I have worked for over 7 years for a company that has been merged, acquired, and changed forms about 4 times in that period. I have a unique role in the organization such that nobody else does what I do (learning and development).
Each year, we receive a raise “based on performance”, but despite scoring anywhere from 3.90 to 4.88 (out of 5) my raise is consistently 3%, and I am always told that is exceptional, and the maximum they can do.
Well, that's half of inflation, and I feel that I worth more than that. Sadly, there aren't a lot of other prospects out there for my very niche skill set (I work in a highly specialized field of IT) so if I leave, I will likely take a few steps down on the chain of any company I go to.
So, does anyone have advice about how to negotiate this with my back against the wall?