Raises aren’t just about money, they’re about feeling valued by your employer at the place where you likely spend eight hours, five days a week. It’s important. Not sure how to get a raise? Read on.
First of all, know what you’re worth. Know exactly how much people where you live in your field with your experience level are making. That’s what you should be making as well. Look to websites like Payscale, Glassdoor, and Salary.com for some answers. Lots of people are underpaid, but women suffer this fate the most. Most women are less likely to ask for a raise and they’re paid 30 percent less than men on average.
Not sure how to get a raise? Know when to ask for it. Yes, timing is important on a host of levels. For starters, most companies give annual raises either at your start date or after your year in review. Make sure you start asking for a raise long before the decision has been made. Take the economy into account as well.
“It used to be the norm to expect an automatic annual raise, but after the economy took a nosedive, that has become less and less common,” says Alison Green, a former nonprofit chief of staff and author of the Ask a Manager blog, reported on Forbes. “Now you have to ask for more money.”
What’s Your Boss’s Personality?
Have a read on your boss’s personality so you can know when to ask for a raise and how. For example, what part of the day is your manager the most busy? Would they prefer that you be direct? Are they likely to negotiate or is the first number their best offer? Mold your message to their personality type.
Have a list of your accomplishments nearby. Remember that although they may value you as an employee, they’re not in your head so they probably don’t know all the positive things that you’ve been doing. Make sure that you emphasize how your responsibilities have increased so your pay should as well.
Don’t be afraid to ask for other perks that might make your experience at work even more enjoyable than a raise like more vacation, a flexible work schedule, or bonus pay. If you get rejected, ask how you can get a raise in the future and pay attention to the response. If they have no answer to your question, that’s a sign of a bad manager.
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Image: Vitaly Kalanuik