Feel like it's time that your employer ups the ante on payday? If you've been working at your job for awhile and think it's time to talk about getting a raise, check out these suggestions by Redditors [1] for the best ways to go about getting the extra cash you want.
- Make sure that it's a realistic request before you ask for it. You can ask for a raise if you've been with the company for a solid period of time or if your duties have significantly changed or increased enough to truly merit a raise. If you ask for one without support for your request, it will seem unprofessional.
- Approach the conversation like it's an interview. Identify whom you need to be speaking with, and schedule a time to talk with him or her. Be as professional as possible, even if you have a more familiar relationship with them.
- Lay out your contributions to the company since you've been there. Reddit user ampersand_bananas [3] advises you to "connect the actions you've completed with the positive results of the company." This will help make it clear why you are valuable, especially if you use numbers and specific examples wherever possible.
- Indicate how your role has changed over time and why that merits more compensation. Emphasize new responsibilities that you've taken on since you were hired or since your last raise. A great way to word this, from Reddit user CitizenSam [4], is to say something along the lines of "with my new, added responsibilities, my current rate really isn't appropriate anymore. I need a salary that's more commensurate with the type of duties I have now."
- Emphasize your reliability. Bring up examples regarding your attendance record, your eagerness to fill in for someone who was out, and your general reliability to perform what is expected of you daily.
- Be direct but not confrontational. Avoid being too pushy, but also make a strong case for yourself with confidence.
- Have a number in mind. "Be prepared to offer a suggested raise amount. They may not ask, but have something — something reasonable," advised Reddit user kcell [5]. Have a number in mind for how much you want the raise to be, and expect to negotiate down from that number — it's always a good idea to aim higher than you think you need to.
- State, with facts rather than opinions, what you have done for the company. Avoid words like "I think" and "I feel," and instead be firm and informative.
- Bring up times you went above and beyond. Reddit user nyudo2 [6] says to "focus on the additional tasks you do" as well as on your efficiency. If you have completed any extra training or done anything past the regular call of duty for your position, make sure to bring up those instances.
- Avoid bringing up personal reasons for the raise. You may have just moved, just had a new addition to the family, or have extra bills to pay, but your employer does not want or need to hear about this. One user made the point that you weren't hired "because you needed money, you were hired because you provided something of value to the company."
- Be cautious when bringing up other opportunities that you have seen or have been offered. This can sometimes be beneficial, but it can also make it seem like your current job is expendable to you, and if your boss won't budge on a raise, he or she may be OK with letting you go. Basically, you shouldn't threaten to leave unless you're really OK with doing so, if it came down to it.
- Accept an offer for a temporary, or "trial," raise if you are given one. A temporary raise can be a great stepping stone to receiving a full raise — just make sure that you work hard in the interim to prove that you deserve it. Be open to other additional compensation, like more vacation days or extra job perks, if an increase in salary is nonnegotiable at the time.
- Express positive feelings and feedback about your position. Indicate that you like your position and want to continue to be challenged and grow within the company.
- Follow up. Reddit user justagreewithme [7] reflected that a common hurdle he has experienced when seeking a raise was the indefinite "put off to another time," adding that "you cannot allow them to do this." If they need to think things over or speak to HR, he suggests that you find out a specific date or time for an answer to be given. Be sure to follow through and contact your employer if you don't hear back by the deadline discussed.