New Delhi: Professionals are forecasting moderate pay raises during the annual appraisal cycle this year, with 46 percent of respondents expecting increments to range between 6 percent and 15 percent, as per a Snap Poll conducted by HeadHonchos.com, India’s premier job search & career portal, exclusively for senior professionals.

While nearly one-fifth or 19 percent of the respondents who participated in the HeadHonchos’ Poll expect salary increments of over 15 percent this year, a significant 35 percent believe that they will not receive increments at all or that salary increases will be less than 5 percent in their organisations.

Commenting on the poll results, Mr. Uday Sodhi, CEO, HeadHonchos.com said, “Appraisals are a highly anticipated event amongst professionals. While as a rule those who deserve good salary hikes will get them, employers have adapted to the changing business environment. The focus for most employers continues to be on performance-linked reward & recognition systems, often through compensation packages that have a high variable component.”

This is in keeping with trends in recent years that have seen increments in the 11-13 percent band, as well as the growing importance of variable pay and performance-linked bonuses. While high performers continue to be valued, organizations have balanced the need to incentivise employees with growing pragmatism. The rightsizing of expectations by management professionals clearly reflects a sense of realism as they adapt to the post-2008 years.

Read More: 10 Professions Where Employees Hate Their Bosses The Most

Read More: 10 Best Part-Time Jobs to Earn While You Learn