Who do you need to be to get that raise at your end-of-year review?

The cooler seasons are the perfect time to unwind at home during the dark evenings – unless you’re preparing for a performance review. Even the most optimistic staffer can dread the prospect of the end-of-year review. It can feel like every meeting and weekly check-in has been building to this point, and the anticipation can make anyone anxious.

However, performance reviews don’t have to be painful. This is your opportunity to present your successes from the year, and assess your skills and job satisfaction with your manager. Still, there’s one aspect that looms over the process: salary negotiations. Finding the confidence to ask for a raise is tough, and the state of the employment market in some industries may mean that you are grateful to have a job. Still, it’s important to remember the value you bring to your team, and go into negotiations with all the skills you need to get the salary you deserve! So, to bring some levity to the topic, let’s take a look at some of the best and worst workplace stereotypes you may relate to during negotiation season. Knowing who you identify with could help you to do better at that year-end meeting.

1. The Introvert
2. The Researcher
3. The Overachiever
4. The Slacker
5. The People-Pleaser
6. The Networker

1. The Introvert

If you’re dreading your performance review, you may relate to the Introvert. The Introvert is a shy, quiet presence in the office. They may not have a lot to say during lunch, and they may be a bit mysterious, but they seem to find a way to keep their head down and get all of their work done while hardly interacting with anyone. While the Introvert is great at their job, and very deserving of a raise or promotion, they may find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiations. First, they may be too anxious to ask for a raise, even if they feel they’ve earned one. While negotiating a raise is a standard part of a yearly review, one study found that 57% of workers have never asked for a pay increase. While the aversion to asking for more money is understandable (you might be afraid of looking pushy or asking for too much), it’s important to remember that your company needs you, and you deserve to earn a fair wage.

The Introvert might also struggle with justifying their desired salary. Since they tend to keep to themselves, they may not be well known around the office, and they may not have been vocal about their successes along the way, unlike their colleagues. So, if you feel like your manager may not be aware of everything you’ve contributed, make sure to bring the receipts.

2. The Researcher

This person has mastered the art of negotiation, and they have a binder of evidence to support their demands. Unlike their colleagues, the Researcher has been thinking about the yearly reviews since January. They have kept meticulous records of every project launched, target hit, and team-building event attended, and they’ll use it all to make their case for a higher salary. Not only do they have all of their achievements from the year charted out for their manager, but they’ve also looked outside the workplace.

The Researcher has talked to colleagues, read articles, and combed the internet to make sure that what they’re asking for aligns with industry standards outside of their company. They also know that discussing their market value will remind their manager that there are other companies that may be willing to offer a higher salary. When you can subtly remind your manager that it costs a company 20% of an employee’s salary to replace them, a 5% raise will seem much more reasonable.

3. The Overachiever

While the Researcher is focused on documenting their achievements, the Overachiever is devoted to accomplishing as much as humanly possible… and then some. The Overachiever comes to the office every day, arrives early, eats lunch at their desk, and leaves late. They spend every waking moment powering through project after project in the hopes that their proven devotion to mindless productivity will pay off at the end of the year.

While having an Overachiever on your team may sound great, their intense work ethic can actually be detrimental. While the Overachiever may be good at hitting targets and pushing the envelope, their ambition may throw off team dynamics, making other coworkers feel an unnecessary need to be more productive, or less detail-oriented in their own work. If you feel you might fall into this category, you may need to focus less on showcasing your productivity, and more on displaying your soft skills when it comes to reviews. It’s great to be a hard worker, but if you’re leaving your team in the dust, you may not seem like the best candidate for that leadership role you’re hoping to snag.

4. The Slacker

At the other end of the spectrum, there is the Slacker. The Slacker is rarely found online or in the office. They’re not engaged with their work, and they aren’t interested in advancing (which isn’t inherently a bad thing). When it comes to performance reviews, the Slacker is less worried about negotiating a raise or a promotion, and more eager to prove they’ve done just enough to justify their current salary.

While it’s not bad to be content where you are, the Slacker will have to take a different approach to performance reviews. If you feel that you haven’t quite lived up to your potential this year, try to make a case for your soft skills, and highlight the less conventional ways you contribute to your team. Although it can be awkward, it’s probably best to own up to your shortcomings, and most importantly, go into negotiations with a plan for what you want to improve on in the next year. Admit your mistakes, accept feedback, and focus on your potential!

5. The People-Pleaser

Unlike their coworkers, the People-Pleaser sees salary negotiation as an opportunity to play the long game. They are dreamers with aspirations of rising up in the company. The People-Pleaser can be described as what was once called the “company man.” They hold their work above most things in life and tow the company line with unflinching loyalty. They follow the rulebook to the letter and never make waves in the office. Come review time, they plan on not asking for a raise in the hopes that their manager will see this as a sign of commitment and loyalty to the company, proving they’re not just there for the money.

If you find yourself hoping that sacrificing a potential raise will make you stand out when the possibility of a promotion arises, it might be time to reassess your values and look at why your company’s culture makes you feel that way. While it’s great you have a job that you’re passionate about, you shouldn’t let that stand in the way of earning a fair wage. At the end of the day, everyone in the workplace is there because of the salary, and it is possible to love your job and be paid well to do it. Instead of making unnecessary sacrifices to prove you’re a team player, use your demonstrated passion as one more reason you deserve a higher salary!

6. The Networker

As the social butterfly of the office, the Networker leverages their personality and social skills to negotiate a pay increase. Although their work may be below average, it may not matter, because the Networker has been investing their time and energy in other ways. While they may miss deadlines or go over budget, they have been to every work drink, they know the name and star sign of every person in the office, and they spent their weekends planning your manager’s baby shower.

While they may not have data to support their request for a raise, they’ve become so close with everyone on the team that they seem like the natural fit for an upper-level position. If you have the energy to ingratiate yourself with management, it will surely pay off when it comes to performance reviews. No one wants to tell their bestie they can’t have a raise.

No matter where you fall on this spectrum, it’s important to remember that performance reviews are the perfect opportunity to advocate for a salary that reflects your value. Whatever your unique skillset, make sure you leverage every opportunity when it comes to negotiations, and never be afraid to ask for what you deserve.

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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