How do I bring up a promotion to my boss?

Question

My 2-year anniversary with my current company is coming up. In the past, I've been a bit of a job-hopper (work somewhere between 1 and 2 years, then go to another company). I kind of like my project and team... so if I bomb in asking for this, it will cause me some hardship (if only mental/emotional). That said, I've worked very hard and while last year, I was not being the best I could be... this year, I feel I've really stepped up. I've taken on extra work that the boss traditionally did (CMMI crap for our deployment environment, etc.) I've also become something of a go-to for the random tasks and crap that doesn't fit into anyone else's well-defined area of expertise.

That said, my whole team is either developer 3 (1 grade above me), or lead developers (level 4??). I am the only developer 2 on my team, and I think I've been working at the developer3 level for quite a while (and I've been recognized through the year for really stepping up in a couple of areas... and the note from the customer stating appreciation for the "team" that develops something I developed on my own).

I've never asked for a raise in my life, nor have I ever asked for a promotion. What's the best way to do this? Also, since I like where I'm working, what's a good way that WON'T burn any bridges between my boss and I?

Thanks, I know you all will give great advice! (and I'll want to accept at least 3 answers by the time I finish reading the comments).

EDIT: Technically today is my 2-year anniversary, and our company has an annual review policy. The job-grades are somewhat standardized in my company (about 10-15 thousand people work for the company). I should be having the annual review meeting next week, but am looking more for how to steer it towards a promotion meeting, than the standard "atta-boy, here's a 2% raise".

And thanks for all the great suggestions!

Answer 1

Just ask an appointment with your boss and repeat what you just wrote. If you're open an honest that should go just fine.

Answer 2

I would put together a document detailing the various inputs you've made over the past year, and why you feel those inputs deserve a developer 3 position.

Be specific and professional, and be prepared with a comprehensive bullet pointed list that will make it very difficult for your boss to turn you down.

If your boss says no, and promises you a promotion in the future, be sure to nail him down about when you'll get the promotion, and exactly what it is he feels you have to do between now and then to get it.

Good luck!

Answer 3

It sounds like you don't have regular reviews. I would sit down with your boss and ask him to institute a review and raise process, not just for you but for everyone in the team. 6 months is usually a good interval and the feedback should go both ways. Don't make it confrontational, but be firm that you think you deserve a raise/promotion and that there should be a well defined process.

Answer 4

I would approach your boss directly. Tell him or her that you want to discuss your career path, and would like to know what skills / behaviors you need to exhibit to be promoted. If your boss is a decent person he would present you with a reasonable list. If you have all the skills, come back in a couple of days and say "I thought about it, and I think I have all the skills. Do you agree?" Your boss might disagree and give a more precise definition of what those skills or behaviors are. In a couple of iterations your boss will have no choice but to give you that promotion. Oh, and do not forget the all important email:

"Thank you for taking the time to work with me on my career path. To recap our conversation of a few minutes ago. You think that I need to do X, Y and Z to become an engineer 3. I look forward to demonstrating these skills in the near future."

There is always a chance that your boss will come back with ridiculous requirements ("I expect all my engineer 3's to be able to build a compiler overnight") If that is the case, and you really want that promotion then start searching for another company.

BTW, I supervise a number of developers and managers, and I have both approached people as to what they need to do, and been approached people in this manner. I never felt it was a problem.

Also, you need to decide if you care about the title, the compensation or other aspects of the job (such as how much fun / satisfaction you get from the job itself.) In some companies, your boss may not care about naming you "Lord Protector of the Realm" as long as you still get paid the same. In other companies, the title carries specific privileges or compensation, and those your supervisor might care more. I have worked in both environments.

Answer 5

A general piece of advice for any pay negotiations: don't threaten to leave (either explicitly or implicitly) unless you truly are willing and prepared to leave.

A related piece of advice is: be truly willing and prepared to leave before negotiating (but be happy when things work out).

Answer 6

There are two sides to this coin

• Whether your boss thinks you're due a promotion and payrise
• Whether your boss has the additional budget / headcount allocation to promote you

Is your company currently recruiting for developer 3 roles? If so then that can give you a good start point for the conversation with your boss.

If you think you're underpaid then it can be useful to do a little research for average salaries for someone with your skills and experience - even if it doesn't come up in the meeting with your boss it should give you more confidence that your request is reasonable.

Does your company have an annual pay review system in place, and do you know if anyone else has had a pay rise recently?

Lastly, there's always the "disloyalty bonus" approach. If you would rather leave than stick it out at your current salary and role then it might be time to hit the interview circuit. I've a couple of friends who have obtained very hansome pay rises only when they told their boss that they quit and showed him the offer letter.

Answer 7

Just tell him everything you wrote here and ask him if he thinks that you deserve it. Be honest and humble. And definitely, don't be aggressive.

Answer 8

People only act when there's something in it for them.

So what's in it for your boss if he promotes you? Lower margins because he has to pay you more? A team of leaders and spoiled team dynamic?

Demonstrate clear benefits to the promoter - this, in my opinion is the only way to "force" a promotion and this is actually very hard to do in the real world, usually due to political constraints.

Example - "I'll take a 5k paycut if you promote me to team leader" - sounds like a win-win - but there are the other developers to think about; their morale would sink, they wouldn't respect you, and you wouldn't be able to lead them, so it's actually a lose-lose.

If after speaking with your boss he can't see the benefits that you can in your promotion, and you still have ambition, then its time to leave IMO.

In my experience promotions (I mean real promotions, not token increments) are only handed out when absolutely necessary such as when the manager is left with no choice. In your case there seem to be 3 or 4 other options, so your manager has a choice, so there will be no action.

Answer 9

In my career thus far, my first pay raise was just a simple question to my manager: "According to the employment contract, my salary would be reviewed after six months. I've been here six months, so I'm wondering if you've had that review yet." His response was an immediate, "Oh, I don't think that's right." About three hours later, he came back, summoned me to his office, and showed me a 10%+ pay raise. That was about 11 years ago.

More recently, I was looking for my next promotion, and continued to ask my manager with each monthly one-on-one meeting what was required for me to get that promotion - what was I doing that I needed to continue to do, what was I not doing that I needed to start doing, etc. At one point it just became an accounting game: the budget just wasn't there for promotions. Eventually I got it.

Even more recently, my manager has started asking me about the next promotion. My answer was that I mostly wasn't interested. I'm comfortable where I am, and see little benefit to my lifestyle at the next level. I get paid well now, and my work week is still flexible at about 40 hours. Going to the next level looks like it would be more demanding, and, simply, work and the corporation aren't that valuable to me.

The key thing I've learned from my own experience is that confrontation hasn't been required. Start out with the soft sell. Get your manager on your side (in my experience, they usually are on your side, so only a gentle nudge is required for focus). Work together on your promotion. It usually is good for a manager to promote his/her employees - it increases their own stature in the organisation, too. You need to work with him/her to help him/her justify it to whatever people need to see that justification (usually their manager/boss and accounting/finance). I've not needed to go beyond that so far. Hopefully, you don't, either.

Answer 10

If you think that asking for a promotion is risky, how about asking what you need to do to get a promotion. Try to agree on a small number of things you need to achieve. Book a meeting with him, letting him know what it's for in advance so he can prepare - if you book the meeting it's easier for you to add an agenda where you can be clear about what you want to get out of it.