How to be less emotional & more logical…
Getting a raise in your salary at work is something we’re all in favor of. But, having to ask for a raise can have you questioning yourself: When is the right time to ask? What do I say? How much do I ask for? What happens if they say no?
Look at the market
1. Make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain. Are you meeting the requirements and expectations for the role you’re currently in?
If you answered yes keep reading. If you found that there are minimum requirements that you’re not meeting or measuring up to then it’s time to do some self-reflection and make a plan on how to get there. What classes can you take or certificates can you attain to put you back in the competition? Make a plan indicating how you will get from where you are now to where you want to be so you feel confident when you discuss a raise with your management.
2. Do market research. Are you making around the same as other professionals in the same role as you?
After you do some research and have hard evidence to go off of, it will be easier to make the ask vs coming up with a bogus number that puts a smile on your face. You want to make sure not to over ask, this can have a negative impact on future conversations surrounding a raise.
Use tools available to you to check salary insights. Both LinkedIn and Glassdoor are good resources to use for market research.
Make your case
3. Ask yourself, “Why do I deserve a raise?” What sets you apart? What have you been doing at work that demonstrates the need for the company to spend more money on keeping you vs hiring cheaper talent elsewhere?
- Did you perform above quality level expectations? Provide examples.
- Did you get something done prior to the deadline? Provide examples.
- Did you take on more work during “xyz” time frame? Provide examples.
- Did you go above and beyond on a project? Provide examples.
- Did you save your company money? Provide examples.
Be prepared with a statement of logic and facts that help them make this decision. You don’t just walk into your manager’s office unprepared asking for them to cut you a larger check, especially when the manager might not necessarily be the one who determines if you get a raise or not, they might have to go up the chain of command before they can make that call so when you give them a list of logical reasons in your favor it makes it easier for them to fight on your behalf.
4. Practice asking out loud. Be confident in your approach, don’t go in to talk with your manager the moment wanting a raise pops into your head. Prepare.
Go through the questions that were asked above. Take a moment to write your answers down on paper. Then practice answering the questions out loud. You don’t go around asking for more money on a regular basis, so it might be foreign at first and you want to make this as easy of a decision as possible for your management team. So grab a friend and have them listen to your pitch and give them time to offer their advice or if you feel more comfortable grab your phone and record yourself.
Ultimately we hope you get the raise you’re hoping for but if you aren’t successful don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. There are times when it’s within your control but there are also times when it’s out of your control. That is very important for you to understand moving forward.
Good luck! And let us know if you have any specific questions about asking for a raise. We would love to answer it in an upcoming video Career Q&A with our Chief Talent Officer, Dax Moreno.
