[kennon]

I've actually been hoping that a formal review process will be put into place soon at my current company, and I've been asking my boss(es) about it regularly. This is because I was under the impression that a formal review is the only way for me to get a raise. From that perspective, it's definitel in the company's best interest to dodge this as long as possible: upon reviewing me, they either have to tell me I don't deserve what I think I deserve, or they have to pay me more.

Is my understanding of the process wrong? Granted, this isn't a GE kind of company-- we have employees in the hundreds, not thousands-- so hopefully it's different.

[mmt]

This is because I was under the impression that a formal review is the only way for me to get a raise.

This seems rather directly mistaken. If you feel you deserve a raise, communicate this directly, rather than artificially putting a formality in the way.

upon reviewing me, they either have to tell me I don't deserve what I think I deserve, or they have to pay me more

I think it's pretty safe to say this is a false dichotomy. A formal review could tell you all sorts of things, none of them having anything to do with money. Absent some kind of clause in an employment contract, they don't have to do anything.

[kennon]

Interesting, thanks for the advice. I guess I was basing my assumptions on the experiences friends have had at larger firms, where all the salary changes were relegated to yearly reviews.

This is my first time working at a company with more than 40 people, so it's all been a learning process. Glad I asked about raises here-- otherwise, I probably would've waited till my first year was up, only to be disappointed!

[dagw]

They could always come back and say, "while we certainly think you deserve a huge raise and I'd really love to give you one, we unfortunately can't for all kinds of complicated budget and HR reasons". I know I've had that happen to me.