January 29, 2025 • 9 mins
Greg Giangrande joins Mendte in the Morning to talk about navigating negotiations with your employer. Greg discusses when is appropriate to ask for a raise, and how to negotiate severance if you are laid off.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And more of Greg gia Grande career advice expert. You
can check them out at go to Greg dot com.
This is a great topic, Greg. Everybody has asked for
a raise anxiety. I have never been able to do it.
I just chicken out. I know sometimes I deserve a raise,
(00:20):
I just completely chicken out and don't ask. That's probably
the worst strategy. Uh, how do you what's the right
way to do it? How can you go and ask
for a raise properly?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Greg, Well, you're right, it is a high anxiety for
most employees. But the first thing you have to remember
is if you don't ask, you're never getting one. So
the only chance you have of getting a raised is
to ask for one. But how you do it is critical,
(00:51):
and unfortunately most people don't do it effectively. The first
thing you have to think about, Larry, is timing. And
I have seen employees in the middle of layoffs or
the company announcing that it had a bad financial quarter
or a bad financial year walk in and say, you know,
(01:12):
they'd like a raise. So timing is critical. Make sure
that the company at least is performing in a way
where they're the executives aren't having private conversations about where
they can cut while you're coming in saying hey, can
I get more money? So that's one. Two is you
(01:32):
have to have a business rationale for why you deserve more,
not that you just want more. Every survey of every
employee ever conducted says that nobody's happy with their compensation
and everybody thinks they should earn more. So thinking you
should earn more and wanting to earn more never justifications
(01:55):
for a raise. You have to have some business rationale.
You've taken on more response ability, You've canvassed the marketplace
and you realize that the company is falling behind what
you can command on the open market. You've discovered that
other people who were not performing as well, were doing
a similar job, are earning more, and they maybe you
(02:16):
didn't negotiate well enough coming in. These are all things
you can be thinking about, but you have to think
in that context.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
You know, it's funny you said that timing is everything
on that because I really just this week had a
conversation with my son who works at a computer company
and they recently laid off people. Now he survived, they're
high on him. He survived. He's doing good. But in
the same conversation, he said, you know, I haven't gotten
a raise in two years. I think I'm going to
(02:45):
go in. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I would slow your role on that one. Since they
just laid people off. I hope you would agree with
me on that.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I do, but it doesn't mean that he does have
a good case to make at the right time. And
let me explain. So, sure they're laying people off, they've
given him more responsibility as a result, or they've just
kept him in his job, because if they've given him
more responsibility as a result, you know what they have
(03:17):
saved from laying off other people. They are, you know,
now getting that more productivity and output out of him.
They don't want to lose him. So once he demonstrates
that he's doing a great job and he's committed and
he's able to take on the extra responsibility, at that
point he can say, hey, listen, you know I know
(03:37):
that you know we're trying to save money, and I
appreciate being given more responsibility. I think I've demonstrated I
can handle it. I was wondering if we could have
a conversation about what the appropriate compensation should be for
me at this point, that's an okay conversation to happen.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You don't think that you're saying give some time, though,
because give some time?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Okay, Now that works because if you go in when
people just lay it off, I think people are going
to look at you and say, what the hell are
you doing right now?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Right now? Absolutely, let things settle, demonstrate that he's committed,
demonstrate that he can crush this job with this additional responsibility,
make them feel like, oh my gosh, we really don't
want to lose him. And at that point, a polite
professional conversation and saying, hey, listen, I know I know
things are tight, but I am taking on more and more.
(04:34):
I have demonstrated that I can do it. I want
to be here. Can we have a conversation about when
would be the right time to talk about compensation?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, speaking of compensation, this is like the fourth time
I've used one of my kids to tell you their
problems to get advice from you. Maybe you should be
getting compensation from me.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
This is this, this, this is this is my paying
it forward, my gift to you and everything.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Ah, that's wonderful. Thank you. You can.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Now here's another one. So we just talked about people
getting laid off, right and they get severance.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Are you able to negotiate severance?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It's the same thing. If you don't ask, then you
won't get anymore. It depends on the company and the circumstance.
It's not unheard of. It's certainly not a it's not
inappropriate to ask. It depends on if it's a mass
layoff and they have to keep to a certain formula.
It depends if you have a unique circumstance. But you
(05:32):
can always ask for more notice time, you can ask
for more severance. You can ask for more transition benefits,
whether it's you know, outplacement services, extra coverage on benefits,
and make sure you understand how references are going to
be handled. These are all appropriate conversations to have and
(05:55):
to ask. Oftentimes there's some flexibility, sometimes there's not. But
if you don't ask, you'll.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Never know, and that should be the easiest time to ask.
