Want a Raise? Do These 5 Things First
Flourishing at work is fantastic. It means you’re invested in your job and ready to roll up your sleeves for the company, while challenging yourself to really follow those productivity tips. But asking for a raise when you know you deserve it? It’s always tough to do. In search of expert advice, we turned to Harper Spero, an NYC-based lifestyle and career coach. Follow her tips when asking for more money, and earn what you’re worth!
1. Know your value. Before you do anything, Harper suggests checking in with yourself to honestly evaluate your contributions. Consider: “What have you already accomplished at the company? What makes you unique? Does your boss have any reason to turn you down?” Be sure to think about your future impact too — what more can you do? Being totally aware of the impact you can make while helping the company grow is critical when you want to ask for a raise.
2. Arm yourself with examples. Be ready to talk about your milestones and key projects, using solid examples and data to demonstrate exactly how they’ve helped your team succeed. There’s no need to be humble here, so take full advantage of an opportunity to tout your accomplishments and share anecdotes about how much you appreciate and enjoy your work.
3. Do your research. Harper advises researching salaries of people in similar roles at other companies in your industry. “What are their backgrounds and what kind of salaries do they earn? How does that align with what you’re making and what you’re looking for?” To gather credible info, just type a job title, company name, location and the word “compensation” into Google. Harper also recommends using Glassdoor, which compiles super helpful shared salary data.
4. Look around the room. “If your co-workers are receiving raises, it’s your turn to see about getting one as well,” Harper notes. So pay attention to what’s happening around you — and don’t let a golden opportunity slide by because you’re too shy or afraid to ask!
5. Consider the timing. You’ll be smart to ask for a raise when the company is doing well AND you’ve been thriving in your role for a while. However, Harper says, “I wouldn’t recommend asking for a raise less than six months of being in a job unless you discussed this with your boss when you were hired. Additionally, I would nix the idea of asking for a raise when the company isn’t doing well — they’re not likely to have money to increase your salary.”
Of course, there are situations when you might not get a raise right away, even if you’ve gone above and beyond. If this happens, Harper says to consider: “Do you feel valued at the company now that you were denied for a raise? Is there room for growth at the company? What’s keeping you at the company? What are the benefits and downsides of the company?” If you feel defeated or the situation seems completely unfair, you might consider looking for a new gig.
If your boss’ reason for not giving you a raise is totally valid, Harper says, “Be sure to ask if you can revisit your salary increase in three to six months. Definitely hold yourself accountable and mark your calendar for the time to follow up.”
Remember that you’re the only one in full control of your career and compensation, and it’s in your best interest to have the convo again sooner rather than later. Never forget that you deserve to be rewarded for your great work!
Did you recently ask for a raise? Talk to us about it @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
