What is your reaction to a team member asking you for a raise?

Our reader poll today asks: What is your reaction to a team member asking you for a raise?

• I’m happy to discuss it and am impressed by their self-advocacy 85.17%
• I don’t like it at all. I’ll let them know when they’re due a raise 14.83%

Listening to your team members’ needs. While the vast majority of you say you’re welcoming of team members asking for a raise, for the 15% of you who are against it, ask yourself why. If someone feels strongly enough to do something intimidating like asking for a raise, you at least owe them the courtesy of listening to their case. They may bring up accomplishments or responsibilities you’re unaware of or have forgotten that would merit a raise. Or it might be an indicator they’re dissatisfied in their role and they’re looking for a new job somewhere else that pays more. Just because they ask, it doesn’t mean you have to say yes. If you’re saying no, it’s a good time to have a performance expectations discussion or perhaps better explain the compensation model at your company which they might not understand. If you’re not willing to have these conversations, there are 85% of your peers who are and you could be spending more time recruiting and interviewing than you’d like.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.