What percentage raise should I ask for?

[ZooyorQ]

I've been with the company only a little bit over a year, its recently been purchased by a even larger company (a holding company, which doesn't interfere with salaries, finances, etc..) the company had 300% growth on our last years earnings of 1.5mil. The company had about 30 servers when I started, immediately once starting I deployed another 30 servers, and just recently deployed another 70 servers, our staff has slightly over doubled, we now have 2 offices in two states, both of which I support (pix's, desktops, networks, etc), we also now have 2 datacenters in two states, that i travel back n forth from about once every other month to do maintenance, etc. We have two sectors to our business which operate independently. Meaning separate racks, separate interconnects, firewalls, load balancers, switches, ip schemes, documentation, etc. I currently make a little over $55,000. I feel my stress load, hours, workload, responsibilities, and so on have all doubled, yet my pay has remained the same. What sort of percentage of raise do you suggest I ask for, I have a good relationship with my boss and asking for to much does not entail that i could be sent to the street. However I don't want to insult. Typically every year we receive a 5% percent raise. However my raise was stalled due to the fact the company was being sold right at the same time my raise would have been up. So now its up now that the sale is over. I personally was thinking a 10 to 15 percent raise would be a very fair amount to ask for. Anything below 10 percent and I feel its barely keeping up with increasing costs of living and gas prices.

What do you all think a fair amount would be? and why? Thanks for your time!

 

[LFI]

I'm no expert on this topic, but I think 10% is the type of nice raise that only comes along once in a while, but is not impossible to get. Since you missed your last raise and you have witnessed (and participated in) your company's growth, and since, as you say, there's no harm in asking, I'd go for the 15%. What the heck, ask for 18% (20% seems unlikely) and be glad when they offer you 15%.

However... Be prepared to explain why you deserve this. To figure out what to say at such a time, I highly recommend searching the articles at

http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/.

I think the advice this guy (Nick Corcodilos) gives is fantastic and I read his newsletters regularly... even though I have not been looking for a job myself.

Good luck!

--Dave

 

[ZooyorQ]

Thanks for the response Dave, I'm checking out asktheheadhunter.com now.

 

[kHz]

As management of this company my first question would be asking "why the increase in servers from 30 to 130, and the doubling of staff?" I would also ask "what type of maintenance requires your travel to the other site?" I would ask "why there are two data centers when only one possibly is needed?"

As manager I would also say "earnings of $1.5 million is not $1.5 million of profit."

Explain to me why you deserve a raise?

 

[ZooyorQ]

Thanks for the reply KHz, all good questions.

The growth from 30 to 130 is due to the increase in traffic.

The second site is due to the merger. New equipment is being placed in the new datacenter with our other holding companies to save money. Once our contract is up in december I'll be consolidating the equipment.

Travel between the two is required for drive swaps, new server installs, repairs, etc.

By earnings, I mean profit.

I feel I deserve the raise due to my work load increasing by double. I would rather put in 50-55 hours a week then hire a second person and spending time managing them, which is another option they've offered me.

 

[chiph]

I think a 15-18% raise is unlikely. But you could probably get a 10% raise, based on what you've told us.

The important thing now is to prepare a list of things which will justify your asking for this raise. Make sure that it contains concrete numbers. You should also make sure that it illustrates your worth to the company. I.e. "Why should we give that IT guy a 10% raise when everyone else is only getting COLA raises?"

You might want to work some numbers so far as getting a smaller raise in return for a bonus. Don't forget that bonuses are taxed differently than salary.

Chip H.


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[RhythmAddict112]

I would have to agree with previous postings. Ive never asked for a raise, but my boss would ask "Why do you deserve a raise?" And regardless of whether or not I deserve one, he would be expecting an answer a list of facts and associated empircal values. Also push the importance of IT (and your role within it, specifically) to [re]emphasize the business value... just my 2 cents...let us know what happens!

All hail the INTERWEB!

