Asking for a pay raise can feel uncomfortable, but asking for a salary that matches your value as an employee is your right and good business. You may feel unsure about how to ask your manager or be worried about how they will react. But with the right preparation, and a confident and professional presentation, you could be more successful than you think. Here's a step-by-step guide to asking your company for a pay raise.
Understand Your Company's Policies
It's important to understand your company's policies on pay raises, we can only ask for what's possible! These policies might be found in your employee handbook or on your company's intranet. If you need help finding the information, try asking your HR department.
Here are some things to look out for in your company's policies:
What is the standard procedure for asking for a raise?
Is there a minimum amount of time required between starting a position and asking for a raise?
Is there a maximum amount your salary can be increased in one step?
Is there a minimum amount of time required between asking for raises?
Are there pay bands (minimum and maximum salaries) based on the years you have worked at your company?
Research Market Rates for Your Role
Look for salary information for similar roles in your industry and region, to understand the current standard market rate. Websites like Glassdoor, Payscale, and Salary.com can help you find out what you could be asking for.
Know Your Worth
Understanding your value as an employee within your company and the broader market is an important step in asking for a raise. So, let's look at how you can evaluate how much you are worth to your company:
Assess Your Performance
Think about the feedback you have received about your performance at work. Have you exceeded your targets? Have you taken on new responsibilities? These can all increase your value as an employee. Watch this 5-minute video to help you self-assess:
Prepare Your Case
Once you have a clear idea of your worth, it's time to prepare your case.
Prepare your case - make a list of reasons you deserve a higher salary. Include your skills, accomplishments, and experience. Prepare concrete examples of how you have added value to your organization and have them available for a meeting.
Practice Your Pitch: Before you meet with your manager, practice your pitch. Make sure it's clear, quick, and focuses on your achievements and the value you bring to the company.
Schedule a meeting - organize a meeting with your manager or HR to talk about increasing your salary. Make sure you give them enough time to prepare for the conversation, so decisions can be made closer to the meeting day.
Ask for the Raise
With your case prepared, it's time to ask for the raise.
Be respectful and professional - aggressive negotiations usually fail.
Present your case clearly - explain the case you have prepared simply and clearly. Focus on your value and contributions to the company, and provide the examples you prepared to support your points.
Accept compromise - if you don't get the pay increase you asked for, other parts of your job or benefits package could be changed to make the offer just as good. Ask how your chances could be improved for a raise in the future.
Give yourself time to think - you might need time to decide if you accept an offer from your company that is different from what you asked for. If you need to, give yourself a few days to think before you make your decision.
Follow up - After the meeting, follow up in writing. Summarize your discussion, your request, and any agreed next steps. This makes sure both you and your manager agree and gives you a dated record of your request.
Wrap Up
It's good business to ask for a pay raise when you bring experience, in-demand skills, and value to your company. Take your time deciding how much to ask for, how you will present your case, and what you will give as evidence of your skills. Read and learn your company's salary policies so you know what is expected and what is possible. Find out what the standard pay for your role is in other companies, and use that as a guideline for what you ask for. Be professional, be clear, and accept some compromise. But, most of all, ask!