Raise Yourself Up: How to Ask For a Salary Increase
Know Your Worth
You’ve put in the overtime, you’ve taken on countless new responsibilities, and you’ve dedicated time to upskilling yourself in-between in order to carry out both. Yes, you’ve given your all to get to where you are in your career – now, here’s the opportunity to ask for a raise.
It can be daunting to ask your employer(s) to increase your salary or wage. Even the mere thought can prevent the best of employees from plucking up the courage to ask for one.
However, if you truly believe that you should be paid more based on your worth, as well as on your hard work and dedication, then it’s time to cast aside your fears, take the plunge and ask for a raise NOW!
Prove Your Worth
During this process, it’s important that you should follow these six tips so that it can help you build your case and prove your worth in the eyes of your employees:
1. Do Your Research
Whether it’s looking up industry-standard salary trends for your role and level of experience, or investigating the financial health of your place of work, it’s vital to conduct research before you ask for a raise. This will help you ascertain what to ask for, plus it can be used as evidence to back your case.
2. List Your Accomplishments
By listing your accomplishments, you can demonstrate the value you can bring to your employers. Preferably, you should focus on the most important and/or recent ones.
When unpacking them, remember the following: describe the context in which these occurred; explain the challenges you faced and the actions you took to deal with them; state what the outcomes were and if these met your goals; and provide any feedback you received. That way, you paint yourself as a suitable candidate for a raise.
You can also list and break down your skills, which you learned in order to accommodate your role at the workplace.
3. Schedule A Meeting
By now, you’re probably ready to go and talk to your boss about a salary increase. However, they may not appreciate the suddenness of an impromptu meeting (especially if they’re busy or unprepared/too flustered to talk to you). They might also think you’re acting arrogant and entitled.
Take the professional route by scheduling a meeting with your employers. This will give you both a chance to prepare for the discussion regarding your potential salary increase.
4. Be Confident
While articulating your request and breaking down your contributions and abilities, it’s important to sound – and look – confident, assured and calm. Try rehearsing your request and accompanying points in front of a mirror; alternatively, practise with a friend so that they can give you feedback, such as what you can do to improve.
5. Know What To Expect
During the meeting, don’t be surprised if your boss asks you questions: perhaps they will inquire about where you found your data about current salary trends or ask you to reiterate one of your accomplishments. Be prepared to answer these questions confidently and provide detailed, specific responses. If you’re unsure what they’re asking, ask for clarification.
Additionally, be prepared to negotiate. If your boss doesn’t agree with your initial figure, have a range in mind that you would be comfortable with and be willing to compromise if necessary.
6. Be Positive
There may be a chance that your employers reject your request for a raise. If this occurs, there’s no harm in asking why – perhaps your employers don’t have the funds to grant your request at this time, but they may reconsider it in the future.
Alternatively, use any feedback you receive from them to improve yourself, from ingraining yourself more in the company’s culture or expanding your skillset further – this may help you achieve a pay rise somewhere down the road.
Don’t forget to ask what other perks and benefits are available. This can range from increasing vacation time to more flexible working hours.
Show Your Worth
Again, asking for a raise can be daunting, but remember that it’s not unfeasible. Just keep pushing forward, and continue to show your dedication and hard work, as this can eventually lead to the raise you deserve. Good luck!