Management keeps ignoring my request for a raise. Two years ago,
during a performance review, I provided documentation of my
expanded responsibilities and asked for a pay increase.
Q:
Management keeps ignoring my request for a raise. Two years ago, during a performance review, I provided documentation of my expanded responsibilities and asked for a pay increase. Although my supervisor said she wasn’t sure if the job changes would justify a raise, she never clearly stated whether she supported my request or not.
I sent her several follow-up emails, but got no response. Last year, I was transferred to another department. I sent my new supervisor an e-mail requesting an increase, but he never replied. Recently, I sent another e-mail expressing disappointment in the complete lack of feedback about my previous requests. Again, no answer.
Apparently, management won’t even take the time to officially reject my request. This feels like a slap in the face. How should I react?
A:
I don’t know whether you deserve a raise, but I do know that your supervisors are being rude and unprofessional. If they believe your request is unrealistic, they should at least have the courtesy to share their reasoning.
However, your reliance on e-mail is making it easier for them to ignore you.
Because electronic communication is so prevalent these days, people sometimes overlook the benefits of an old-fashioned conversation. If you actually talk with your supervisor, he will have to say something. He can hardly just sit there like a stone. Then, if his response seems vague or noncommittal, you can immediately press for more specifics, which is better than trying to interpret an obscurely worded email reply.
You may have chosen to take the electronic route because pay discussions can feel awkward and uncomfortable. And that’s precisely why your unresponsive supervisors have been trying to avoid the topic.
Q:
After being promoted to human resources manager, I discovered that I have been assigned to the most toxic division in our agency. The employees here constantly gossip, backbite and complain. I’ve heard that this is why the last HR manager left.
I would love to play a major role in “cleaning up” this group, but I have to move carefully. Some of these people have been here more than 15 years and are protected by civil service regulations. Any suggestions?
A:
Kudos to you for taking on this challenge. Too many managers simply abandon hope when faced with cumbersome rules, regulations and processes.
However, as the human resources specialist, you can’t perform this miracle alone. HR people have only as much power as executives choose to give them, so you must secure management backing before you proceed.
Start by obtaining your boss’s support for this organizational makeover, then get the blessing of top management. Next, develop clear work standards and procedures for holding employees accountable, following appropriate civil service guidelines. Before these reforms are officially announced, check to be sure that management is prepared to deal with the resistance that will inevitably follow. You don’t want to be left holding the bag when employees begin to challenge the change.
