... conventional raises. Hewitt Associates' surveys show that today's budgets for incentive programs presently average about 7% of the budget for base compensation (that is, salaries). This means ... according to Christine Seltz, spokesperson for Hewitt Associates, a nationally known compensation consulting firm based in Lincolnshire, IL. Fortunately, about two-thirds of the nation's ... want to earn more money next year than last, you'll have to initiate the process yourself, and use all your skills to pry loose a little extra. It's not easy to accomplish, however,...