Asking for a pay rise can feel uncomfortable, particularly for young professionals. However, it is an important part of climbing the career ladder, knowing your worth and ensuring respect and fairness from your employers. 

If it is your first time asking for a pay rise, this guide will help you navigate the conversation and hopefully get the result you are looking for. But don’t forget, if you are not making progress with your company and feel your pay is not fair for your workload, a specialist headhunter like Eagle job headhunters can help you find an amazing new role with a salary that works. 

1 – Actually Ask 

There is one universal and unifying piece of advice. It is that you get what you ask for. Many times, the employees who toe the line, work hard and ask for nothing are long overdue a pay rise – but will never ask for one. 

The first step is being certain in your conviction that you deserve a pay rise. You should also plan your recourse if you are refused.

2 – Keep Asking 

This ties into the previous tip but comes from years of experience. The people who keep asking are the ones who get results. As you work your way through your job, you too will notice how the ones who keep asking are the ones who get the raises. Don’t forget that you are not legally entitled to a pay rise every year, no matter how high the inflation rate has risen. 

3 – What Must I Do? 

In some circumstances, particularly jobs with tangible, financial goals such as sales targets, it is clear what you need to do in order to qualify for a raise. Have a conversation with other employees and your manager and find out the best course of action to get yourself noticed. Remember that it is still unlikely you will be handed a raise, but having a proven track record of achieving company goals will put you on firm footing to ask for one.

4 – Go By The Book 

Some larger companies have rules and guidelines when it comes to raises. Remember that managers, accountants and HR staff are all trying to keep costs down, but they also work by the book. Get clued up on your company policies including the fine print of your employment contract and consider meeting with HR to clarify any points you don’t understand.

5 – Present Evidence if You Have it 

Begin keeping a diary or log of times you are going above and beyond your job description. Times when you have worked late to help out your colleagues, times when you have had to make decisions bigger than your job title – anything that can prove you are already working at a higher level and with great responsibilities than you are being paid for.

6 – The Right Time is Now 

This is perhaps the second strongest tip on this article. It doesn’t matter when you ask. You must ask as soon as possible. If the managers deride you, claiming you shouldn’t be asking when the company is doing so poorly or the economy is so bad, then keep that information and hold onto it. Remind management of it, because very soon, the conditions they quoted will be gone and they will have no excuses left to deny your raise. 

7 – Be Open to NegotiationYou don’t need to give a specific figure, but it is a good idea to have one in mind. A company may truly acknowledge that you deserve to be paid more but are bound by budgets and other factors. If you love your job and management are willing to enter a discussion, it may be to your benefit to be flexible. Maybe they can’t pay you the exact figure you had in mind, but can offer a small rise to be reviewed and hopefully increased in six months.