You Got the Promotion But No Raise

You Got the Promotion But No RaiseYou Got the Promotion But No RaiseThe pace of change in technology is incredible. With things moving so quickly, especially at start-ups, tech pros are sometimes given additional responsibilities (a promotion to lead web developer from web developer, for example), but with no increase in compensation.Sometimes these are battlefield promotions that require someone to step up and fill a void to meet a critical business need. Other times a promotion without a raise can be a sort of test to prove you can handle additional responsibilities basically, youre expected to do the job before you get the job. What should IT professionals do when this happens, and when should they ask for a raise?More responsibilities should = mora moneyIm always supportive of taking on more responsibilities if theyre offered. Being asked is a vote of confidence in you, and presents you with the opportunity to increase your value and impact in the organization. However, I also s trongly believe that increased responsibilities should translate to increased compensation and/or additional perks. If not, receiving increased responsibilities or a bigger title can feel less like an opportunity and more like a company taking advantage of you.Open a dialogueIf you are an IT professional in this situation, its reasonable to expect to discuss this openly with your manager before accepting any new responsibilities. Start by simply asking what additional compensation or company perks will accompany these added work responsibilities. Your manager may not be able to provide any financial increase immediately, but she may agree to an increase on a specific date based on certain criteria being met. (Make sure you get an agreement in writing with both the criteria you must meet and the date of the potential raise in a case like this.)Employers should understand the current (hot) marketFor employers on the other side of this equation, its important to remember that the marke t is very competitive and many technology professionals are experiencing compensation increases for doing the saatkorn job. So offering a team member a promotion without a raise could create a negative perception and may even cause an IT pro to seek another job.This post has been updated to reflect more current information.