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This article discusses the benefits of providing few significant raises to high performing individuals rather than a nominal raise to all. From the employee's

by krisdol 10y ago

This article discusses the benefits of providing few significant raises to high performing individuals rather than a nominal raise to all. From the employee's (my) perspective: * If I get a small nominal pay raise, I might stick around for up to the rest of the year, depending on how recently I started at the company. I don't know if this is a good idea, but sometimes promotions and raises aren't on the same schedule. * If I get no raise, I'll be leaving ASAP. * If I get a significant raise, I'm more likely to stay stay until next year's raise. Having nearly doubled my salary in a short time by "hopping" at good offers, there's little reason to stick around in companies that value manager bonuses over employee retention.

ryanSrich 10y ago
I imagine this is only possible in a limited number of locations. Job hopping in smaller markets is very difficult.
pasbesoin 10y ago
Additionally, in BigCo, metrics versus actual performance continues to be often a toss-up, at best, and not infrequently just wrong. My stomach still clenches at the memory of managers greenlighting all the goals on their own performance reviews. Basically, if they liked you, you "passed" your review. If they didn't, they'd find something or other to pick at. The whole process was so weasel-ly, and in HR's pocket, that it was hard to find a place to start challenging it. Manufacture paperwork to "substantiate" whatever result we've already picked. P.S. If you start feeling this way about your own workplace, it is a primary sign to GTFO. Even if you are one of the "favored", if you're smart and a straight-shooter, you are not going to enjoy the dis-function around you.
clifanatic 10y ago
> Having nearly doubled my salary in a short time by "hopping" at good offers Watch out, though, because there's a catch-22: if you hop too many times, you can end up being rejected for too many hops.
- lochlan 10y ago
  I have never seen this be a serious consideration in this industry. IMO that is a fairly "old school" outlook. Anecdotally I have never had a job for more than two years and it hasn't been an issue for me yet. An exception to this would be someone who has had a lot of contract work without a lot of FTE, that is definitely a red flag.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - clifanatic 10y ago
    > I have never seen this be a serious consideration in this industry. You've been lucky - I've been turned down for positions I was otherwise qualified for because of "too many job changes" (and yes, they told me so). I've also seen hiring managers (from the other side) not even consider resumes with too many jobs of too short a duration. I don't think it's the kiss of death, as long as you're competent; I've never been out of work, in spite of a four-year period where I held four different jobs, but it's worth keeping in the back of your mind.
- stale2002 10y ago
  That's when you start removing things from your resume! Or just put down a large early timeperiod as "software engineer" without elaborating on it to much, and only focus on recent experience.
  - gwright 10y ago
    That is almost a bigger warning sign than listing your multiple jobs. It certainly isn't an effective way to 'fool' any reasonably competent hiring manager.
wuliwong 10y ago
I agree. I realize that I'm in a field (software development) that is still a great market and this strategy might not apply everywhere but I do believe there are a lot of other industries where this attitude can still work. Most of my "non-tech" friends just don't try to look for other opportunities. I don't know the reason. Possibly my anecdotal experience is just full of outliers? Or is that in general, the software industry "culturally" breeds workers that value their own work more than the average worker. Or is it simply that as a software developer, I am sent requests from recruiters for new jobs on a near daily basis.

by krisdol 10y ago

ryanSrich 10y ago

I imagine this is only possible in a limited number of locations. Job hopping in smaller markets is very difficult.

pasbesoin 10y ago

Additionally, in BigCo, metrics versus actual performance continues to be often a toss-up, at best, and not infrequently just wrong. My stomach still clenches at the memory of managers greenlighting all the goals on their own performance reviews. Basically, if they liked you, you "passed" your review. If they didn't, they'd find something or other to pick at. The whole process was so weasel-ly, and in HR's pocket, that it was hard to find a place to start challenging it. Manufacture paperwork to "substantiate" whatever result we've already picked. P.S. If you start feeling this way about your own workplace, it is a primary sign to GTFO. Even if you are one of the "favored", if you're smart and a straight-shooter, you are not going to enjoy the dis-function around you.

clifanatic 10y ago

> Having nearly doubled my salary in a short time by "hopping" at good offers Watch out, though, because there's a catch-22: if you hop too many times, you can end up being rejected for too many hops.

lochlan 10y ago
I have never seen this be a serious consideration in this industry. IMO that is a fairly "old school" outlook. Anecdotally I have never had a job for more than two years and it hasn't been an issue for me yet. An exception to this would be someone who has had a lot of contract work without a lot of FTE, that is definitely a red flag.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- clifanatic 10y ago
  > I have never seen this be a serious consideration in this industry. You've been lucky - I've been turned down for positions I was otherwise qualified for because of "too many job changes" (and yes, they told me so). I've also seen hiring managers (from the other side) not even consider resumes with too many jobs of too short a duration. I don't think it's the kiss of death, as long as you're competent; I've never been out of work, in spite of a four-year period where I held four different jobs, but it's worth keeping in the back of your mind.
stale2002 10y ago
That's when you start removing things from your resume! Or just put down a large early timeperiod as "software engineer" without elaborating on it to much, and only focus on recent experience.
- gwright 10y ago
  That is almost a bigger warning sign than listing your multiple jobs. It certainly isn't an effective way to 'fool' any reasonably competent hiring manager.

wuliwong 10y ago

I agree. I realize that I'm in a field (software development) that is still a great market and this strategy might not apply everywhere but I do believe there are a lot of other industries where this attitude can still work. Most of my "non-tech" friends just don't try to look for other opportunities. I don't know the reason. Possibly my anecdotal experience is just full of outliers? Or is that in general, the software industry "culturally" breeds workers that value their own work more than the average worker. Or is it simply that as a software developer, I am sent requests from recruiters for new jobs on a near daily basis.