Once you’ve killed the interview, landed the job and excelled in your position, you may be wondering how to properly negotiate a raise. Salary upgrades are usually granted annually depending on your industry. Knowing how to ask your management for a raise is crucial, and your approach and reputation are key factors. The CGS Team has put together a few tips to boost confidence and properly plan your raise negotiations.
Timing is Everything
When you begin to negotiate a raise at work it’s important to choose your time carefully. Look at the pros and cons of your company financially. If the company is doing well then it may not be a bad idea to bring it up to your boss.
Also, take into consideration how long you’ve been at the job and how well you’ve been performing in your position. You shouldn’t ask for a raise until you’ve hit your year mark with the company. An awesome track record of great accomplishments gives a green light to bring up a raise.
Nothing Personal
It’s always important to remain on a professional basis rather than personal with your co-workers. While being nice at work is perfectly acceptable, you don’t want to be perceived as being too talkative and friendly while at work. That perception could interfere with your raise. When you request a raise, be sure to incorporate how you contribute to the company, and why your work deserves a raise. Remember to keep personal reasons to yourself. Companies don’t pay you based on your personal financial needs.
Don’t Compare
When you get wind of a co-worker’s salary being more than yours, eyebrows can raise and thoughts may be present. It’s tough to see someone with less job responsibilities getting paid more than you. If you bring this topic up to a manager, they may not respond well because pay is supposed to be confidential and should not be discussed between peers.
Never bring up another associate’s salary when discussing a potential pay raise. You don’t know the circumstances surrounding their pay, and your raise will not be based off what they make.
Provide Details
With any good negotiation come even greater details. It’s vital to support your raise request with details and examples of your accomplishments with the company. If you haven’t done so already start keeping a file of achievements that have come your way. If raise negotiations happen once a year, you don’t want to forget any important accomplishments. No matter how big or small the accomplishment or achievement is, keep track of it!
Asking Never Hurts
One last thing to remember is to ask for a raise when the timing is right. Unfortunately, some companies may not mention pay until you bring it up. After your year of hard work, don’t be afraid to discuss a raise with your manager. The worst thing you can do is sell yourself short. Don’t miss your window of opportunity because of not speaking up!
Related: 5 Reasons You Didn’t Get a Raise
Asking for a raise can be nerve-wracking, but it may be necessary! We would love to hear about your experiences or suggestions of speaking to an employer about a raise. Let’s chat, comment below! Also, check out the CGS Podcast Interview with Career Coach Lexi!
3 thoughts on “How to Negotiate a Raise at Work”
Have you asked for a raise or negotiated a raise at any job you had? Any tips or takeaways? @jmapp0104 @jdforema @ltrevino16 @timib I have asked for a raise before and having my reasons why I deserved one definitely helped!
The companies that I have worked for have a yearly review process that already look at raises for employees. But through this process I am responsible for writing a yearly review based on my accomplishments which gives me the chance to highlight what I have done. Through this process I am able to rank my performance for the year.
@jerelynyates my company reviews are very similar! Each year, there is a review process that takes a couple of weeks to complete. Employees are able to review their work over the past year to evaluate accomplishments and areas that can use improvement. I think this is a great way to give your impute and also ask for impute when managers are reviewing your contributions. We also make smart goals for the upcoming year that we aim to meet in 3 months. It’s a great way to stay sharp on the job!