So you want to ask for a pay rise
Do your homework. Use a salary calculator or ask a recruiter the market value for similar roles.
“Don’t just look at the salary, your employer might be paying your health insurance or pension too, compare like with like,” says Amanda Cahir-O’Donnell, managing director of TIO Consulting.
Then practise your pitch.
“If you are saying it out loud for the first time in front of your boss, you could get more emotional or say something you hadn’t intended,” says Cahir-O’Donnell.
“You might say, ‘Look I feel I’ve added a lot of value over the past year’. Talk through your achievements. Quantify them. You could say, ‘given my performance and where I think I can contribute in the future, I’d like you to consider a pay rise of X per cent’.”
I just call my boss, then?
Timing is everything.
“I think it’s fair to be adult-to-adult and flag in advance it’s a conversation you’d like to have,” says Cahir-O’Donnell.
By waiting until your annual review though, budgets may already be set, so it’s worth broaching it a few months out.
“If you’re well tuned in, you’ll know if it’s a good time to ask for more money. Some small businesses have struggled during Covid,” she says.
Bear in mind your boss is human too.
“If they are just about to go on holiday, it’s generally not a good time.”
I hate talking money; can I just send an email?
Fortune favours the brave.
“If you want to get high-quality feedback, as well as achieving your outcome, you are better off finding a way to do it face to face over a coffee,” says Cahir-O’Donnell.
“Zoom isn’t ideal, you can’t really read their full body language. You’re not getting the full picture.”
But if you have to use Zoom, practice.
“Record yourself. See how you come across. Make eye contact and make sure you are assertive and know how much you are worth.”
Amongst those she coaches, women are less likely to ask for a raise.
“They tend to want to let the work speak for itself. They expect to be rewarded automatically. Men are less shy about it.”
Should I say a figure?
Have your ideal position, your middle and your least optimal position in mind, says Cahir-O'Donnell. These may be percentage increases, a training course or time in lieu.
What if it's a No?
Try not to get in a snot.
“If it’s not the answer you want, take a deep breath and try and stay curious during the conversation,” says Cahir-O’Donnell.
“Ask what specific things you need to do to achieve this in the next 12-18 months. Find out what the blockage is.”
It’s important to try to stay present in the conversation.
“You could say, ‘I understand where we have got to. It’s not the outcome I was hoping for, but can we revisit this again in six months?”
In the meantime prioritise the things your boss has specified.
What if there's still no budge?
If you are not getting specifics about why you are not meeting the mark, then it's a different conversation, says Cahir-O'Donnell.
“Maybe you are not going anywhere in that organisation. You might not express it, but maybe it’s in everyone’s interest that you start to look around.”
But I've just extended the kitchen
What, on a fantasy pay rise? Get real.
“If someone’s argument is that their personal circumstances have changed and they feel they should be looked after, that’s not a good enough reason,” says Cahir-O’Donnell. “There is nothing that drives leaders more mad than a sense of entitlement,” she says.
Tenure doesn’t cut it either, it’s about your contribution.
But, Mary in accounts is earning €5,000 more...
Comparing yourself to others never goes well in negotiations. Focus on yourself, on your contribution and what you need to do. Don't issue an ultimatum unless you are prepared to walk.
So should I ask for a pay rise?
Post-pandemic, there are now more bargaining chips on the table, says Cahir-O'Donnell.
“I think people have really taken stock of what matters to them. Maybe you’d be happier with a lower salary somewhere else, but without the commute.”
