10 Things HR People Won’t Tell You About Salaries and Raises

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By Ian Landau, Sarah Madaus, Reader's Digest

Running over the terms and conditions in her contract

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From handling staffing needs, administering benefits, and determining salaries, human resources holds a ton of power in the workplace. Money can be an uncomfortable topic to speak about openly and many people make mistakes when trying to have these awkward conversations. Human resource employees have seen it all, but it's important to remember that despite their best intentions, they are working to do what's best for the company, not for you. Here's what human resource experts had to say about talking money with the people who pay you.

Don't trust salary websites

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“There’s one website that drives all HR people crazy: salary.com. It supposedly lists average salaries for different industries, but if you look up any job, the salary it gives you always seems to be $10,000 to $20,000 higher than it actually is. That just makes people mad.” —HR director at a public relations agency

Think before you accept a salary

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“On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.” —Ben Eubanks, HR professional in Alabama.

Everything is negotiable

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"This includes your salary and raise. Far too often is that potential candidates are presented with a job offer and salary that aren’t satisfied with but are too afraid to ask for more. This also applies for raises at performance review time." —Nikita Lawrence, HR business partner and professional

You're great... but not that great

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“You think you’re all wonderful and deserve a higher salary, but here in HR, we know the truth. And the truth is, a lot of you aren’t very good at your jobs, and you’re definitely not as good as you think you are.” —HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina.

Be careful with headhunters

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“Be careful if a headhunter is negotiating for you. You may want extra time off and be willing to sacrifice salary, but he is negotiating hardest for what hits his commission.” —HR professional in New York City

Negotiate during the interview

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"It is significantly harder to negotiate perks after you’ve been hired than it is during the interview process. Know the industry standards—and specifically, standards for your region before you make requests for more vacation time, travel expenses, professional development training, flex time, working from home, or moving costs." —Sarah Johnston, former corporate recruiter and job search strategist.

Don't have others negotiate on your behalf

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“I once hired someone, and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.” —HR professional in New York City

Ask for an early performance review

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"I always recommend at the 'hiring event' that the new hire asks, 'When will I have my first performance review?'" The majority of responses is annually, next year. I suggest that the individual ask, 'Is it possible to have my review six months from now?' Over 50 percent of the time the HR individual or hiring manager will say yes thus shortening that first raise by six months." —Elliott Jaffa, behavioral and marketing psychologist

Ask for more than you want

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"Negotiations involve some back-and-forth, not simply a yes or no. Leave yourself some wiggle room to 'concede' to what you really want.  Collect enough information ahead of time to know you aren’t selling yourself short." —Alexander Lowry, a former hiring manager.

Only you know the right time to ask for a raise

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"People in HR will NEVER tell you when it is the right time to ask for a raise in your salary. This is a job that you must do when you are looking for the appropriate moment for your increase request to be accepted. There are many circumstances in a company that, regardless of your work performance, will determine if they will give you a raise or not. For example, if the company had a decrease in sales in the last three months by a new competition that is operating with low prices to enter the market. Finding the right time to ask for a raise is key to being able to achieve it successfully." —Cristian Rennella, HR director.