As the year is coming to an end, many corporate companies are buzzing with the word 'appraisal'. With major organizations and e-commerce firms reshuffling their employee structure to raise competency or opting for cost-cutting amidst a bleak job scenario, the much-awaited hike is looming in the dark. Although every company has its own criteria to evaluate employee performance and prepare an appraisal list, the basic fundamentals to determine this remain almost the same. Also, it is the time of the year when your colleagues or peers are considering changing jobs to try their luck for a bigger package. With so many things happening around, the mind is bound to go fuzzy with questions like 'What is the current industry value for my position?,' 'What are my future goals?' or 'Do I need to stick to current workplace or make a switch?.' Decluttering all these thoughts and seeking chance to prove your worth with an open mind can assist in securing a fair hike without job hopping this year. Here are ways in which you can become a prolific and important employee as well as get a raise in the current organization.

Steps That Could Secure a Good Salary Hike

5 Steps for a "Good Salary" hike are :

1. File your achievements :

Before you fix that appointment to discuss your impending hike with the boss, gather facts and figures. In this way, you will have strong reasons to prove that why you are worth of a hike in salary, and it also reflects your enthusiasm for the company's future. Maintaining a record of significant accomplishments avoids recency bias and the boss cannot refute hardwork you have put in to get those impressive results. You are trying to make an impact with the whole entity, so do your homework well.

2. Go beyond the KRAs :

Sticking to work ethics and concentrating only on tasks assigned to you could be a major reason for your pending pay hike. If you are a team player and the 'go-to' person amongst colleagues from different departments for the most trivial problems, it could be the deciding trait between a good and an average increment. Having attributes like flexibility, multi-tasking attitude and ability to become the right hand of your boss, he or she would definitely become dependable on such a trusted employee and would not want the person to leave the organization at any cost. If you are a reliable and trustworthy person, rests assured you will get your worth.

3. Become a solution finder :

While workplace challenges are normal and the client demands can be absurd, no boss would appreciate an employee who only talks about problems and impossibilities. If an employee is constantly making mistakes or demotivating others to find a solution, the boss wouldn't hesitate to show him/her the door. Imagining out of the box and thinking new solutions will make you a commendable employee and get you in the forefront for a salary hike. Employees with problem solving skills always have a favorable position in boss's mind.

4. Be in good books of the boss :

Staying committed to work and being punctual are small things but are definitely noticed. If you have been a consistent and an exceptional performer, but receive no particular comment from boss, chances are you are lacking in efforts. Determine where you are lagging and what is being expected. Understand your bonding with the boss and try to build a good rapport. You need not become a complete flatterer just to impress, but being on good terms with boss can go a long way in getting a promotion.

5. Assess and reinvent your skills :

Taking efforts to track your productivity levels not only helps the boss to understand the quality of efforts you are putting in but also assists to grow professionally. Constantly upgrading your skills and keeping abreast of the latest developments in your field will give you an upper hand over others and the company will take the right steps to retain you.

Employers keep an eye on employees who are investing time in their career by doing professional certifications without organizational support. Give hints to boss that you are ready to take new challenges. Know the rationale process and the percentage salary hike given in your office before setting up an appointment with the boss.

With transparency at workplace being the buzzword for the past few years, there is a change in corporate culture. As Gen Z is stepping out and taking over new responsibilities, the need for firm leadership has never been felt so vigorously as before. When the topic of transparency arrives, it could include multiple issues like pay, internal or external affairs. Whether it is right to disclose employee salaries, could be a topic of discussion. Today's employees search for role models in their boss who they could look up to. They definitely don't want a bossy leader who does nothing apart from bombarding instructions without giving details about what profit or loss the company's newly launched product has made, or the one who ignores employees' opinion when the company is planning to change its internal working structure. No transparency not only affects the morale of employees, but also becomes detrimental to company's growth. Here is what happens when the workplace is devoid of any transparency.

Cons of No Transparency Between Boss and Employees

1. Frequent job hopping by employees :

Work environment that does not encourage transparency makes employees lose their trust in boss and  the firm forcing the core team or star performers to resign. On the other hand, when the boss bridges the gap, senior employees counsel new recruits on the way things function so that they don't go job hopping, which mostly occurs as the newbies are yet to get a taste of the working style.

2. Productivity takes a hit :

Transparency can be said to be a powerful glue which boosts credibility of employees and motivates them to work with less friction. In absence of it, employees find it difficult to solve problems as the very confidence to take risks or make sound decisions is lost. As a result, the projects can get delayed and also miss the critical deadlines, which again can ultimately affect the relationship with clients.

3. Hampers growth and declines performance :

The percentage of what and how much to disclose lies with the boss. Even popular companies like Apple, and Facebook do not disclose complete information to all the departments. But withholding valuable information or not giving out the details until it becomes a need-to-know can raise questions about the motive of the firm and also affect its sustainability in the long term.

4. Business Loss :

When the boss feels anxious and takes a decision on the go without confronting the team, it could seriously affect the turnover of the firm, and in the worst case, the company might be auctioned. Reduced clarity leads to low communication, which in turn, decreases an employee's ability to think clearly and come up with out-of-the-box solutions for business problems. Not only this, it also decreases the agility of the team and impacts response to issues as the employees avoid speaking possible solutions out of fear of reaction.

5. Endangers reputation of the company :

A bad experience at the company is often shared among friends from another workplace or over the coffee table. With employees putting up company reviews on popular sites like Glassdoor, the work culture of a company is now readily available on the internet. When a person hears about a toxic environment of a firm or about the boss who is famous for being dark, he/she would definitely think twice before applying at it and even give out a word of caution to others.

Embracing transparency just because a company wants powerful results is like looking for quick solutions for an acute problem. A growing revenue is a vital factor for an organization's sustainability. When the chief executive of a company is honest and clear, he or she inspires  employees to give their best and get the much-needed support for success.

Negativity Around You Hamper Work Productivity

1. Unhealthy competition : 

2. Lack of enthusiasm at work : 

3. Lack of will to take new challenges : 

When Career And Passion Come Together

We Came Up With The Top 6 Reasons For Following Passion And Not Money :

1. Do what you love :

2. You will be eager to reach the office : 

3. Career growth and achievements :

4. You will not feel the burden of work :

5. A sorted & stress-free life :

With the greed of earning money, we complicate our life. This creates confusion in our mind and gradually our passion of doing a certain thing vanishes. Working in the field about which we are passionate would bring some simplicity again into the life and certainly lead to stress free day-to-day daily life.

6. You will put extra efforts in the job :

While you are working in the field about which you are passionate, working over time won't be a burden for you. You will happily be ready to give in extra efforts at your work. Most importantly, you will do it voluntarily since you will be enjoying the job. Every job field has a time when employees are expected to put some extra efforts by working over time, you will be comfortable doing that.

The passion which we have is to be used and pursued. If you don't have any, then you need to discover new ones. Make sure your passions don't die by ignoring them. The top 6 benefits which we have mentioned above, you will get to experience them when your passion and career would come along.