Been in the same role for three years with good reviews and no raise, do I just start applying or is there a smarter move first?
I work in operations at a mid-size company, been here almost three years. My reviews have been consistently good, my manager has said multiple times that my work is valued, and I have taken on significantly more responsibility than when I started without any change in compensation.
I've had two conversations with my manager about a raise in the past year. Both times I was told it was being considered and that budget cycles were the issue. The first time I accepted that. The second time I pushed a little harder and was told to bring it up again in Q1. I brought it up in Q1 and was told budgets were tight and maybe Q3. I'm not going to keep doing this.
The thing is I actually like the job and the team. I'm not miserable, I'm just being underpaid for what I'm doing and I've been patient about it for long enough that it's starting to feel like a pattern rather than a timing issue.
My plan right now is to start applying externally and see what the market says. If I get an offer I'll decide then whether to use it as leverage or just take it. I'm not planning to go back to my manager with another raise conversation until I have something concrete in hand.
My question is whether this is the right approach or whether there's something I'm missing. Is there a smarter way to handle this that doesn't involve waiting another two quarters for another non-answer, and is using an outside offer as leverage actually effective or does it just create weirdness even if they match it?