How to Negotiate a Pay Rise

Asking for a raise is no doubt one of the trickiest and also most important steps in advancing your career. Whether you’ve asked for a pay rise before or this is your first time, it’s going to be a delicate situation that needs to be approached with care and strength.

There are a few things to keep in mind before taking on the task of asking for a raise. Ask yourself: How long have you been with the company? If you have had a raise before, how long ago was it? Do you deserve a raise? Why?

The last one is a little subjective, you might think you’ve done a fabulous job over the last 12 months but your boss and his colleagues might think differently.

So doing a self-evaluation before approaching your boss is always a good idea. Come up with a few moments that you proved to be invaluable to a project or team and show that by upping your salary they will continue to see excellent results coming from you for years to come.

If after your self-evaluation you are at odds to whether or not you actually deserve a raise, if you have a manager or team leader that you can speak with in confidence, approach them and ask for their advice.

More often than not if you feel worthy of a raise, you probably are! The next thing to consider is timing. How has your sector or team been doing? Is now the right time to ask for a raise? If you answered great and yes to those questions, then you’re ready to ask for a raise.

Below are some extra tips for asking for a raise without it being awkward of offensive!

1. Set up a meeting with your boss. Don’t just bombard them on their lunch break or in between meetings! When you’re both free and there aren’t any eavesdroppers, ask if you could arrange a time to set down and chat with them about your future at the company. It might take a week or more to actually have them sitting in front of you and listening so be patient.
2. Explain why you feel you deserve a raise. Before you drop “I want a raise” start with all the times recently you’ve proved yourself in the workplace. Did you organize a team meeting that went really well? Did you help close an important deal? Let your boss know you are worth keeping around.
3. Tell her/him that you are more than happy to negotiate. You might have a set figure in your head, but so might they. Be open to negotiating and don’t be sour or hold a grudge if it is less than you were expecting. Also, once you do receive a raise keep it private. Don’t go around the workplace telling others how much you got.
4. Drop in how much you enjoy working for them. Be subtle. If subtly isn’t your strong suit, learn the art and practice in front of a mirror. Along with your explanation of how wonderful you are for the company, drop in a few times how much you enjoy working for them and how you hope to be there for many years to come. Loyalty is important and it’s also valued so don’t be shy!