3:39PM UTC
You won’t get what you don’t ask for. It seems you have a manager who is trying to look out for you. Set up time to meet with them and work out a plan for your career growth at the company. Make sure you get a copy and HR gets a copy. When you get that new manager, sit down with them asap and review it with them. This does several things. It lets them know that you are a valued employee with potential for growth. It also makes their job easier because with a plan in place it’s one less thing they have to deal with. And it will make you feel in control of the situation and the process.
AnonymousSeptember 24,2023 at 3:26PM UTC
Ask your departing manager to do an official, documented performance evaluation prior to their departure. Documented success is the foundation of any good raise request, and will be available for your new boss, positioning you as a strong employee from the start.
AnonymousSeptember 25,2023 at 3:43PM UTC
I agree with the other comments, but would add: never approach asking for a raise based on what YOU need or want. You should always try to phrase it in terms of what you have done for the company (and that would be good for your performance review too.) Long and short of it, it's up to you to demonstrate your worth to the company.
maria roseSeptember 25,2023 at 6:49PM UTC
Granted that you ( the OP anonymous person of this post) is the underling employee who feels that their progress with the company is being stagnant by the changing supervisors. But what is not mentioned is how raises are adjusted yearly in this industry job market, because obviously this OP is not looking to move into a supervisor position but implied they are good staying in the position they are currently in going forward but don’t know about how this job position gets any yearly pay increases. They could possibly check with the HR department and see if there’s any information on that, which should have been provided when they were hired—no one should consider working at any job without understanding their future potential value going forward even if they are never planning upwards movement but continuing employment with scheduled pay increases over the years.
Annetta MosesSeptember 26,2023 at 2:40PM UTC
The time to start the conversation about what you want is usually 90 days after a new manager is in place. It is important that your career plan is aligned with your manager and your skip level manager. That way when a person leaves like your direct manager, the skip level manager is still in place to help you obtain what you want.
I would decide what you want raise based on demonstrated performance, training, flexible work schedule and have your departing manager and skip level agree. That way the new hired manager should align on what you skip level said was due to you.
Good luck.
AnonymousSeptember 26,2023 at 3:50PM UTC
You do not seem ambitious enough....why are you not replacing your boss? Seems like a tough argument for more pay and no more responsibility.