Asking for a raise may seem daunting or feel like dangerous territory, but fear not — we have some tips on how to smoothly navigate your meeting with your boss to snag that well-deserved bump in your pay. Keep reading to learn about the best advice, tips, and tricks we have to offer on how to ask for a raise.
How To Ask For A Raise
Outline Your Accomplishments
Clearly articulate your performance, achievements, and qualifications. What have you achieved? What have you performed exceptionally well at your current position that denotes a raise? Highlight these things to your boss, with specific examples of your hard work and dedication so you can easily communicate the ways in which your performance translates you deserving a raise. Furthermore, instead of immediately jumping into the numbers, you can begin the conversation by asking your boss about your job performance and treating the meeting as an open and professional discussion.
Keep it Impersonal
Avoid discussing personal reasons for needing a raise. Even if you have legitimate family or health-related reasons, they’re not appropriate or relevant to your professional life at work and your relationship with your boss. Avoid including any personal anecdotes about reasons you need a raise. It’s simply unprofessional and puts your boss in an uncomfortable position. The best way to ask for a raise is to keep it squarely focused on business and your life at work — namely, your contributions to the company.
Timing
Before you approach your boss about a raise, evaluate the current financial stability of your position and the company as a whole. You shouldn’t ask for a raise if you know your company is facing financial strain or if there’s a lot of instability in the industry overall. You may be fairly literate and aware of your own company’s financial state, but it doesn’t hurt to do research by reading financial reports and following business news.
Be Realistic
It is common to request more money than you think you are going to get, so you can overshoot a little bit. If your employer agrees to give you a raise that is not as high as you would like, stay calm and positive, and accept with grace. You should have specific figures and ideas in mind, as well as a strategy on how to ask for that specific number. But be prepared to accept any offer your boss is willing to present. You are allowed to negotiate, but you don’t want to appear argumentative or ungrateful. Accepting any offer your boss presents brings us to our final tip: staying positive.
Keep Your Head Up
If things don’t go as well as planned, remain positive and composed. The process of receiving a raise can entail a few separate conversations spread out over a few months. It’s entirely possible your boss wants to evaluate your performance or give you some more responsibility to test the waters before they agree to give you a raise, and you should happily oblige.
Best of luck in your request for a bump in pay. When it comes to how to ask for a raise, keep these tips handy before approaching your boss to ensure the smoothest and most successful meeting possible.
