有迹象显示经济可能很快会触底反弹，在这种情况下，是时候要求加薪了吗？
Amid signs that the economy may bottom out soon, is it time to ask for a raise?

在你认为这个想法荒谬绝伦、打算把它抛到脑后之前，想想这样一个事实：根据华信惠悦顾问公司(Watson Wyatt)今年4月份对141家公司进行的调查，大部分雇主都已经完成了计划的全部裁员和减薪工作。聪明的雇主知道他们必须留住人才。
Before you dismiss that as a ridiculous thought, consider the fact that a majority of employers have finished all the layoffs and pay cuts they intend to do, based on an April survey of 141 companies by Watson Wyatt. The smart ones know they have to hang on to talent.

在任何时候，向老板要求加薪或额外的补贴都不是一件容易的事，更不用说是在衰退时期了。我向哈佛大学谈判项目副主任、公共政策教授伯纳特(Iris Bohnet)征求意见。她建议采取如下做法。
It's difficult to ask bosses for more pay or perks any time, let alone during a recession. I asked Iris Bohnet, a public policy professor and vice chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University, for some advice. She suggests these steps:

伯纳特说，要设身处地地站在你的经理的立场上想一想。想想老板的利益和关注点，要对衰退给公司带来的问题和管理层采取的对策有充分的了解。然后，为自己的目标和愿望找出一些与业务有关的说法，强调你对公司目标的支持。
Put yourself in your manager's shoes, Dr. Bohnet says. Think through the boss's interests and concerns, and familiarize yourself thoroughly with the problems the recession has caused your company and what management has done to solve them. Then, develop some business-related arguments for your goals and desires, stressing your support of the company's goals.

想想你所拥有的任何优势。她说，当然，可能讨价还价的最佳立场是有一个强有力的外部选择，比如一份很有竞争力的工作宴请函。优势的另外一个来源是这样一个事实：大部分雇主在裁员之后经受不住再损失其他任何人。
Consider any leverage you have. The best possible bargaining position, of course, is to have 'a strong outside option,' such as a competing job offer, she says. Another source of leverage is the fact that most employers can't afford to lose anyone else post-layoffs.

要预先研究一下市场行情。了解在你的公司和其他地方其他有可比性的员工的薪酬水平，这会大有帮助。包括salary.com、payscale.com和salaryexpert.com在内的网站按职业公布薪酬数据。你的人力资源部或职业团体可能也有相关数据。
Do your homework. Knowing what other comparable workers are being paid, at your company and elsewhere, can be helpful. Web sites, including salary.com, payscale.com and salaryexpert.com, publish pay data by occupation. Your human-resource department or professional group may have data, too.

读者朋友们，最近你有没有向老板要求加薪或是额外的福利？你有什么诀窍吗？
Readers, have you negotiated for a raise or better benefits lately? What tips would you offer?