How To Ask For A Raise – Tips For Success

You are determined to ask for a raise. You know you deserve one, but you do not know how to ask for it.

It may have been a while since you have received an annual increase. Perhaps you have taken on more or done outstanding at your current position and you know that others have noticed.

You don’t want to be looked at in a negative light. However, if you are going to ask for an increase, you want to make sure to get the most you can. Plus not feel as though you could have gotten more had you brought more to the negotiation table.

Let me help guide you through this.

A Short Story From My Own Office

A valuable employee (Kelly) that works for one of the managers under me (Anna) got frustrated with her position and walked out. 

Anna came to me visibly upset about it because Kelly doesn’t ever get frustrated.  Kelly had just gotten back from vacation. Our customer rudely asked why she had not completed something.

When Kelly came back the next day after her blowup, Anna asked her if there was anything she could do. Kelly took that golden opportunity and asked for a raise.  Brilliant!

Anna told me that she really didn’t understand people that would ask for a raise. She feels like we give a fair increase each year.

I told her I have asked for a raise, more of a bonus, and even more benefits multiple times throughout my career. To top that off, I had always gotten what I asked for because it was a fair ask for the work I was doing. I had put the facts together so beautifully it was difficult for my superiors to say no.

I had taken care of Anna’s salary increases and bonuses for the previous 6 years.  Anna worked for our company for 13 and I can tell you that prior to me stepping in, her increases were few.

I actually appreciate Anna never coming to me and asking for an increase. I knew I had taken care of her properly and she did not need to. However, I can’t 100% say if she had asked for a raise over these past six years, I wouldn’t have given her even more as she is fabulous.

Everyone doesn’t have someone standing in their corner pushing for them.  Most likely, you need to stand up for yourself.  If you want that raise, here are some ideas to get you there.

Compare Your Salary Within The Company

As our company grew, I compared my salary to those at the same position across the country.

It is very important to know within your company what they are offering for the same position at different locations, but this is difficult as the cost of living is not the same as you travel across states. 

It’s very likely that someone who lives in California does not get paid for the same job as someone who lives in Arkansas. That said, here is a very simple calculator from Forbes you can use to calculate the cost of living increase between major cities across the United States.

Great Cost of Living Calculator from Forbes.com

It’s often that you will not know or be able to ask what your counterpart makes at another division. However, you are still able to compare with the same position at other companies.

Compare Your Salary Outside Of The Company

Know your worth outside of your current employer.

Analyze your current pay with other similar job descriptions across hiring websites.  Compile these together in one simple to read format.  I suggest taking a snippet of each position you find and then create an file. Combine all the snippets and start to compare them.

If there are multiple positions similar to yours, find a decent range of highs and lows. Obviously, you would want to use the highest you can find in order to ask for the highest increase. However, if your employer does the same search, you do not want to be called out for fudging numbers in your favor.

We are doing this for two reasons.

• To walk into the negotiation room knowing exactly what you are worth to other employers.
• To have the facts at your disposal to back your claim.

Know What You’ve Done Above And Beyond

Now you need to note some things you have done outside of the normal day to day tasks. 

Let’s say you are a receptionist. 

Your job requires you to answer the phone, maybe print some invoices on the side, file some paperwork, and take notes during meetings.  What have you done outside of that?  Better yet, what have you done above and beyond the regular call of duty?  Think out of the box here. 

An employer wants to get their money’s worth.

Perhaps the average pay of receptionist positions in your area is $20.00 per hour. You make $19.50 per hour.

The key for you is to show what you have done to save the company actual dollars.

Did you look at your company Zoom account and see you were paying for way more licenses than what you were using and you lowered that?  That equates to $20 per month x 10 licenses = $200 per month or $2,400 per year.  That’s so worth mentioning!

Perhaps you took additional responsibilities outside of the normal receptionist duties. This prevented your company from having to hire a part time person. Those are real dollars as well.

Put together a spreadsheet with all of the dollars you have saved the company.

The Best Time To Ask For A Raise

There are good days and bad days for everyone. The same goes for companies as a whole.

You should be strategic when it comes to picking a day to ask for a raise. Do not pick a Monday if Mondays are crazy at the office.

If your boss is not in the best of moods, do not pick today.

If your department was told of a poor performance period, this is not the time to ask for a raise.

You also do not want to jump at the first sign of a smile from your boss.

It’s a bit of a game finding the perfect time. Do not be in a rush, but don’t put it off so long that your facts and figures may change.

Find a day that your boss is in a good mood and your department or the company outlook overall is positive.

How To Actually Ask For A Raise

I read online that most people suggest you ask for a raise during a scheduled meeting with your employer.

I actually do not agree with that. I’m thinking of how I would want people to come to me and ask for an increase. Which way would be the most respectful.

I want time to think about what they are asking before being put on the spot.

That being said, I suggest catching your boss during a free moment when they are alone. Give them the heads up that you will be sending an email requesting an increase. Let them know that you’ve done some research and feel it is the right time to ask. Let them know that you appreciate the consideration that will be given.

Go back to your desk and send the email. At that point, you wait for them to come to you.

Ask For A Raise In Writing

Let’s work on the email you’re sending! So exciting. 🌺

Here’s a sample for you to tweak:

Wow – It feels so great standing up for yourself, knowing the facts, and putting it all in an organized format! You are not threatening to leave – you are asking for what you are worth.

Even more important is that last line. You are setting yourself up for that next promotion you are going to be offered. If you are not offered it, at least you have gained some confidence to go after it yourself.

When An Offer Comes At You

Ideally, your employer would agree with your assessment and give you the raise you are asking for.

However, there are people that really like negotiating.

No matter what your employer throws at you in terms of money (even if it’s nothing), stay positive. Remain professional and repeat some of the key points you brought up in your email.

Practice what you will say if your employer comes at you with a lower offer.

Also, do not discount the possibility for alternatives to a direct salary increase. Are there other perks your employer would possibly be willing to offer instead (or in addition to) an increase to your salary? Perhaps tuition reimbursement or more benefits. Keep an open mind.

Prepare For The Future

Keep track of every single annual increase that you receive and the percentage. You may be able to use these in your favor during your next ask for a raise.

Also research what the current average annual percentage increase is each year. According to The Balance, the average annual increase in 2022 was 4.6%.

I do also want to address those “above and beyond” tasks we were talking about earlier.

Know that each time you ask for a promotion, increase, bonus, or extra benefits, the number of “above and beyond” items are going to come in to play. You need to start racking these up.

Keep a special notebook somewhere so you can keep a tally of the “above and beyond”. I guarantee you that you will forget hat thing you did six months ago that saved your company $5,000 if you do not write it down.

Best of luck!

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