this "article" reads like it was written as propaganda by in-house HR to retain staff. 3% is basically a non-raise, it just keeps up with inflation. an extra 5% is alright, but is not adequate to retain talent who knows their worth. i once received an annual raise was 2.5%. i pushed back a bit but not too hard, as i've done this enough times to know that it is never worth the amount of stress involved. fast forward a few months, i'm walking out the door to a new gig with a signifigant increase (lets say 20%). old mgmt didnt see it coming, despite the ample warning i gave them, and ample opportunities to correct the situation. they never do, just accept it and move on