You do everything right, but the
answer is still no. All is not lost. Here are a handful of options:
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Negotiate for money at a future date.
Your raise request might coincide with the company's
annual slow period or a temporary cash-flow crunch. Try to arrange a raise pegged
to a specific date when the company expects revenues to be strong again, says
Martin Latz, author of "Gain the Edge!"
"Say
'If it is a cash-flow issue and you don't have the money now, when you do have
the money will you give it to me and make that part of our deal?'" he says.
Talk bonus. A raise
beyond a certain amount would violate "policy." But if you can show
that you've gone beyond your normal job duties, the boss might be more comfortable
labeling the increase a performance-based bonus, says Latz.
Improve
your relationship with your boss. "I would take
getting turned down for a raise as a sign that I need to create more of a rapport,"
says Richard Bolles, author of "What Color Is Your Parachute?" "If
the boss doesn't like you, you can forget about any diary that you've ever kept.
The boss is waiting for an excuse to push you over the cliff or make you jump,
rather than fire you."
Consider your
options. You haven't gotten the money, and you want
to threaten to quit. Bad move. "It always blows up in the employee's face,"
says Jim Thomas, author of "Negotiate to Win." "Everybody knows
the ability to go elsewhere is understood."
But it's a good time
to think about what's best for you. If the company really doesn't have the money
to give raises, that's not a good sign. And if the company has money but won't
spend it on you, what does that say about your future?
