Hey ladies, want a raise? Don't ask for one, just trust the system and "karma"

So says Microsoft's CEO.

You can imagine how well that went over.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/10/09/354964666/microsoft-ceo-backtracks-on-suggestion-that-women-shouldnt-ask-for-raises?

 

Instant karma's gonna get you, gonna knock you right in the head.

 

It was a dumb answer, but an interesting topic.

The best time to negotiate salary is when you take a new job, and often the best way to get a raise, is to get a promotion.

Most big companies will have pay ranges attached to grade levels. They will also have an annual review process where employees will be evaluated, and if the company is relatively healthy, raises will be decided upon. Depending on how the employee is doing (and -- unfortunately -- how much they're already being paid) they will be eligible for one of several raises of varying percentage points.

Microsoft likely has a system of this sort, and so, short of taking on new responsibilities, there is little point to asking for a raise.

In some companies, if there is a large union workforce, managers will get a raise in conjunction with the employees they manage.

I'm all for people getting paid what they deserve, and they should seek to do so. But, just "asking for a raise" is stupid. If you're going to do it, it should be paired with some request to (or evidence that you already have) take on new duties. Or you should be able to show how your work has yielded additional revenue for the company (and it would help if this additional revenue is contingent upon your continued service in the job).

I think people are being naïve when they say that you just need to ask for a raise, or say that women don't ask for them enough, or as often as men. You need to justify a raise, and not just ask for one.