Ready to Walk in and Ask for That Raise? Think Again

More than 70% of Respondents have asked for Raises but Only 21% Say Theyíve Gotten Them in Every Instance

Does having a salary range that tops $100,000 mean youíre savvy about asking for a raise? The most recent survey conducted by TheLadders.com, the worldís leading online recruiting resource for $100,000 jobs, reveals some surprising trends among the executive ranks.

A recent survey conducted on its Web site, www.theladders.com, garnered a total of 1378 respondents. Happily for employers, both men and women in this earning range stated they donít tend to change jobs in order to get more money (only 4% indicated that would be their course of action). Instead, more than 70% confirmed that theyíve asked for a raise and 61% say theyíve asked for a raise with a positive outcome.

Yet, the data reveals only 21% of respondents have gotten a raise every single time that theyíve asked for one. Only half of the executives surveyed say they have the confidence in their abilities to request a raise, perhaps due to the perception among half of those surveyed that their management is unwilling to entertain such discussions.

Success appears to be in the details. Those who have asked for and received raises have done so by making a case and highlighting their accomplishments and contributions to their employer. 63% said they presented their case, followed by 14% who conducted a market assessment of salaries and went into their boss to discuss the situation. 8% chose the moments following a significant company success or major win to request a raise and 7% first solicited a competitive offer and then leveraged it to state their case.

Marc Cenedella, CEO of TheLadders.com, commented, ìNegotiating a raise is a learned skill. As evidenced by these survey results, researching and building the business case that demonstrates your value to your employer puts you in the best bargaining position.î