How To Get the Raise You Deserve: The Ultimate Guide
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It’s been a while since you’ve got a raise, you always feel like asking for a raise but you never do, cause it’s awkward, right?
I get it, it’s not easy to ask for a raise but if you want to have a higher salary and you think you deserve more than the company is offering you, I sincerely believe you should grab your confidence and ask for a raise.
If you don’t even try, you might be potentially giving up on a significant amount of money only because you’re uncomfortable having a conversation with your boss.
So here’s the ultimate guide you need to read on How to ask for a raise and why to ask for a raise.
I’ll also be sharing 7 super awesome tips to use to ensure you get that raise you’ve been longing for!
When to ask for a raise
Asking for a raise is normal, of course, you want more money to meet your financial requirements.
That doesn’t mean you can go into your boss’s office any time of the day and ask for your raise unless your boss is cool and calm all day (which I’m sure doesn’t happen).
Your boss is a human and humans have emotions, even if your boss says, ”In work, you can’t bring emotions, work, work, work.” What I mean is don’t ask about a higher salary any time of the day.
First, see the mood of your boss, is she jolly or agitated, is she angry and frustrated or calm and smiling. If she is calm, smiling and jolly, that’s your entrance. Go and ask for it. If she’s frustrated, trust me, today’s not the best time to ask her.
She already has a lot of work problems and she can’t entertain any new discussions, especially one which won’t solve her current problems. So check her mood and take the call.
Similarly, if your boss is usually upset in the mornings and an hour or two before leaving, she is all nice and sweet, take the courage out of your bag and go talk to her.
She will listen with a calm mind, analyse if you deserve a raise and act accordingly rather than just saying no when she is busy doing a lot of other things.
You don’t need to make a 20 slide presentation on why you deserve a raise, it’s boring and not productive. It also wastes your bosses time and even yours. Keep it simple, to the point. Be clear and firm.
Confidence is compulsory and if she asks a question, don’t be afraid to answer it. You should focus on why you should be given a raise, your level of contribution to the company and so on.
‘I really appreciate being a part of this company and especially this team. When I was given Project X, I put in all my efforts to show great results. I’ve also been bringing a lot of strategic ideas to the table that ensures we get better results. So could we talk about a raise in my salary that reflects my contribution to this company? It’s been a year since my last raise and I’ve taken on several different projects since then. I’m overseeing multiple projects right now and ensuring it all works smoothly and at the same time focusing on making all of this cost-effective for the company. For the efforts that I am taking, I believe I deserve a raise. I’m hoping to get my salary up by XX% (if you have a percentage in mind).’ If you have a specific amount in mind that you think you should get, you can propose that like – I’m hoping to get my salary to $1,00,000 a month.
It’s okay even if you don’t ask for a percentage or give them a specific amount, let them state their opinions and say how much raise they think you should get if it’s less than what you expected – do negotiate; if it’s more – be happy and thank them.
How much to ask?
Your ask depends on how much the industry rate for an employee in your position is getting at the moment. Almost everyone ignores this point, why wouldn’t you do some research before you ask for an increment?
If you don’t know what people in your industry are being paid, especially in your geographical area, your ask may not be so appealing to your boss or even to you.
You can google to get an estimate of how much other people in your industry make, but those numbers won’t be accurate. A software developer for a tech company will be more valuable than a software developer for an insurance company.
Know that the numbers you see online are just an estimate of what people make in that job title, it’s not final and you can always get more than the market rate (provided you bring growth to your company).
Let me explain! If the current market rate for a software developer is ‘X’ and as of this date you make ‘X – 4’, you can increase your raise by ‘+4’ but if you’re already making ‘X’ and you want to increase your monthly salary, asking for ‘X+4’ will be too much, try asking for ‘X+1’ or ‘X+2” at most.
7 Tips You Should Use to Get The Raise You Deserve
1. Don’t Talk Too Much
Most often your boss will be okay paying you more, provided you work hard and get results. Just show your achievement and say that you need a raise and be quiet.
Silence is golden and sometimes the best thing to do is to remain calm and let the other person talk. If you keep talking and talking and talking, chances are your boss will be bored and show disinterest in you, thus reducing your chances of getting a raise.
2. Dress the Part
Always overdress, this shows traits of a confident person who knows how to present himself well during a meeting. Work time attire may be casual (depending on the company) but when it’s time for a meeting – you better dress the part.
Take a few extra minutes to polish your shoes, iron your shirt, comb your hair – in short look sharp and smart, not sloppy and lousy.
Sage Tip: Don’t ask your colleagues for tips cause if they are in the same job profile as you, they surely don’t want you to get a raise while they still make the same amount each month.
3. Talk to Your Coworkers
To improve your chances of getting a raise, talk to your coworkers and friends and get some insightful tips on the matter. You’d be surprised to know that they might give you some really good tips on how to approach and get the increment.
Also, be on good terms with your HR team, they can give you good insights and can also help you get an increment. Be friendly and talk to them, when you need them they’ll be there for you.
