[TheGuyCPA]

I feel that I contribute largely, have implemented and automated processes, and go above and beyond, yet I still get paid less than the lazy guy just because he started 8 months before me.

FAR - 80
REG - 78
AUD - 88
BEC - 84

State of Illinois Licensed CPA as of September 2015

[Missy]

How long have you been there?

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Yeah I wouldn't ask for a raise until you've been somewhere for at least a year. At that point, it is absolutely appropriate to bring it up during your performance review.

And then your argument should be focused around your accomplishments and not the lack of someone else's.

[jbarwick]

How did you find out about this persons salary? The reason I ask is because I worked in an area where you could find out someones salary relatively easily but if you looked and somehow tried to use this to ask for more money, you would have violated rules X and Y of the position.

I would only bring up your contributions and not compare yourself to other people. also do this at a review period. Maybe the lazy guy who talks to a ton of people is actually more liked than you and seen as a better contributor to the team. Maybe he seems lazy but in reality he is super efficient. There are tons of scenarios where he actually contributes more than you, you just can't see it.

Also depending on how much more he makes, bringing this up doesn't matter. $2,000 a year is roughly $38.50 per week gross which is peanuts. Learn to pick your battles as you have a long career ahead of you.

Journey Started - January 2015
FAR - 4/2015 - Passed
AUD - 7/2015 - Passed
BEC - 8/2015 - Passed
REG - 11/12/2015 - Passed

[Kettlepot]

The problem where I work is that there's no one to really “complain” to. My boss has very little say on raises, and even HIS boss has only a small amount of say in the matter. If you do poorly, you get a 1.0% raise, I did “excellent, above expectations” last year and got 2.0%. Everyone else falls in that range somewhere here.

The point here that in large corporations like this that have set pools for merit increases, the best way to get a raise worthwhile is to get a promotion. It could even be a promotion to the level II of the same base job title depending on how your corp is set up. Crying to your boss may yield nothing, even if you boss REALLY wants to give you a raise!

Far: 49
BEC: 79 (Expired)
AUD: 51, 67, 64
REG: 59, 64, 59, 69

[golfball7773]

I work for a large corporation and our raises are based on metrics. Doesn't matter if you are poor performer or you saved the company from a 15 kazillion dollar loss, the raises are calculated on metrics. Metrics meaning years of service and pay.

FAR: 63, 55, 62
REG: 65, 77*
AUD: Fail, 64, 71
BEC: 72, 74, 81

*expired

[ruggercpa2b]

I worked at a corporation for a few years and our raises were based on performance. Most of the time we got 3% and if you did really well you got 5%. They would also tell us not to discuss salary with our peers but a few of us always talked about it. I know mla has pointed this out before but some people are just better at negotiating starting salary. I remember my first job ever I took the first amount they offered me and then a few years down the line I was a little bitter that other people were making more than I was. I have learned since then and this last time I negotiated an 18% raise when I left Big 4.

I worked with people I thought I was a much better worker than they were but later realized it really is all about perception and being liked. Some people can talk and give off the sense that they are good at what they do. And they might BS all day long but when given work will get it done and sometimes even do it well.

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[ScarletKnightCPA]

I'm going to echo what was mentioned by others that beyond a certain level performance is really about perception.

Skills, attributes, and personality that is valued by one manager may not be valued by another manager. We are all intelligent people having gone through college. Additional skills brought in from high performers is probably quite small assuming that each individual knows how to do their job.

Given this, being liked is the major differentiator. If you are liked people are more willing to coach, support, and go out of their way for you. Unfortunately being liked is not something that you have total control of.

I recall that I went from one manager who was marking me as underperforming, then I got a new manager who said I was above expectations, and then the old manager came back and tried to put back the underperforming review (despite not being there for the year).

Other factors that you need to consider, does this individual have more experience or education prior to this role?

Far: 76 (Wiley Test Bank)
Aud: 77 (Wiley Test Bank)
Reg: 61, 76 (Wiley book, Wiley Test Bank)
Bec: 86 (Wiley Test Bank)

MBA in progress

[Author]

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