Posted By Linda on 27 Oct 2009 07:53 AM
Posted By Kowboy on 25 Oct 2009 03:53 PM
Kelsey:
What on earth business is it of yours why an employee needs a raise? That is absolutely none of your business. I can see your asking why they deserve a raise, but that's about it. Which gets me to my next point:
Joe,
It may be none of your business why an employee ask for a raise, but it give the employer valuable insight into the employees intentions going forward.
If a young employee wants to get married and buy a house, that usually means he will be tied down to payments and will need the job more than ever. He will probably buckle down and work harder.
If he says he wants to buy a boat to go to the river, then he probably won't be there on Friday and will be worthless on Monday.
That information is valuable to the employer.
Linda:
I could argue that the guy with the wife and kids is going to be so pressed for time, he won't work a bit of overtime and and will be exhaused anyway but the guy with the boat is going to be so relaxed and refreshed he'll work harder all week.
Insead, though, I'll give you a first hand example of how your theory blew up in my wifes ex-employer's face.
My wife's previous employer was awarded a huge chunk of a billion-dollar contract (no typo, that's a "b" not an "m") to build the new Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. They wanted her to be in charge of all the safety and security for the entire job. She told them fine, but with all the added responsibility, she required a large pay raise and she was going off salary and back to hourly because of all the overtime the job would entail. They balked bigtime.
Her boss was so confident, or should I say cocky, he said "You'll never quit. Your husband has his own business. You're not going anywhere."
He had her resignation on his desk within days and he or his boss quickly caved; she got everything she demanded and everyone made lots of money, on time and under budget.
When the job ended, she announced that her boss wasn't qualified to be her boss anymore and she would no longer report to him. They caved again. This is what happens when you bargain from a position of strength.
The guys she works for now met her on that job. Her old boss calls her for advice and networking now.
Unlike my wife's former employer, I wouldn't make business decisions based on information that was none of my business. It's all about the marketplace seeking equilibirum, nothing more, nothing less.
Joe