How to Ask for a Raise at Work and Get It

Asking for a raise at work is not an easy task. All too often, skilled, high quality employees find themselves stuck in under-paid jobs because they are too nervous to ask for a raise; or, they ask for one but do not get it because they do not frame the request in a way that their boss is likely to accept. Asking for a raise requires tact and salesmanship, as well as a good sense of timing. Here are a few tips to help you figure out how, and when, to ask for a raise from your employer.

Choose The Right Time

Most people wait until their annual performance review comes around to discuss matters such as pay, but believe it or not this is not always the best idea. In fact, if you wait until you are called up for review it may be too late to ask for a raise. Pay decisions are often made in advance of performance appraisals. So, instead of waiting until your review takes place, consider broaching the issue of a pay increase before your performance review. If you get in early, you may be told about the raise that you have asked for when your review comes around.

So, if you can’t wait until your performance review, when is a good time? The best time to ask for a pay increase is after you have just completed a large or difficult project. If you have done something good or shown impressive initiative, talk to your employer about a raise then. Do not bring up the subject of salary after a mistake, or if your company is currently going through a slump in sales, or laying off employees. This should be common sense, but its sometimes easy to get caught up in your own salary concerns and miss the bigger picture.

Know How Much You Are Worth

Before you start talking to your boss about a pay increase, do some research into the market rate for the kind of job that you are working on? Be realistic when appraising your worth. If you were to end up unemployed tomorrow, how much would you be able to earn at your next job? Arm yourself with as much information as possible about the job market, and take into account the value you add to your company if you are a top performing employee or brought in a high value client, use that as a part of your pitch to your boss.

Understand Your Company’s Pay Practices

Take a moment to read your company’s employee handbook and educate yourself about compensation policies, pay bands, timings between pay reviews, and anything else that may be relevant to your position. This will help you to ensure that the timing is right to ask for a raise. There is no point asking your immediate boss for more money if you know that their hands are tied, and company policy means that you can’t have a raise for a certain amount of time.

Be Confident

Confidence matters more than you think. If you don’t believe that you are worthy of a raise then it will be difficult to convince your boss that you should have one. So, don’t go and just plead or beg for a raise. Don’t talk about the reasons that you need a raise, either. Your employer is paying you for the work that you do, not to be charitable. So, put together a list of things you have achieved, benefits that you offer the company, and reasons that you deserve a raise. Believe in those things yourself, and you will have an easier time of convincing your boss to work with you.

Don’t Simply Accept a No

If you are turned down for a pay rise, don’t be embarrassed, and don’t just nod and terminate the meeting. Instead, ask your boss why they do not want to offer you a pay increase at this time. If they say that they do not think you deserve one, ask them what you could do to improve your chances of getting an increase in the future.

If your boss says that the timing is not right for a pay increase, ask them when you should talk to them again. Get a timeline, and do not be embarrassed about sticking to it.

If you are asking for a raise because you have had to take on more responsibilities in recent months, but you are told that you cannot have a raise at the moment, ask if you can have your job title changed. A new job title may not seem all that exciting to you right now, but it will make it easier for you to get a raise in the future.

If you are told that there is no salary budget remaining for a pay increase, ask if you could be awarded a bonus. It is often easier to make a case for bonuses because they are one-time payments, so they fall outside of the normal pay structure. Be polite but firm about your reasons for asking for more money.

If You Don’t Ask, You Won’t Get

The most important thing to remember is that if you do not ask for a raise, you will not get it. Employers bank on most people being content with accepting an occasional cost-of-living increase. Do not fall into that trap. Value the work that you do, take pride in it, and expect that your employer will value the work too.