4. Ask After a Big Achievement
Just completed a huge project or landed a new sale? This is the right time to ask for a pay raise. The boss appreciates your achievement and thus is in a good mood, this is the perfect time as the chances to get a raise increase tremendously.
5. Focus on Work Accomplishments, Not Financial Problems
You might be asking for a raise due to the expensive cost of living or higher rent rates or having financial responsibility for a new member of the family, but that shouldn’t be a part of your pitch when asking for a higher salary.
Your boss will decide whether to give you the raise or not depending on your efforts towards the company, your accomplishments, and so on. While your financial problems are real problems, you have to realize this – they are your financial problems.
Your boss may care but can’t give you a raise because she needs to explain to her boss why you deserve a raise.
So avoid talking about your financial crisis and instead, let your work speak for yourself.
6. It’s a Sales Presentation
Isn’t it? If you think about it, asking for a raise will only favor you if the person in charge is impressed by you i.e. if you can tell him why you deserve this raise, he will without a doubt offer you a raise.
Showing off past achievements is one thing, but if you can’t speak well and convey firmly and properly why you want this raise, you’ll end up not getting one.
Learn how to sell and practice selling in front of your friends and family first.
Prepare as if you’re preparing for your job interview and you’ll do just fine.
7. Don’t ask via email
Asking for a raise is a personal thing, such important aspects are better handled in person than in emails.
I know you’re scared, but on mail, your boss can take her time and think of 10 reasons why she won’t give you a raise whereas, in face-to-face interactions, she won’t be able to do that easily.
Schedule a meeting by email, that’s fine, but the meeting – make sure it’s face-to-face for best results.
How to Negotiate a Raise
If you’re not happy with the raise you got, go and tell the manager that. It’s better than being sad about it.
But what will you tell her? That you wanted more?
Yes, that is exactly what you need to tell your boss. A few things you can think about before you walk back in, are –
- See How The Company Is Doing – If it’s growing at a rapid pace, and profits are increasing, it means it can give you a higher salary and not cry about it.
- Ask The Boss – Ask the manager why you didn’t get a higher salary, this will help you realize why you didn’t get what you wanted, and if it still sounds unreasonable, negotiate once again and demand a better raise.
- Schedule A Meeting – It’s unprofessional just barge into the office and negotiate a raise. Instead, schedule a meeting whenever both parties are available and discuss your problem.
- Practice Negotiating With Your Friends And Family – Why not! If you want a 10% increase in salary (or more), you need to be very good at negotiating, after all, you have to convince the boss why you deserve a better raise.
The Secret Your Manager Isn’t Telling You
Did you know that almost all companies prefer keeping their old employees, and may even give them a raise just to ensure they don’t leave the company?
The reason is that it’s more expensive for the company to hire a new recruit, train the person and polish him.
Instead, they prefer offering a raise to an existing employee (especially if the employee plans on leaving the company).
I’m not suggesting you should threaten your boss about leaving the job assuming he will give you a raise (It may work but don’t do that if it doesn’t work, you’re out of a job).
What I’m trying to explain is that if you work sincerely and show results, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get the raise.
The manager knows that if she says no, then that will make you unhappy which may lead you to not work efficiently or even make you quit the job.
They don’t get into the hassle of training the new champ and teaching him everything they taught you, it’s a waste of time and money.
And If The Answer is NO?
In case you’re thinking that you didn’t get a raise because your manager may have to cut it from her salary, that is not the reason. If you get a better salary, the manager’s salary won’t be affected.
After all, she is an employee, just in a higher position.
All hope is not lost, if you follow all the steps and strategies mentioned here and you still don’t get the raise, politely ask them, “Can you tell me how I can ensure I get a raise next time I ask for it?”
Any good boss will tell you where you’re lacking and will help you understand what you need to do to get that raise you deserve.
Interpret what they said and start working on it, on yourself; maybe the way you work isn’t proper, maybe you’re not a team person or you need to work on time management, whatever it may be, understand the fact that no one is perfect and try improving yourself.
If your manager doesn’t give you a reasonable reply about how you could get a raise the next time, that’s a sign for you to search for a new job.
It doesn’t end there if the boss won’t give you a higher salary, try asking for something smaller but valuable for you and the company like –
- A new phone or a new laptop for work purposes?
- Work from home facility?
- Covering up transportation expenses?
- A free insurance policy
Your boss is more likely to agree to one of these things if she doesn’t agree to give you a raise. Something is better than nothing right?
Don’t expect an immediate reply, unless you work at a small company where decisions happen ASAP.
Large companies need to discuss each and every matter properly before they make a decision. So wait for the decision and then react accordingly.
A higher salary isn’t a gift and it’s not a favor. Now that you’ve got a raise, your boss expects your work efficiency to increase.
If you don’t live up to those standards, chances are that this raise may be the final raise you’ll ever get.
Remember, it’s not greedy to ask for a raise, everyone would like to earn more money, that being said you better not be greedy and ask for an increase much higher than what your employees in your industry make.
Don’t be greedy, be humble and the raise you so deserve will be yours.
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