Performance Reviews, Raises, Oh My!

Performance Review Tips + How to Ask for a Raise

Performance Review Tips

Over the next 4 months and throughout the year, companies across the nation will give employees a performance review and raises. So, be honest, what is the emotion you feel when you read (or hear) the words performance review? If I’m being honest, early in my career I felt like a performance review meant I had to write every little positive thing/result/win achieved in that year… and maybe then I would get a raise. It felt like a document that proved that I was working for my employer and a way to prove to my boss that I was exceeding expectations. Perhaps this isn’t you (admittedly I’m a Type A to the extreme) but some version of this is how many would describe their experience.

One of my favorite books that have helped me with these conversations is Dare to Lead by Brenè Brown. Performance Review time and asking for a raise are some of the most vulnerable conversations you’ll face in your career. You need to get comfortable with being vulnerable and the hard conversations.

As the giver and recipient of many performance reviews and raises, I’m here to tell you that you have more control than you think. Here are my performance review tips and how to navigate it with your manager:

1. Throughout the year, ask your manager for feedback no less than 1x per month. You can do this in touchbases or in a separate meeting. Then nothing in your review should be a surprise.
2. Don’t write every little detail in your review. You might think that every detail should be covered so nothing is overlooked. Those little details will actually detract from the big impact, major accomplishments.
3. Tie your review wins/accomplishments back to your job description, your company’s purpose (or goals), or how you helped a team member (or another department) achieve their goals. To illustrate your points, give a little description and then quantify the impact as best you can, if you can’t, use an example such as a quote from another team member or manager.
4. Acknowledge and own mistakes made, missed goals and any other less than ideal outcome. Don’t minimize mistakes or rationalize them. Talk about how you will resolve them and actually work on them going forward. The worst thing you can do is get defensive which indicates you are not good at receiving feedback and therefore you have limited potential because you aren’t maximizing growth.
5. Be open minded, like really LISTEN and show excitement and that you’re pumped for the next year!

How to Ask for a Raise

First, slow your roll. Why are you asking for a raise? Is the reason because it’s performance reviews and a raise go hand in hand? Are you prepared to list why you should get the amount you’re asking for? If you have done your research, you absolutely should be asking for a raise. No one will look out for your career like you will so go for it!

Now, it’s hard to justify a raise for doing the same job you did last year. So what did you that was new? What did you do that drove a better result than what you’ve done in the past? Write them down and be ready to support them with examples, results, or data.

Now, it’s time for the big day. You’ve done your research, now you need to do the hard part. Start with why you love your job and what you’re appreciative of. Then, just be direct and straightforward… and don’t forget your confidence! If you are sleuthing or hinting, it comes across as sneaky and less confident. Then, make sure you come prepared to sell yourself! When you look good you feel good, so up your workfit and dress the part, wear something that makes you feel like you’ve got authority and like you’re on your game. Don’t underestimate the impact of how you look makes you feel on the inside.

Then, do your thing! Be genuine and humble but firm and confident. You do not need to make demands because if you’re doing what you say is making an impact and you’ve truly done more than you did in the past, then you don’t have to oversell it. Your boss and leadership will want to support you and give you a raise. It is a priority for companies to retain their top talent so make sure you are one of those people.

Good luck!