Compa-Ratio and Range Penetration: The Pay Metrics HR Uses
A compa ratio of 1.0 means pay at the midpoint of its range. How compa ratio and range penetration are worked out, why they disagree and how they shape raises.
Career Growth, Promotion & Salary
Getting promoted, negotiating pay and building a career deliberately.
How companies decide promotions and pay
Getting promoted
How to Ask for a Promotion (With Scripts)
How to ask for a promotion in 6 steps, from learning who decides to agreeing a follow-up date, with short scripts for opening, making the case and hearing no.
Performance reviews and feedback
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP): What It Means and What to Do
A performance improvement plan often runs 30 to 90 days. What a PIP contains, how to read support from a paper trail, and what to do week by week.
Career growth basics
The Peter Principle: Do People Really Rise to Their Level of Incompetence?
The Peter principle began as a 1969 satire. A 2019 study of US sales workers found top sellers were promoted most and managed less well; here is the evidence.
How Careers Actually Grow: What the Research Says About Getting Ahead
What moves a career forward? A meta-analysis of 140 articles found pay, promotions and satisfaction have partly different predictors, so start by choosing one.
Visibility, sponsors, and executive presence
Non-Promotable Tasks: What the Research Says About Office Housework
Non-promotable tasks help the organization, not the person doing them. What 10 sources show about who gets asked, who says yes and what to change.
How to Be More Visible at Work Without Bragging
A 2003 meta-analysis of 31 studies found self-promotion did little for performance ratings or pay. What works better for visibility at work, and why.
New roles, plateaus, and knowing when to leave
Job Hopping vs. Staying Put: What the Evidence Says About Pay and Growth
In August 2026, US job switchers' median pay rose 5.0% a year before inflation vs 3.6% for stayers. When job hopping pays, its costs, how recruiters see it.
Asking for a raise
How to Ask for a Raise: A Step-by-Step Guide
US wages and salaries rose 3.2% in the year to June 2026. How to ask for a raise in six steps, from checking pay data to naming a figure and handling a no.