Successfully asking to go part time?
February 25, 2018 11:05 PM Subscribe
I am a senior sales rep and bid manager for a small business. I am as far up the ladder as I can be without doing a buyout. My boss says I can ask for a raise in March. I want to ask to move to part time. I have no reason for it (small baby, lack of childcare), I just feel like full time work is a con and I don't want to do it anymore. Help me be successful?
I am a consistent target-hitter who can do everything from cold calling to completing multistage tenders in good time. The last year has been challenging. My consistent department stands alone as a money maker and the company's services department only wins a tenth of the work it quotes off the back of the work I win. I can't solve that puzzle yet I win work because buyers are lazy AF.
Having bid management experience puts one outside the spectrum for a lot of advertised positions and I get penalised for having sales experience when many bid people do not have any.
I have a small profit stake in the company that I negotiated. I would give it back for part time. I would reduce my salary. My dad says I should not give anything up since I am probably responsible for most of their work and none of their problems. I am really tired of sitting on this.
I think my biggest concern is holding my nerves because I have a people pleaser masochist mentality that seems to encourage me to fail to deliver or acquiesce to the status quo even when it is clearly in my favor to go the other way. So I ask for your help, anonymously, because I want to let go of this pain and embrace quitting full time work.
I am a consistent target-hitter who can do everything from cold calling to completing multistage tenders in good time. The last year has been challenging. My consistent department stands alone as a money maker and the company's services department only wins a tenth of the work it quotes off the back of the work I win. I can't solve that puzzle yet I win work because buyers are lazy AF.
Having bid management experience puts one outside the spectrum for a lot of advertised positions and I get penalised for having sales experience when many bid people do not have any.
I have a small profit stake in the company that I negotiated. I would give it back for part time. I would reduce my salary. My dad says I should not give anything up since I am probably responsible for most of their work and none of their problems. I am really tired of sitting on this.
I think my biggest concern is holding my nerves because I have a people pleaser masochist mentality that seems to encourage me to fail to deliver or acquiesce to the status quo even when it is clearly in my favor to go the other way. So I ask for your help, anonymously, because I want to let go of this pain and embrace quitting full time work.
> I have no reason for it
Er, yes you do. Don't feel the need to justify why you want to do this to your employer.
I would ask for a meeting with your boss and say you'd like to discuss the structure of your work. Once that's in the diary, write an email laying out what you want to do and the option you would most prefer (e.g. four days a week, no salary reduction). This should be your best position: don't throw in other things (profit share, salary, etc) but use them as negotiation tactics if you really need to.
Approach this, if you can, as a sales pitch. You know the arguments and how to debate them. Setting out your stall in an email lets you set the terms of debate and will make it easier to stick to what you want in a face to face meeting.
posted by giraffeneckbattle at 2:33 AM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Er, yes you do. Don't feel the need to justify why you want to do this to your employer.
I would ask for a meeting with your boss and say you'd like to discuss the structure of your work. Once that's in the diary, write an email laying out what you want to do and the option you would most prefer (e.g. four days a week, no salary reduction). This should be your best position: don't throw in other things (profit share, salary, etc) but use them as negotiation tactics if you really need to.
Approach this, if you can, as a sales pitch. You know the arguments and how to debate them. Setting out your stall in an email lets you set the terms of debate and will make it easier to stick to what you want in a face to face meeting.
posted by giraffeneckbattle at 2:33 AM on February 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
I think it’s worth thinking about it from your Boss’s perspective (or his Boss, etc). What do they gain by letting you do this and what do they lose? If they will be losing money or opportunity by letting you go part time, i would consider not even asking. If you are basically offering them the same benefits at less cost (or same cost) to them, that’s different!
Also, how much do you like your job? It does not sound like you like it very much so you may want to have some feelers out there for other opportunities. This kind of thing can easily be viewed as ‘taking a step back’ from the company, so I would also be prepared for the company to consider replacing you with someone more excited about the mission if they have an opportunity to do so.
Last question, do you have a long term plan that this fits into? Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 Years, etc.
posted by machinecraig at 5:58 AM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, how much do you like your job? It does not sound like you like it very much so you may want to have some feelers out there for other opportunities. This kind of thing can easily be viewed as ‘taking a step back’ from the company, so I would also be prepared for the company to consider replacing you with someone more excited about the mission if they have an opportunity to do so.
Last question, do you have a long term plan that this fits into? Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 Years, etc.
posted by machinecraig at 5:58 AM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
You have to pitch this as beneficial to your employer, not focus on why it’s beneficial to you. It’s a negotiation; don’t go in stating everything you’re willing to give up at the outset: decide what you really want and ask for that, keeping some gives in your pocket to sweeten the deal if they don’t go for it. Be prepared to consider a compromise if they offer it (flex time?)
Be clear and slightly tougher than may feel comfortable. However, do not disparage the company or other departments, as that will add an unnecessary oppositional attitude that may backfire. Your frustration here is palpable, so try to avoid saying stuff like other people are lazy, I’m responsible for all your success and none of your problems, etc. If one of my staff took that tack, I’d think they were a bad fit and consider letting them go, rather than want to work with them to redesign a role they feel is beneath them.
posted by kapers at 7:12 AM on February 26, 2018
Be clear and slightly tougher than may feel comfortable. However, do not disparage the company or other departments, as that will add an unnecessary oppositional attitude that may backfire. Your frustration here is palpable, so try to avoid saying stuff like other people are lazy, I’m responsible for all your success and none of your problems, etc. If one of my staff took that tack, I’d think they were a bad fit and consider letting them go, rather than want to work with them to redesign a role they feel is beneath them.
posted by kapers at 7:12 AM on February 26, 2018
I agree that, as with any sale, you need to pitch this in terms of why it's a good deal for the company. My expectation is that if you want to go part time with no pay cut, you would need to sell them on "do this or I'm leaving, and I'm either irreplaceable or only replaceable at a very high cost." If you're taking a corresponding pay cut, you can use that argument along with "and you're getting the same product/results for less cost this way because my productivity won't drop."
posted by craven_morhead at 11:42 AM on February 26, 2018
posted by craven_morhead at 11:42 AM on February 26, 2018
As a pleaser, I think that the thing you don't want to do is talk too much. Don't explain, or make excuses or accusations that might sound like whining. Say what you want and then shut up. Throw them the ball and see what they do with it. Be firm, polite, and positive about how it will work. If you're lucky, they may go for it right away. If they offer you lots of money to stay full time, make sure you have a plan for that. Good luck.
posted by Enid Lareg at 4:05 PM on February 27, 2018
posted by Enid Lareg at 4:05 PM on February 27, 2018
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I agree that you shouldn't volunteer giving up profit stake or reducing salary unless they come back and deny you. Hold firm.
posted by greermahoney at 11:20 PM on February 25, 2018 [5 favorites]