Let’s face it, a better salary is a hope we all hold close. In a world where the cost of living is on the rise and there are no salary bumps in sight, it can be tough to stretch your buck. Approaching your employer to ask for a raise is always a daunting prospect, so you keep your head down until someone notices your hard work and promotes you.
This can go on for years if you let it, it’s better to be proactive about the situation instead. There are ways to ask for a raise without coming off as self-entitled or ungrateful. Here’s how:
Be good at what you do
Your first order of business is making sure that you’re meeting every responsibility you’ve got. Read over your job spec in your contract and make sure you’re fulfilling those roles. If you’re crushing it, then you’ve got your first step down. If not, then finds ways to help out on the team, and be willing to take on more responsibility, especially if it’s in your contract and you aren’t currently fulfilling the role.
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Pick your timing
Most companies offer employees their raises once, annually. You could wait for this period to roll around before talking to your employer, or you could pick a different date. A good idea is to ask for a raise on the day you were first hired. It shows that you’re keeping track of your progress in the company.
Remember that your boss won’t freak out
Often, we’ll be too scared to ask for a raise, thinking our employers will freak out or fire us on the spot. That’s just, not true. Employers are more shocked when employees don’t ask for raises, than when they do. You’re both humans, and you both know how life can impact your flow of income. Don’t be afraid to ask the question.
Make a list of what you do
Before approaching your employer, make a list of what you do. List what you do under each responsibility in your job spec. If you’re doing more than what shows on your contract, list those! They’re your power cards. When you can show an employer that you’ve been going above and beyond your job spec, it shows that you care for your job and what you do. You’re adding more value to the company, which gives me an incentive for a raise.
Don’t make it personal
Don’t tell your boss why you need the raise. What matters is the value that you bring to the company and receiving fair remuneration for what you do. We all have personal reasons for needing an income bump, but employers don’t consider their employees’ personal circumstances when they look at giving a raise. It’s confined to work and responsibility.
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Suggest a review
When you’re confident enough that you’re fulfilling your role to your best potential and going beyond to help your team when you have the capacity, then you can approach your boss and ask for a review. Talking about your responsibilities and what you fulfill in your day-to-day will only get you so far. Suggesting a review will show that you’re not all talk, the action is there.
Work the numbers
Companies usually offer a 3-5% raise annually. When noting your new salary expectation with your employer, you can opt for the standard annual raise, or you can aim for more, especially if you’re going beyond your responsibilities, work-wise. Don’t overshoot, rather research what other companies are paying employees in your role, and base your number off of that and the value you add.
Be courageous
It’s true, confidence is key. If you meet with your boss to chat about getting a raise, but can barely get the words out, it will appear as if you haven’t really approached them with a game plan. Even if you need to scream or do a nervous cry in your car before arriving at the office, do what you need to do. Even if you aren’t feeling all that confident, wing the courage!
You don’t deserve it
Say this with me.
“I don’t deserve a raise. I’ve earned it.”
When you tell your employer you deserve a raise, it comes off as self-entitled and it doesn’t regard the fact that you work for every cent you get. When you tell your employer that you’ve earned a raise and have the evidence to back it up, it’ll put you in better standing.
Be gracious about it
No matter what happens, keep your head up. Even if your employer rejects your requests, you may still be in good standing to earn a raise soon, and they will be keeping a close eye. Emotions can sometimes get the best of us, especially when we’re desperate for something so essential like income. It’s important to remember, though, that there’s always another shot.
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