Pay rises: It’s attitude and timing

"The intent and the desire is there, but sometimes the money just isn't available." Andrew Rushworth, employer

Planning and a good attitude can go a long way towards a pay rise, though many factors are beyond the influence of employees.

A new survey by recruitment agency Robert Half found 64 per cent of chief financial officers said granting requests for pay increases depended on how well the organisation was doing.

Just over a third of them said it was mainly based on how the overall economy was going at the time.

But performance and planning still hold considerable sway for Russell Wilson, managing director of Manawatu distribution company DKSH.

‘‘How they approach their work, and if they’re willing to go the extra mile when it’s needed, that’s the main thing to me.’’

Wilson said employees didn’t need to wait for a review, but when they asked and what they asked for had a big effect on their chance of success.

Any time an employee is asked to take on more work or responsibility, it’s reasonable to ask for a pay rise, he said.

Differences in cost of living between the city and places like Auckland could make a big difference in what employers thought was reasonable to ask for, he said.

‘‘Palmerston North is very difficult to get information about when it comes to pay levels. The easily accessible information tends to be on a national level.’’

This strategy worked for science equipment salesman Roger Young. He said the last time he asked for a raise was several years ago, when he was considering moving to another company.

‘‘I stated my case about what I did for the company, and how much I’d like to get paid. I gave them a number and they pretty much agreed straight away.’’

Young said he didn’t feel nervous about asking because he’d done his research. He looked into what other graduates with a Masters degree and his level of experience were earning in similar roles and set his number inside that range.

‘‘It was an educated gamble, but the worst they could’ve done was say no.’’

Tracey Hoskin left a job in 2016 she’d had for 10 years after her request for a pay rise was turned down.

‘‘They said the money wasn’t there, and that’s that. At that point I felt the loyalty was gone, and they didn’t value my work.’’

She said her new employers took a different approach with clear criteria for salary increases and scheduled pay rises, which ensured workers felt appreciated.

‘‘It’s mostly the human fear of being rejected, which can be harder than not getting the money.’’

Electric truck manufacturer Zero Emission Vehicles director Andrew Rushworth said rewards to employees couldn’t always be financial ones.

‘‘The intent and the desire is there, but sometimes the money just isn’t available.’’

He said ZEV was still a start-up and when pay-rises weren’t possible he tried to ensure staff were getting something they wanted out of the company.

He gave people work they were passionate about, and was flexible on hours.