They're getting ready of the anyway. I mean, what do
you have to lose?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
What are you going to do? Fire?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You no anxiety about that for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, it's a difficult thing to do. Though.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean, the only time that I had to go
through asking about money is when I was hired, when
I didn't think it was enough. And you have the
courage to do that at that point. If it isn't
enough that you're not going to take the job that.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
You well, if you're yeah, if you're willing to walk away,
then that's the best leverage because if they really want
you and they fear that you are willing to walk away,
that's your greatest negotiating position. But here's what you never
want to do in any of these situations. You don't
want to put your current perspective or you know, soon
(06:53):
to be former employer on the defensive. You don't want
to threaten. You don't want to threaten lawsuits. You don't
want to threaten you're going to walk away. You never
want to threaten that you're going to quit if you
don't get something, that immediately sets a very confrontational environment
and you're less likely to get what you want by
(07:16):
coming across that way.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
As always great advice. Now let's talk about DEI and
know we've talked about this before, but now it's been supercharged,
it's been risen to a whole new level. Donald Trump
is getting rid of the DEI department in the federal government.
He's issued an executive order getting rid of DEI policy
at in the Pentagon and all federal government offices. And
(07:40):
I know that many companies have filed filed suit. They're
not filed suit. I shouldn't say, are doing the same thing.
Are going along with getting rid of DEI policies now
that they believe it's not a federal regulation anymore. Do
you see this happening more and more or is it
kind of leveled off?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
No, it is happening more and more, and I think
it's going to continue. You just won't hear about it
because not every company is headline making right there are
you know, the vast majority of tens of thousands of
companies out there. Whatever employment practice they change, nobody cares about,
nobody's writing about. But it's certainly happening. The unfortunate thing
here is that proverbial throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
(08:24):
That's been politicized to the point where when we're talking
about hiring decisions that are based on identity, that's one thing,
and that's unconstitutional. You can't hire or fire people based
on whatever race they are, and some companies and some
agencies have certainly taken it too far. But DEI in
(08:45):
general is not about that. It is about creating the
most inclusive and fair environment so that everybody has an
equal chance, not treated equally, but an equal opportunit unity.
And so there are many companies that are sticking by
that principle because frankly, how can you argue with that.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah it's a good idea, right, Yeah, it's a good idea.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It is a good idea that was just completely misused,
as often happens. But Greg g and Grande career advice expert.
You can check them out on go to Greg dot com.
As you hear he has great advice. Go to Greg
dot com. Greg Gangrande, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Thanks Larry. Next week
And more of Greg gia Grande career advice expert. You
can check them out at go to Greg dot com.
This is a great topic, Greg. Everybody has asked for
a raise anxiety. I have never been able to do it.
I just chicken out. I know sometimes I deserve a raise,
(00:20):
I just completely chicken out and don't ask. That's probably
the worst strategy. Uh, how do you what's the right
way to do it? How can you go and ask
for a raise properly?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Greg, Well, you're right, it is a high anxiety for
most employees. But the first thing you have to remember
is if you don't ask, you're never getting one. So
the only chance you have of getting a raised is
to ask for one. But how you do it is critical,
(00:51):
and unfortunately most people don't do it effectively. The first
thing you have to think about, Larry, is timing. And
I have seen employees in the middle of layoffs or
the company announcing that it had a bad financial quarter
or a bad financial year walk in and say, you know,
(01:12):
they'd like a raise. So timing is critical. Make sure
that the company at least is performing in a way
where they're the executives aren't having private conversations about where
they can cut while you're coming in saying hey, can
I get more money? So that's one. Two is you
(01:32):
have to have a business rationale for why you deserve more,
not that you just want more. Every survey of every
employee ever conducted says that nobody's happy with their compensation
and everybody thinks they should earn more. So thinking you
should earn more and wanting to earn more never justifications
(01:55):
for a raise. You have to have some business rationale.
You've taken on more response ability, You've canvassed the marketplace
and you realize that the company is falling behind what
you can command on the open market. You've discovered that
other people who were not performing as well, were doing
a similar job, are earning more, and they maybe you
(02:16):
didn't negotiate well enough coming in. These are all things
you can be thinking about, but you have to think
in that context.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
You know, it's funny you said that timing is everything
on that because I really just this week had a
conversation with my son who works at a computer company
and they recently laid off people. Now he survived, they're
high on him. He survived. He's doing good. But in
the same conversation, he said, you know, I haven't gotten
a raise in two years. I think I'm going to
(02:45):
go in. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I would slow your role on that one. Since they
just laid people off. I hope you would agree with
me on that.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I do, but it doesn't mean that he does have
a good case to make at the right time. And
let me explain. So, sure they're laying people off, they've
given him more responsibility as a result, or they've just
kept him in his job, because if they've given him
more responsibility as a result, you know what they have
(03:17):
saved from laying off other people. They are, you know,
now getting that more productivity and output out of him.
