When was the last time you asked your employer for a raise? People take two roads when it comes to wage increases. They either never ask for a raise and just accept their 2 or 3% annual increase, or wait until they are extremely frustrated and ready to walk out the front door, in which case you’ll probably find yourself back in the employment searching and interview game.
Neither of these strategies will get you any closer to the money you want to be making. The secret to getting the raise you deserve is all in the planning you do in advance.
Research Salaries
Researching average salaries for your industry will give you a good idea of what you should be making and just how much wiggle room you actually have to negotiate. Keep in mind average earnings can vary from state to state, so make sure your salary research is appropriate for your area. Make copies of any salary information you find. Additionally, if you suspect your salary is low within your organization, your human resource department may be able to provide a salary scale for your position. These two documents will help support your request for a raise.
Show your Value
Salary research documentation won’t get you that raise alone. It is important that you are able to illustrate your contributions. Raises aren’t just handed out; a company wants to pay as little as possible for you. Whenever I start a new job, I start documenting my accomplishments immediately - but it’s never too late to start. I suggest keeping a weekly journal of things you’ve done to improve the bottom line.
- Have you creating new revenue opportunities or discovered a cost saving?
- Did you help meet or beat a deadline?
- Did you improve processes?
- Do you complete your task ahead of schedule?
- Do you arrive to work on time, work extra hours?
Get your Strategy Together
Think about how you’re going to approach your boss ahead of time, take time to rehearse your “raise pitch”. The worst thing you can do is walk into your boss’s office thinking that you can wing it. With copies of your salary research and company pay scale information you are able to quantify that your request for raise is reasonable. Additionally, you’ll be able to back that information up with a list of accomplishments that demonstrate your value. Remember preparation is the key to getting the raise you deserve. Besides you have nothing to loose; the worst that can happen is they will deny your request, and hopefully provide you with advice on what you do to improve your eligibility. Or, you can decide to brush up on your interview skills and land a job that offers salary advancement opportunities.
Nicole St. Martin is the founder of SEMGirl.com, a search marketing company. With over 5 years of search experience, Nicole has developed a successful pay per click and organic search strategy for several companies including DigitalRiver, FindLaw, HotGigs and most recently Minnesota Healthcare Jobs
