Here are some practical steps you can pursue while asking for a raise.
Prepare solid salary data
To stand in a strong position, sound confident, and justify your statement, it’s essential to have a solid background of knowledge regarding your industry, experience, status, and current market rate. You can find salary surveys on multiple professional platforms such as Culpepper, Radford, Willis Towers Watson, and many more. Furthermore, interact with your network and ask about salary competitiveness.
Add more credibility by displaying your performance
Consider compiling evidence about your performance to date and your outcomes that highlights your value. You must prove your expertise if you have performed diligently and are a standout employee with impressive achievements. Make sure you converse with your employer regarding this insight.
Find the right time
In the view of professional managers, timing can either make or break the request. It’s a crucial factor. For instance, it isn’t the correct time to bring your request if the management team has revealed the cutbacks. Likewise, if you are familiar that the raises are awarded through annual performance evaluation, this can work in your favor; however, it’s fundamental to familiarize yourself with a company’s pay practices. As mentioned above, you may not receive any raise if the employer awards an annual review increase. But, in contrast, if you are fortunate and your company pays frequent raises, grab the opportunity.
Furthermore, look at your employee handbook. The procedure for granting salary hikes may be described in the manual. However, if a policy or practice exists, following it to the letter is your best shot when requesting a salary raise. For example, suppose your employee handbook indicates that your company will only give you a salary rise once a year. In that case, you may want to spend time and effort preparing to ask for a raise that isn’t accessible. There are various reasons for such a policy, including equal treatment of employees and managers’ incapacity to appropriately process pay rise requests and distinguish among employees.
Think consciously; what did you do to deserve a raise?
You can never persuade your boss for a raise if you aren’t clear about why you deserve it. In a talk with a pro, we learned that the promising strategy is to centralize the deserving factor. Since, generally, an employer offers a raise based on your performance, not on your household problems such as increasing rent, vacation, upgrading your house, paying off your monthly debts, or any personal reason, avoid it. Instead, focus on your contributions and performance record.
Practice, practice, practice!
We all have practiced award-winning speeches in front of a mirror, mimicking our favorite celebrities; the wildest can be pretending to receive an Oscar. Regardless, do you get the point? Before approaching a significant event, we prepare beforehand to avoid any mistakes. Similarly, when you attempt a raise, rehearse your conversation, and anticipate unexpected questions from the employer’s side. The only issue is that you will play double roles, but this practice is rewarding. You may find it strange, but believe me, this works! It will allow you to address their questions calmly and, even if there is an out-of-syllabus question, smartly handle it.
Mind your word choices
Language choices significantly impact your request. So, ensure your wording options don’t give the impression that you’re unsure of yourself. It can ruin things for you. Avoid saying things like “I’m not sure, but I want to request something or “This might not be correct.” Instead, while explaining why you deserve a raise, be strong and forthright in articulating your conviction in your worth.
If you did your research in Step 1, you should feel comfortable sharing a wage suggestion that will make you happy rather than keeping it to yourself. Also, make sure your request isn’t too broad or too vague. While you may be afraid about putting your ambitions too big and obtaining a negative answer, targeting a specific amount for your raise is far better suited than your chances.
Furthermore, trying to intimidate the employer by saying that you will resign if you don’t get a wage hike is unhelpful and disrespectful. Moreover, the company may not accept your proposal. So instead, if you’ve decided that a wage boost is worth moving companies, begin the process of your job hunt carefully and smartly.
Discuss the future
Demonstrate your potential interest in your firm. From psychological insights, every boss appreciates the commitment of an employee. So, for a successful request, open dialogue is an excellent way to express appreciation for your management and the firm. Next, describe your motivation, how you want to progress, and how you want to influence the company’s growth. Mandy Gilbert shared this profound advice.
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