How to ask for a Pay Rise
Asking for a pay rise may seem like a daunting task. No doubt you feel you’ve earned one. Perhaps you’ve worked hard to achieve a higher wage but this hasn’t been recognized by the powers that be. In order to achieve your aim you’ll need to prove to your boss that you deserve to be paid more money. At the same time it will help if you ask for a wage increase in the right way.
Appointment
Make an appointment to speak to your employer in private at a time convenient to them. This will let them know you have something important to talk about and will stop you from inadvertently making a wage increase request when your boss is busy or harried.
Preparation
There are several ways you can prepare. Gather information to illustrate why you are worthy of receiving a pay rise. Data which shows an increase in sales since you took over a managerial post, or evidence to support an increased level of customer care since you were put in charge of customer services are examples of the type of information which is relevant.
If you have a written contract which states that a wage increase will be considered after a certain time period have this to hand.
You can prepare further by collecting information regarding the average weeklywage paidto employees nationwide for similar services you provide. This will be particularly useful if you feel you are being paid less than most employees who hold a similar work position to you.
Presentation
How you present yourself and request a pay rise is likely to have a great deal to do with your success or failure to secure what you desire. Be mindful about being confident, whileavoiding coming across as demanding. Remember your boss doesn’t have to give you a pay rise. You are putting forward a case for consideration rather than asserting your rights.
Be straight forward instead of skirting around the issue at hand. Make it clear what you are requesting and remember to state why you believe it’s time you were paid more money.
When you word your request ask that a pay rise be considered instead of simply saying you want one. This will help you to come across as being professional, but not aggressive.
Outcome
Your employer may give you a raise, choose to take time to think about the request, or turn you down. If the latter occurs be polite and thank your boss for their time. Before you leave their office ask what their requirements would be before considering giving you a pay rise in the future. This way you have something to work towards to achieve your aim. Write down what they say in front of them for your personal information. This will make your intentions to follow guidelines clear, and give you information to refer to in the future when you are ready to ask once more.
It can be tough asking for a raise, but if you don’t do so your boss may never automatically offer you more money. By planning ahead, gathering evidence to support your worthiness and remaining professional you stand a good chance of increasing monetary return for work you carry out.
