How to Get a Raise At Work
By: Brian Kim - October 2, 2006
Who wouldn’t mind getting a raise at work? It usually comes with a promotion and reduces your risk of being easily laid off, so all in all, getting a raise is a great thing. But like all things worth doing, it takes great preparation. On to the 5 steps.
Ask your boss
I don’t mean ask your boss for a raise (yet). Depending on the company you work for, there might be different criteria that need to be met in order for you to get a raise so it only makes sense that you should ask your boss what those criteria are beforehand. What you think warrants a raise and what actually does can be two totally different things so save yourself a lot of time and ask. Generally speaking, the criteria will be based on your performance (are you handling your responsibilities well and doing more than what you’re paid for?) and how you’ve helped the company’s bottom line, but since every company and their culture is different, you might get more specific criteria than that. Don’t forget to ask about company policy as well in terms of when the cycles are, what the range is, the maximum cap, etc.
By asking, not only do you gain valuable information, but you put yourself on radar as someone who is determined to move up in the company. You don’t become just another worker to your boss. That ambition will help separate you from the employees who just do their job and become the first ones on the chopping block when cuts need to be made. Not only will you get the attention of your boss, but you’ll get the attention of those around your boss as well.
Don’t reserve this conversation for a meeting at the water cooler. Set up a meeting when your boss isn’t busy and start asking away. You WILL see their eyes light up and they will gladly give you the information needed. Don’t think you can remember everything they throw at you so bring along a pen and paper to write the information down. By doing that, you’ll also convey the fact that you do mean business. Ask for examples and specifics.
You should also be asking how you’re doing and how you can improve BEFORE your performance review. Don’t be afraid if you hear some criticism. It’s there to let you know what you need to fix so when the time comes for the review, your boss will have nothing bad to say about you because he/she has already covered all the bases with you. You can then use that great performance review as leverage. It’s amazing to see how many employees get so nervous when their performance review comes when all they need to do is just ask beforehand.
Ask your co-workers
Many people skip this vital step and only ask their boss for information. It makes sense to ask the people who’ve worked there and gotten raises how they did it. The key here is to ask the people who have gotten raises. Their advice is the only one that matters. Ask how long they’ve been with the company, what job they had when they first started, how they managed to get promoted, etc. Obviously, ease these questions into the conversation as you go along. You should attempt to build some rapport first (I’m assuming you’ve already have) with your co-workers before you attempt to pump them for information. It’s a perfect win-win situation. Most people would jump at the chance to brag about themselves and you gain valuable inside information as well. And always be sure to thank them afterwards.
Get your information together
So you’ve got all the information you need in order to get a raise and I’m assuming you’re putting it into practice.
The most important thing I can stress is to start writing down a list of accomplishments. Your list of accomplishments will be based on the information you got from your boss and co-workers. For example, if you found that presenting new ideas to cut costs and save time and implementing them are criteria for getting a raise, and you’ve actually done that, then by all means, write it down when you do. Don’t wait a month after because you’ll probably lose all the juicy details. That goes for everything. You probably won’t remember all the things you’ve done. You would think you know all the things you did, but trust me, the human memory is very fragile. I remember most of my co-workers having the deer in the headlights look when we all got the email to compile a list (as our department was getting audited) of our accomplishments YTD.
Have a summary list and a detailed one as well. Make the detailed list as specific as possible and try to use metrics if warranted. What I mean by metrics is if you’ve saved the company time and money, how much? Executives are sticklers for metrics. They want everything measured. It’s not enough to say you saved the company time and money. Get a cost/hour basis from your accounting department and use it to make an educated estimate. What steps did you take to complete the project? Include dates, compliments you got, etc.
The reason for having this list is two-fold. The first is obvious. It lists the reasons why you should get a raise. Two, it makes it even easier for your boss to have the head honcho approve the raise he wants to give you (more often than not, your boss will need to run the raise request by someone higher up and having the list just makes things easier). To add even more sizzle, state what you will do in the future.
Based on what you’ve accomplished and what you will accomplish in the future, be specific as to how much of an increase you want, taking into account all the information and restrictions you got from your meetings as well as what the average salary range for your job is on the market. Don’t shortchange yourself. If you think you really deserve an x % increase, than by all means go for it.
Be prepared to answer the question, “Why should I give you a raise?” Prepare a verbal response and bring out your list to back it up.
Get along with your boss and co-workers
When it comes to getting along with the boss, sure, nobody likes to admit it, but those who are closer to their boss will most likely get the raise and promotion. If two guys are in the running for a raise and promotion, everything else being equal except the fact that one guy is closer to the boss than the other, than the tie goes to the one who is closer. Employees who regularly interact positively with their boss get the promotion and raise, even if their merits are not up to par. We’ve all seen this injustice happen one time or another in the workplace. Why does it always happen? We’re all human and when we like somebody, it’s that much easier to help that person isn’t it? Yes, it’s not fair when you look at it based on principles alone, but it is how the real world works.
Don’t forget to get along with your co-workers as well. It won’t hurt to chit chat every now and then, get to know them a bit better, maybe even play some with them sports after work. Treat them with courtesy and respect and go out of your way to help them when they need it. You may be surprised that some bosses may actually consult your co-workers in order to gauge how well you are performing so it won’t hurt to get on their good side.
Set it up and knock it out of the park
So you’ve got all your ammo ready and all your bases covered. The next steps will be pretty easy. All you have to do is set up a future meeting with your boss to discuss getting a raise and not screw up until then.
When the meeting comes, you have your list with you. You’ve prepared your speech. You’re close with the boss. Your co-workers have nothing bad to say about you. The rest should go like clockwork. Just tell your boss that based on what has been discussed and what you’ve accomplished, you want a raise of x percent. He knows you’re prepared and he knows you can back it up and you’ll find that he will be more than happy to give you the raise you rightfully deserve.
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