Q. I recently accepted a new role as a Web assessment client coordinator within an organization for whom I have been working for a year. My previous salary was $25,000. When asked about my desired compensation for this new role, I replied, "I don't know what the salary range is for this position," trying to get a feel for what I might expect. I was due for my one year performance review and was expecting a salary increase of at least 5 percent. My manager told me to go into this performance review with $27,000 in mind. This was lower than I was hoping for. I didn't really feel I had much barga... view article details

Q: Like many other companies, my employer has conducted layoffs this year. I was approached by my manager to increase my responsibilities to better define my workload to HR. I wanted more responsibilities anyway, but I wanted to be compensated for the added duties. Now that my job is on the line, should I just take the extra workload and be grateful that I have a job, or should I ask for an increase in pay?A: The whole point of a company laying off people is to have fewer people doing the same types of tasks. This in turn is supposed to reduce the company's overall expenses. When your boss ask... view article details

Q: I have been working as a human resources assistant for the last two and a half years. Although I had no human resources experience when I started, I have now learned almost every aspect of my job (at least according to my job description) and have acquired even more responsibilities. I have attended numerous HR seminars and have taken a few evening business courses on my own.I'm also the unofficial supervisor for a two-person department. Technically, my manager is the manager for this department, but because I am bilingual I have become responsible for hiring, firing, and daily management. ... view article details

 One of the most important steps in the cycle of excellence is the employee self-appraisal. Your manager may ask you to conduct a self-appraisal approximately one or two weeks before your performance review. It is worth taking the time to complete this exercise thoughtfully, because it will enable you to compare your impression of how well you did with your company's impression. The form may be identical to the one your manager uses, so it will give you a good indication of what will be talked about in your performance review and later filed with the human resources department. You will also n... view article details

Q: I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to "reward" employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area? A: Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 perce... view article details

Flexible Workplaces Becoming the Norm When looking for a job, you're likely focused on what type of position you'd like to land and probably not paying attention to hiring trends or hiring manager surveys. In fact, you may not even know that a relatively recent Flexpaths-LinkedIn Virtual Think Tanks study suggested 'flexible' workplaces would become inevitable by 2015 because employers recognize their targeted employees expect some flexibility when it comes to their jobs. Many Workers Will Sacrifice Money for Flexibility Are you one of the 42 percent of working adults who wou... view article details

Q: My facility just was closed. Approximately 80 hourly employees were eliminated, as well as 90 percent of the salaried workforce. I am one of the lucky 10 percent who are being offered postions at a different location. I currently live in a state that has a low cost of living and will most likely be asked to move to a state that has a much higher cost of living. Would it be out of place to ask for that increase in my salary?A: The first thing I would do is speak to my Human Resources Representative and find out what the company's compensation philosophy is. A company's compensation philosoph... view article details

One of the most important goals of your performance review is to help you develop professionally. At the same time, the company will set goals for you to help it achieve its objectives. So at both an individual and corporate level, performance reviews are about future excellence as much as past accomplishment.If you help set your own goals, the chance of your meeting them will be higher. Think carefully about what you can realistically do to achieve your targets.Your action plan for professional development should provide answers to the following questions.What areas of your performance do you... view article details

Q. I am the assistant to the president of a small consulting firm. Since I am at the top of my pay scale and receive excellent bonuses, what else can I negotiate that is not monetary, and how do I go about it?A. You pose a very interesting question, and you're in an admirable spot. What does one negotiate for when one is already paid well above market? Since you already know you won't be able to get any more money in base or incentive pay, you should decide what else you would really like. For instance, you might like to spend more time with your family, take a professional course, or attend a... view article details

We all have our guilty pleasures, and one that continually draws me in from my DVR is “House Hunters International” on HGTV. Each episode, viewers watch as the subject of the show gives up their life at home and travels thousands of miles to an international destination in order to buy or rent a new home or apartment. Those of us playing at home are sucked in through a game show angle, trying to predict which of the three choices will be the winner.This show makes me very angry for several reasons.They never seem to choose the “right” house.When the agent says it’s “a little over your budget.”... view article details