Nobody is talking about years of work on vague promises, and nobody is talking about the environment you describe in which no one would want to work.
Your weird worst-case scenario does not invalidate the point that there are tactics that can be used effectively in the general case. Life doesn't work like code, strategies don't need to secure against all conceivable threats.
>Nobody is talking about years of work on vague promises, and nobody is talking about the environment you describe in which no one would want to work.
I was, and the GP mentioned it.
I have worked at a 20-person "startup" company where otherwise intelligent engineers did work for years on intangible promises of wealth, often pulling 70-80 hour weeks, strung along by already-super-wealthy investors/managers who would drop hints about "something special" or "a piece of the pie" down the road if only said engineers could accomplish absurd request x by date y.
People need to be aware of the reality of this circumstance. The advice here is directed to people who are already too scared to ask for a raise; how long do you think it will take such inexperienced persons to recognize that they've already met the "Criteria for Raise" checklist several times over and still don't have a raise?
I've also observed an interesting phenomenon: people want to believe they have good leaders and will often make excuses for them. "Oh, they had to pass up my raise this year because the economy has been real tough, yeah, it's alright, I just need to be a 'team player' and next year I am sure they will reward me for my loyalty and sympathy". This actually happens. People should be talking about it, especially in a thread about people who are too intimidated to even ask about fair compensation.
I resigned after only seven months (things got progressively worse...) to get away from that ridiculous culture. They were on the verge of canning me for refusing to participate in their silly abuse. They replaced me with another engineer equal in naivety to the rest of them.
No, he didn't. He mentioned getting a roadmap, that doesn't imply years, it may not even imply a year.
That said, I'm afraid your worldview is so cynical and alien to my own that I don't think we can have a productive discussion. I simply cannot place myself in the shoes of someone who will assume everyone seeking a raise will behave so ignorantly.
Your weird worst-case scenario does not invalidate the point that there are tactics that can be used effectively in the general case. Life doesn't work like code, strategies don't need to secure against all conceivable threats.