Things to Avoid when asking for a Raise
As someone who has been in the position of having to decide whether to give a raise to an employee or not, I learned that the main thing people should avoid is basing their request on their own needs, rather than those of their employer.
Far too often I would find myself in a private meeting with an employee who had come to me with a request for a raise but hadn’t come prepared with any rational arguments other than they (or their spouse) thought they deserved or needed more money. While this may have made sense from their perspective, what they were failing to see was that bosses and companies in general, don’t reward people simply because they wish to be rewarded. In most cases, the people who are in a position to offer a raise must themselves justify that raise, and all others they give, to someone else higher up the chain of command. Thus, it is imperative that there be reasons based on business sense when handing out raises.
In short, good reasons for giving raises boil down to two main categories. The first is bottom line impact. Business like it when employees do things that cause the company to make more money. After all, the reason for the company to exist is to make money, not pay employees. The second category is status-quo impact. In this case, the employee has done things that have caused them to be valuable in the case that their absence would cause disruption, or a negative impact on the bottom line.
Thus, employees that request a raise with their boss need to first make sure that their request falls under one of the above two categories, otherwise they are likely to be not only turned down, but thought of as unprofessional by the boss thereafter.
With the idea in mind of the two categories described above, employees who are requesting a raise should base their requests on explaining how they have contributed to the bottom line or have fashioned themselves as someone whose presence is vital to the continuing success of the group or business. Thus, they should avoid all references to their own needs, the needs of their family, or any other allusion to personal gain. In addition, they should also come prepared with documentation to demonstrate their successes, achievements or history. Finally, they should be sure to “sniff the air” so to speak before requesting a raise. i.e. note whether the company is doing well in general, has had a major setback recently or if any other negative company related thing has occurred that might put off a manager that is suddenly finding himself forced to make a quick decision regarding a raise.