 

[ZooyorQ]

Currently we are ramping up for our busy season, we just partnered with AOL and a few other companies, we expect 400% increase in traffic, which is why I just deployed 70 new servers this week. I'm hoping if all goes smooth, and i continue to put in these 12-14 hour days and working weekends, even from my cabin, that hopefully they'll see the value in me. I'd rather ask for the raise in a few weeks once everything is launched, I'd feel i'm in a better position to ask for the raise after proving my value even more so to them over the course of the next few weeks while we ramp up and prepare.

There is only 1 IT guy, me... That manages all this.. We have a CTO but he spends his time managing the developers of the website (10 developers). The developers come to me for everything from setting up domains, etc.. So all in all I feel I'm allready doing the work of two people, there should probably be some desktop support person supporting the 40 or so desktops we have, as well as email issues, etc.. One minute i'm helping someone reset their password in outlook, the next i'm trouble shooting a SCSI Jbod enclosure and or writing a custom load balancer script for our Redline's.. They've offered to hire a desktop jocky, but i'd have to manage him.. and his pay was required to be around 10$/hr.. I'd just asume do the work myself then manage/worry about someone else, and ask for a 2.5$/hr raise.. saves them money on bennefits, payroll, etc.. (which is a 10% raise).

 

[paterson]

Sounds like you have a good plan worked out. Also sounds like you will need an extra person to "manage" if your growth continues. Personally, I would ask for the raise now and then when it is really needed, ask for a second IT guy.

One thing to consider though is it may be easier to train and manage a new person now before it gets too hectic! (By train I mean in the way you like things done in your department.) I know that in the past I have had to show a tech the ropes of our company and it seems easier when you don't have a huge work load. You might get lucky with a great tech that will fit in right away, but we have all worked with that other guy too!

 

[ZooyorQ]

I purchased a detailed report from Salary.com, it states i should be making 12-15% more than I am. Which is great, because thats the amount I was planning on asking for.

 

[crystalized]

You might also figure out what your hourly rate actually works out to once you consider the extra hours you mentioned etc. If you find that your hourly rate turns out to be fairly low - I would personally think that is a good bargaining chip for a raise as well.

At 55,000 and
40 hours a week 26.44/hour
50 hours a week 21.15/hour
60 hours a week 17.63/hour
And I don't want to think about it if you work more hours than that a week! But if you work for a salary and are working a lot more than 40 hours a week they are getting your resources cheap (and depending on your state laws maybe even illegally without paying overtime).



Crystal
--------------------------------------------------

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.

-Oscar Wilde

 

[ZooyorQ]

I'd say I work about 54 hours a week, at 57,500 thats about $20/hour. After the theoretical 10% raise I'd still be working 54-60 hours a week, and be making hourly then what I was supposed to be making when I took the salary job at 40hrs a week. I've spoke with a few local friends of mine that do similar work to me, most started around 52-57k/yr and after proving themselves were offered raises from 60k-67k after a year or so. Alot of companies find it hard to obtain valuable, skilled, techs that enjoy their job and mesh well with the company. I think once they find someone that fits well they're usually more apt to pay them more fairly. I've worked for plenty of companies and watch all sorts of schmucks talk themselves through the interviews and obtain the job, only to spend weeks and months wasting time, resources and money before eventually getting fired. Not sure what that has to do with this, but basically this company came from a similar scenario before hiring me. My position was created, they hired someone, he wasted months of their time, I came along to replace him, they've been thrilled since.

 

[barbola]

I think it would be pretty bold to ask for more than 10%. I have asked for many raises in my past due to increased workload and responsibility.

Management will take these into consideration but more importantly they are interested in what more THEY will get OUT of you in the next year if they are going to give you this increase.

Set some goals for the upcoming year and have it ready to present to them to show that you are ready to accept more responsibility for more pay.

Another option would be to request an hourly rate over salary, even if OT is paid at straight time you will come out ahead.

Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[angrytech]

I know this thread is old, but given that my situation is almost exactly the same (to the dollar almost!) I thought I'd respond.

My advice is ask for the assistant. It may take awhile before any noticable load is taken off you, but it will happen assuming you get the right person for the job.

Also, managing another person is grounds for an increase in salary as well (downside is it may wait until your next review).

Anyway, I was just curious if your annual had played out and how it went ?

regards,
ctBOFH