Want a pay rise? 10 tips to drastically increase your chances

Let’s face the obvious facts – we’d all love a pay rise. Even if money isn’t the main motivating factor in your career, you wouldn’t say no to a pay rise! If you would say no, then I’d love to take a look at your CV and get you in for an interview, because saying no to a pay rise is like music to a hiring manager’s ears.

Hiring managers would be drooling and dancing around like fairies if they could pay their top performers the equivalent salary to when they joined at entry level. Unfortunately for hiring managers, that is just not how the world works. Employees naturally get pay rises, whether that’s for promotional, situational, or just overall economical reasons caused by the rise of the national minimum wage.

The Diary of an Uncomfortable Employee

I recently watched Steven Bartlett’s “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, where in one episode he spoke with Simon Sinek (Author and Inspirational speaker). Simon discusses that a big reason which contributes to young people quitting/job-hopping so regularly is due to their discomfort with asking their boss for a raise.

Yes – most people are uncomfortable with asking their manager for more money, and it’s understandable! But, how can we get over this issue and make it more natural for us to ask for a pay rise?

In today’s blog post, we’re wanting to give you a few tips on trying to get a pay rise out of your boss, and what is most effective in doing so. So, let’s start with when is best to ask for a raise…

When to ask for a pay rise

It’s probably a good idea to time your request perfectly. If you had just lost out on a big client deal because you forgot to give them a call back, then asking your boss for a pay rise is probably not the greatest idea.

Here are the best times to ask to increase your chances of landing a raise:

After the completion of a successful project you took part in
You did a great job in a performance review
When your employer announces a successful financial period
You have made a significant achievement
If you are being underpaid
When your contract is about to end, and the company wants to renew it
If your manager is looking for you to take on more responsibility
When your boss appears to have some free time to talk
Another company has approached you
You’ve hit the one-year employment anniversary at the company
You have been promoted

There may be many other reasons for you to ask for a pay rise, just make sure you do it when you have a good reason as to why you deserve a raise.

How to ask for a pay rise

Here are Rekkruut’s 10 tips as to how you can ask for a pay rise:

1. Do it in person

You could also ask via video call, but generally speaking – your boss is likely to have more respect for you if it is done in person rather than through an email or a letter. They’re also more likely to say yes if you ask them to their face.

2. Pre-warn your manager

If you surprise your manager with the question out of the blue, they may react with an automatic “no” as a surprised response. Try and send over an email before, letting them know a summary of your intentions, and requesting to meet with them to discuss the topic.

3. Strategically ask

If you’re asking your manager once a month for a pay rise, it may seem unrealistic and unreasonable. Ask at the right time, and ask for a realistic amount.

4. Write a script

Prepare with a general script on the value you bring to the table, how you enjoy working at the company, and how you know you’re now worth more than when you first joined the business. Preparing these points will give you a solid argument for receiving a raise.

5. Summarise your success, describe your plans for the future

Highlighting your successes is very important to support your reason for receiving a raise – but don’t forget to discuss your future plans for the business. This shows your manager that if they give you a raise, you will put more into the job role – it won’t be in vain.

6. Be professional

Sit up straight, keep eye contact, speak clearly. These things demonstrate comfort and confidence.

7. Know what you want

It’s important to understand exactly what you’re wanting to get from meeting with your manager. It’s important to be reasonable with the amount you’re seeking to get paid. If you’re over ambitious, then you could lose credibility. Try and have an established minimum amount you will accept, and persevere if you get a no.

8. Expect an increased workload

If you’re seeking a pay rise, then expect a rise in workload to get one. You’re going to have to work hard to prove your worth, and through increasing your productivity, you can demonstrate to your boss that you deserve a pay rise.

9. Prepare to be declined

Being told “no” is a scary thought, but it’s certainly an answer you may have to expect. If they decline or resist, then be prepared to fight for your corner – ask for other benefits as an alternative (e.g. increased contributions to pension, more holiday). Or, you could ask if you can have a salary review at some time in the near future. Try not to overdo it!

10. Don’t hastily provide an ultimatum

You may come to the conclusion that the best way to get a raise is to give your manager an ultimatum: Give me a pay rise or I’ll leave. It’s very important you think carefully before doing this – keep it as a last resort! You don’t want to leave any bad blood between you and your employer, try and have a mature conversation rather than going for the worst immediately.

Still didn’t get the pay rise?

If you still didn’t manage to get the pay rise you deserve, then it may be a good idea to reconsider your options. If the cons outweigh the pros of working at the organisation, and you cannot settle for the current salary you’re earning, then try and find another company which may appreciate your value.

Rekkruut is here to help you with your job search…

What is Rekkruut?

While we are currently an app under development, we will discuss some of the benefits of using Rekkruut as a jobseeker.

Rekkruut will provide a platform for jobseekers to connect with our recruiters completely free of charge – helping you find the next step in your career as quick as possible. Our consultants can help you with anything, by helping you construct your CV, connecting you with your potential future employer and even negotiate your desired wage!

Tired of going into an office to meet with recruitment consultants? Bored of receiving cold calls from recruitment agencies? Not wanting to have to wait days on end for a response from your recruitment consultant? We guarantee that these problems will no longer be an issue for you.

We ensure that you won’t have to meet Rekkruuters face-to-face through our video interviewing process, saving valuable time if you are busy at work or unable to travel far to go to an office. We facilitate all communication in our app, and make sure that you cannot be contacted outside of the app – where all calls and messages are on Rekkruut (yes – no more cold calls and no more spam emails!)

You can instant message our Rekkruuters so that communication is fluid and faster than what it would be in an email chain or calling into their office.

Trust is at the heart of our company, where we promote trust through review-based systems, testimonials, and the option to hide your details whenever you want. If you ever feel like you want to delete your profile, we make this as easy as possible, with just the click of one button!

Rekkruut’s mission is to provide an entrepreneurial platform for independent recruitment consultants, who can create a trusting and fluid business relationship with jobseekers and employers in UK Construction and Technology.

We make recruitment fast. We make recruitment easy. We are Rekkruut.