What do you do if your employer resists salary negotiations in Internal Communications?

Assessing value begins with metrics, which can be hard in the qualitative world of internal comms. Make sure you and your manager agree on what success looks like. Get specific about what exceeding expectations might mean. Basically, if you are aligning your success to organizational success, you are doing it right. Balance this work with qualitative goals tied to internal communication surveys or focus groups. Touch base with each member of the executive leadership team at least annually and preferably quarterly to get their impressions. Work like this familiarizes you to the people who make final decisions and great increases your ability to grow your sphere of influence (and advance your career and income).

Research Market Rates: Conduct thorough research to understand the industry standards and average salary ranges for professionals in similar roles within your geographic location. This will provide you with valuable data to support your negotiation. Present Market Data: Present the market research you've gathered to support your salary negotiation. Highlight any discrepancies between your current salary and industry standards, making a compelling case for a salary adjustment.

This is especially important, and in particular it's critial to listen for the "how" you are working, not just what you are accomplishing. Internal communications is always navigating among multiple stakeholders. It can be frustrating work, especially when you are on version 27 before sou meone decides to kill the communication entirely. Your ability to build relationships with others that makes them want to work with you in the future is essential to getting the compensation and career progression you desire.

Be clear in your own mind what you are willing to do and the trade-offs that may come with it. If you are adamant about not wanting to manage people, that puts a limit on what you can expect. If you want to manage larger, higher visibility projects, this may come at a price relating to your quality of life or work-life balance. A salary is an exchange, like it or not, so as you think about alternatives for yourself, also be clear about what alternatives you are willing to offer up for advancement or higher compensation. This is especially true of alternatives relating to more education or shadowing employees in other functions -- they are great for career growth but can add long hours and additional stress.

Focus on Win-Win: Emphasize your desire for a mutually beneficial outcome that aligns with both your career goals and the organization's objectives. Approach the negotiation with a collaborative mindset rather than adversarial. Evaluate your options carefully and consider the potential impact on your career trajectory and overall job satisfaction. If your employer remains unwilling to meet your salary expectations, you may need to reassess your long-term goals and explore other opportunities that offer fair compensation and advancement prospects.

There's the reality that some people get pay raises or promotions by getting job offers at other companies and then receiving counter offers. I'd just note here that I can't think of a single instance where that works out for the person who stays or the company that kept them. At bottom, the things that drove the employee to look elsewhere will continue to be factors. Though there are always exceptions, if you get countered by your current employer, my general advice would be "don't do it."