What metrics do you use to justify a pay raise?

At Atlassian, we look at multiple pillars of value PMs bring to the organization: delivering outcomes (think - moving business KRs and goals), leadership (inspiring others), communication, helping others grow product craft and so on.  I really love this framework. My recommendation is to first approach promotions and pay raise from a perspective of summarizing what types of value PMs in your org bring. It is not just in the "metrics", there may be other valueable things that advance the org/busi ...Read More

I'm interpreting this question as "what metrics do you use to justify a promotion." Ideally you're working at a company with pay equity (eliminating sex and race discrimination in the wage-setting system). If your company has performance axes, I’d start there. Understand what it means to be exceeding expectations at your current level, and what the gaps are between you and the next level. If you’re not sure, ask your manager. More than likely, they’ll be happy to have a career discussion with yo ...Read More

It's less about metrics and more about the outcomes you are creating for the business. For example, you might bring 10,000 new users or improve a UX for a specific feature -- but what matters at the end of the day is how you impacted the business. Has any of that made the business grow faster or made it more resilient among competitors? Depending on the company size and what you do, some outcomes might be more obvious than others -- for example, there was a time when I worked as a PM for a relat ...Read More

To justify a pay raise, it's important to present metrics that clearly demonstrate your value, impact, and contributions to the organization. Here are some key metrics and accomplishments you might use: Performance Against Goals: Highlight how you've met or exceeded specific performance goals or targets set for your role. Revenue Growth: If applicable, show how your work has directly contributed to an increase in revenue or sales. Cost Savings: Provide examples of how you've helped the company s ...Read More

To justify a pay raise effectively, it's essential to focus on three main factors: your current position and level within the company, how your salary compares to market benchmarks, and your placement within the company's pay band. Firstly, to argue for a higher level, compare your responsibilities with those outlined in job descriptions for higher levels both within your company and in the industry. Secondly, utilize platforms like Glassdoor to understand how salaries at comparable companies st ...Read More

Unfortunately, there is no set formula for this. Here are some ideas for quantitative research: Look into salary benchmarking data. Levels.fyi is a great resource for researching. Understand internal pay policies (e.g. if the company is targeting 50th percentile among your specific industry). Ask HR for aggregated salary insights - data on pay gaps, etc. Talk to external recruiters and see what they are willing to offer for your unique experience(s). Depending on the relationship you have, close ...Read More