Back story.
I work as a Service Engineer in the semiconductor industry. I'm not paid super well, but it's a bit above average. Business is fuckin' boomin', and we are busting ass 12 hours a day, working extra days, taking half-lunches (30-minute instead of 60-minute), and pumping out work at record pace all year.
Anyways, I went into my performance review a couple weeks ago thinking I deserve 10%. I'm on fire. Got through all of the training in half the expected time. I actually get 2x the work done compared to my Senior-level coworker, and I know this because my rate of work goes down constantly when I work with him and have to explain how to do things to him when he doesn't know.
I am absolutely killing it, with zero negative feedback. I even asked if there was any feedback for improvement—”Nope! You've been here a little more than a year and everyone says you're doing great. Keep it up!”
With inflation and literal knee-breaking work being done so damn fast, with zero damage to equipment, I really think 10% seems fair. I didn't get a raise last time because I “hadn't been with the company for long enough.”
Add on the company making record profits and profit margins and all that. But I knew from reading this subreddit and others, 10% was NOT what I'd actually get. No way. Yes, it's what I deserve, but they want more profit so they need my wealth I generate for that to happen… It'll be an inflation adjustment and that's it. So 5-7% sounds about right. I'll look for a different job in about 6-9 months and get my deserved raise then, depending how stock purchase plan goes.
What I actually got? A measly 3%… 3-goddamn-percent! Inflation means I am making less than when I started and I'm more efficient and effective at my job than my Senior-level coworker who gets paid more than me…
Guess who's dipping when their bonus check hits the bank!
TL;DR: I'm doing great work. Company doing great. Got a 3% raise that doesn't even cover COL adjustment, so I'm making less than when I started. Time to take their training to another company and get the 10% raise I deserve.