How to Get a Raise

Guide Note: Asking for a raise can be an intimidating experience, but it doesn't have to be.

How to Get a Raise will walk you through how to ask for and get the raise you deserve.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

  • Contrary to every movie you've ever seen, asking for a raise doesn't consist of fuming, turning red in the face or slamming doors. In real life, issuing ultimatums or emotionally blackmailing your boss into giving you a pay increase never works.
  • Asking for and getting a raise has everything to do with demonstrating your value to the company and keeping your cool when you do enter negotiations.
  • While you have a lot of homework to do before you can properly ask for a raise, the biggest mistake may be not asking for one at all.

Step 1: Be Honest with Yourself

  • Before storming into your boss' office demanding to be fairly compensated, you had better do a little soul-searching.
Do you deserve a raise? (Image by someecards.com)
Do you deserve a raise? (Image by someecards.com)
  1. Ask Yourself Why You Deserve a Raise: Have you taken on additional job responsibilities or spearheaded a successful project? Have you met or exceeded your employer's expectations? If you and your employer haven't settled on a shared set of expectations, that's a sign you need to have a sit-down with your boss about things other than a raise. Without a clear set of expectations associated with your role in the organization, you'll never be able to measure your success in quantifiable fashion, which makes it a hundred times harder to negotiate a pay increase or benefits of any kind.
  2. Don't Confuse Effort with Achievement: Just because you've been working 16 hour days and neglecting that precious work-life separation, doesn't mean you automatically deserve a raise. Raises are typically based on meeting or exceeding certain objectives, not on how much you care about a job or how much you feel you've sacrificed. You can have all the heart in the world, but if you don't meet your employer's goals, it's not going to result in a raise.
  3. Understand Your Boss' Perspective: It's important to understand your place in the greater scheme of things and your company's attitude towards staff turn-over, retention and recruitment. Would you be easy to replace with someone who would require a smaller salary? How much of a budget does your boss have to work with when it comes to salaries and overhead? Does your boss actually have the authority to give you a pay raise, or will he or she have to justify it to the higher-ups?

Step 2: Do Your Homework

  • If, after giving it some serious thought, you think you deserve a raise, you'll need to build your case before sitting down with your boss.
  1. Do a Salary Comparison: Find out how your current salary compares to other professionals with similar jobs in your region. Sites like Salary.com and PayScale allow you to go into your salary negotiation with numbers on your side.

    Salary.com

  2. Compile Your Awesome File: Put together a file that contains all the emails and reviews you've received praising your performance on the job.
  3. Account for Your Achievements: It's nobody's job but your own to document your workplace successes. Write down how you've met and exceeded your employer's expectations. Assign quantifiable numbers to those achievements as often as you can. What have you contributed to your company's bottom line? If you're not in a sales-oriented position, then document the projects you've started, issues you've addressed and how you've helped your co-workers and superiors.
  4. Craft a Memo: Now that you have all this proof of your awesomeness and how much you quantifiably deserve a raise, put it all together in a well-crafted, bulleted memo to present to your boss during negotiations.

Step 3: Decide What You Want

  • You've done the salary comparisons. You've honestly assessed your worth to the company. Now it's time to put a dollar sign on it.
Negotiate work-for-home privileges. (Creative Commons photo by Megan Ann)
Negotiate work-for-home privileges. (Creative Commons photo by Megan Ann)
  1. Settle on a Specific Number: While there's some debate as to whether you should give your boss a number first or let him or her initiate the money talk, you should definitely have a specific figure in mind. Whether that figure is a 10% raise, an extra week of vacation or tuition reimbursement will depend on your assessment of your performance and current situation.
  2. Have Alternatives: If your boss is not in the position to offer you a cash raise, be ready to throw out some alternative means of compensation. Could you work a four-day work week? What about extra vacation time or a performance-based bonus?
  3. Give to Get: One of the most effective strategies in getting a raise is essentially asking for a promotion. If you're willing to expand your responsibilities in return for greater compensation, both you and your boss may come out of the negotiation with something you want.

Step 4: Choose Your Moment

(Photo by Steve Woods)
(Photo by Steve Woods)
  • There's a right time and a wrong to ask for a raise. Knowing when to ask makes all the difference.
  1. During a Performance Review: The appropriate time to ask for a raise in your workplace may be during your annual or semi-annual performance review, particularly if you know that you are going to receive a good review. If you're uncertain about how the review will go, hold off on asking for a raise. Instead, use the review as an opportunity to set specific goals with your manager about what might qualify you for a raise the next time around.
  2. Immediately After You Rocked It: If your boss has just praised you to high heaven for your work on a major project or initiative, now may be the perfect time to ask for that raise.
  3. During the Good Times: Don't ask for a raise when your company is tanking, or your boss is under a ton of pressure.
  4. During a Scheduled Meeting: You'll want to schedule a specific time to meet with your boss about your salary. This kind of negotiation shouldn't be conducted via email or interoffice memorandum.

Step 5: Rehearse Your Pitch

  • Practice makes perfect even when asking for a raise.
  1. Role Play with a Friend: Rehearse for your meeting with a friend playing the part of your boss. Make your case, and play out all the possible outcomes. Try not to storm out of the room or throttle your pretend-boss at any point.
  2. Anticipate Objections: Think of everything your boss might bring up during the meeting as a reason to not give you a raise—the budget, the timing, your performance, etc. Prepare responses to every possible objection.

Step 6: Make Your Pitch

  • You've done all the hard work. Making a pitch to your boss is all about keeping your cool, making your case and remaining open to your boss' point-of-view.
(Photo by Henk L)
(Photo by Henk L)
  1. Remain Calm: At no point, should a salary negotiation become emotional. This is a rational conversation between two adults about your demonstrated value to the company. Do not get angry or aggressive. Do not beg or cry. There's no crying in business.
  2. Do Not Issue an Ultimatum: No good manager will allow him or herself to be blackmailed by an "I'm going to quit" ultimatum. You want to leave. You can be replaced. Your goal is to get the raise, not make your boss angry.
  3. Keep Need Out of the Conversation: This isn't about what you need in your personal life. This conversation is about what you've earned in your professional life.
  4. Listen: Asking for a raise is a conversation. Your boss may have legitimate reason for not giving you a raise right now. Listen to what he or she is telling you. If he or she can't offer you a raise for budgetary reasons, could you negotiate an extra week of vacation time? If he or she thinks you don't deserve a raise at this time, set the stage for a future review. What could you be doing that would earn you a raise in six months?

Step 7: Evaluate the Outcome

  • Depending on how things went during the meeting, you have a few different possible follow-up options.
Time to write your resume? (Photo by Steve Woods)
Time to write your resume? (Photo by Steve Woods)
  1. Put It In Writing: If you got the raise, have your boss or HR put it in writing. When does it go into effect? Is it retroactive? If you were given additional time-related benefits or work-from-home privileges, have those documented as well.
  2. Redouble Your Efforts: If you did not get the raise based on your performance, clarify what your boss' expectations for you are. Work to exceed those expectations, and document your achievements every step of the way.
  3. Write Your Resume: Depending on your situation, not getting that raise may mean that it's time to look for a new job. Fortunately, Mahalo can help you dust off that resume: Mahalo's Guide to Writing a Resume.

Resources for How to Get a Raise

Salary Comparison Sites

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Have any great tips on How to Get a Raise? Post your thoughts to the discussion board or email them to Julia: Julia at mahalo dot com.