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The Microsoft Salary and Review System
f1055man writes "If you can make it through the obvious bias, Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WASHTECH) has put together a revealing article on Microsoft's salary and review system. 'Internal Microsoft documents obtained by WashTech News show that Microsoft salaries have been stagnant or nudged only slightly higher over the past two years. Comments from current and former employees about the company's compensation and performance review system suggest a growing level of frustration among rank-and-file workers.'"
In the end, maybe it just maybe the time to move on...or better still start something on your own.
When I didn't get the raise I wanted, I didn't get all pissed off; I didn't even go look somewhere else. I just started my own computer repair/networking/etc. business on the side. It's been over a year now, and it's been a huge blessing both monetarily and in other, less tangible ways. There's probably not a person reading this that couldn't do the same. There's always more money to be found out there. Before I had my current skill set, if we started having trouble making ends meet, I'd just take on another shitty dishwasher-type job for a while. Thankfully now I'm able to be a little more entrepreneurial about it. Just wish I had the balls to do it full time...
I am not left-handed, either!
You're so confused about basic economics it's hard to know where to start. But I'll try.
"Companies that are owned by stock holders are only interested in profits"
As opposed to companies owned by whom? Most businesses, even small ones, are incorporated, which means they're owned by stockholders. Stockholder is just another word for "owner". Sole proprietorships and partnerships also have owners.
"That means companies with stock holders do stupid things like fire 30% of their staff to make a profit"
Sometimes, firing 30 percent of the staff is exactly what needs to be done. Somtimes the percentage should be higher. Sometimes making a profit does not require any firings. It's absurd to make a blanket statement that firing people to increase profits is stupid.
"The company has no long term investment in you"
Says who? Which company? A company might not have a long term investment in a particular employee. Or it might subsidize that employee's education like my company does, making me not only more valuable to them but more competitive in the jobs marketplace.
"Half the time they aren't even looking to be more profitable... they just want to increase stock prices."
And exactly how does a company increase its stock price without increasing profits? Both increased profits and increased stock prices represent increases in shareholder value, which is a company's primary fiduciary (i.e., legal and moral) responsibility to its shareholders.
"What you should be looking for is a small company"
I prefer working for small companies but working for big companies has distinct advantages. It's foolish to make a one-size-fits-all statement that small companies are always better.
"Or better yet, start your own company."
Great idea. But then you'd be one of those greedy shareholders.
"If you are working for a company (if a company pays you) you're obviously worth twice that. They can't make a profit on you if you aren't."
Karl Marx called and left a message for you re: the surplus value of wages. "Keep fighting the good fight comrade. Seventy five years of abject failure in the Soviet Union does nothing to disprove my theories."
Insert witty sig here.