Your next raise could be bigger — here’s how to get it

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Next year’s raise — if you get one — could be slightly bigger.

A record low unemployment rate and tighter job market is making employers more generous, especially for top performers, according to risk management, insurance brokerage and advisory firm Willis Towers Watson.

Between April and July, Willis Towers Watson surveyed 814 companies in a range of industries, for their outlook on salaries and projected bonus increases.

The key is the performance review.

The real winners will be performance review stars, who will be rewarded with top pay raises. Employees receiving the highest possible ratings got the biggest raises — about 70 percent more than the raises given workers with average ratings.