They don't want to lose him. So once he demonstrates
that he's doing a great job and he's committed and
he's able to take on the extra responsibility, at that
point he can say, hey, listen, you know I know
(03:37):
that you know we're trying to save money, and I
appreciate being given more responsibility. I think I've demonstrated I
can handle it. I was wondering if we could have
a conversation about what the appropriate compensation should be for
me at this point, that's an okay conversation to happen.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You don't think that you're saying give some time, though,
because give some time?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Okay, Now that works because if you go in when
people just lay it off, I think people are going
to look at you and say, what the hell are
you doing right now?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Right now? Absolutely, let things settle, demonstrate that he's committed,
demonstrate that he can crush this job with this additional responsibility,
make them feel like, oh my gosh, we really don't
want to lose him. And at that point, a polite
professional conversation and saying, hey, listen, I know I know
things are tight, but I am taking on more and more.
(04:34):
I have demonstrated that I can do it. I want
to be here. Can we have a conversation about when
would be the right time to talk about compensation?
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, speaking of compensation, this is like the fourth time
I've used one of my kids to tell you their
problems to get advice from you. Maybe you should be
getting compensation from me.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
This is this, this, this is this is my paying
it forward, my gift to you and everything.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Ah, that's wonderful. Thank you. You can.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Now here's another one. So we just talked about people
getting laid off, right and they get severance.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Are you able to negotiate severance?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It's the same thing. If you don't ask, then you
won't get anymore. It depends on the company and the circumstance.
It's not unheard of. It's certainly not a it's not
inappropriate to ask. It depends on if it's a mass
layoff and they have to keep to a certain formula.
It depends if you have a unique circumstance. But you
(05:32):
can always ask for more notice time, you can ask
for more severance. You can ask for more transition benefits,
whether it's you know, outplacement services, extra coverage on benefits,
and make sure you understand how references are going to
be handled. These are all appropriate conversations to have and
(05:55):
to ask. Oftentimes there's some flexibility, sometimes there's not. But
if you don't ask, you'll.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Never know, and that should be the easiest time to ask.
They're getting ready of the anyway. I mean, what do
you have to lose?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
What are you going to do? Fire?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
You no anxiety about that for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, it's a difficult thing to do. Though.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean, the only time that I had to go
through asking about money is when I was hired, when
I didn't think it was enough. And you have the
courage to do that at that point. If it isn't
enough that you're not going to take the job that.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
You well, if you're yeah, if you're willing to walk away,
then that's the best leverage because if they really want
you and they fear that you are willing to walk away,
that's your greatest negotiating position. But here's what you never
want to do in any of these situations. You don't
want to put your current perspective or you know, soon
(06:53):
to be former employer on the defensive. You don't want
to threaten. You don't want to threaten lawsuits. You don't
want to threaten you're going to walk away. You never
want to threaten that you're going to quit if you
don't get something, that immediately sets a very confrontational environment
and you're less likely to get what you want by
(07:16):
coming across that way.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
As always great advice. Now let's talk about DEI and
know we've talked about this before, but now it's been supercharged,
it's been risen to a whole new level. Donald Trump
is getting rid of the DEI department in the federal government.
He's issued an executive order getting rid of DEI policy
at in the Pentagon and all federal government offices. And
(07:40):
I know that many companies have filed filed suit. They're
not filed suit. I shouldn't say, are doing the same thing.
Are going along with getting rid of DEI policies now
that they believe it's not a federal regulation anymore. Do
you see this happening more and more or is it
kind of leveled off?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
No, it is happening more and more, and I think
it's going to continue. You just won't hear about it
because not every company is headline making right there are
you know, the vast majority of tens of thousands of
companies out there. Whatever employment practice they change, nobody cares about,
nobody's writing about. But it's certainly happening. The unfortunate thing
here is that proverbial throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
(08:24):
That's been politicized to the point where when we're talking
about hiring decisions that are based on identity, that's one thing,
and that's unconstitutional. You can't hire or fire people based
on whatever race they are, and some companies and some
agencies have certainly taken it too far. But DEI in
(08:45):
general is not about that. It is about creating the
most inclusive and fair environment so that everybody has an
equal chance, not treated equally, but an equal opportunit unity.
And so there are many companies that are sticking by
that principle because frankly, how can you argue with that.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah it's a good idea, right, Yeah, it's a good idea.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It is a good idea that was just completely misused,
as often happens. But Greg g and Grande career advice expert.
You can check them out on go to Greg dot com.
As you hear he has great advice. Go to Greg
dot com. Greg Gangrande, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Thanks Larry. Next week
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