There’s nothing comfortable about asking for a pay rise, but if you feel like you deserve one, then why shouldn’t you want to speak up? Just like most things in life, however, preparation is key, and if you’re looking to level up in your current position, then you need to look at leveling up your pay along with it.
Instead of worrying about how you can get a pay rise by looking for a new job, why don’t you look at our tips for asking for a pay raise!?
- Do some research. What are people earning in your current job right now? For example, if you have a look online for medical virtual assistant positions, what salary is offered? Before the conversation, you have to research and arm yourself with the evidence you need. You can’t ask for a pay rise if you’re not proving what your value is. Are you going above and beyond in your job right now? Are you doing things beyond your remit and, therefore, earning a new salary amount? You need to understand the market you’re in and the industry standards for your role and determine whether or not you’re meeting those standards right now. You then need to talk about your achievements in your role to date so that you can showcase what you’ve been doing that’s different from everybody else.
- Pick the right time. You can’t just spring this conversation on your boss and hope that they are receptive to you asking for more money. If you’re going to do it at a time when the company is particularly busy or the company might be in jeopardy, then it’s just not a good idea. These are not the moments to bring up money. Ideally, you want to schedule this conversation after a significant achievement or a positive annual review. In fact, your annual review is a good place to bring it up if you’ve been feeling underpaid or even underappreciated.
- Practice what you’re going to say. A good friend to sit with you and practice what you’re going to say. There’s no getting away from it that if you practice, you’re going to get better at your answers. The more you practice with a trusted colleague, mental or friend, the better off you will be in the actual meeting. Ask your friends to act like your employer so that you can get some idea of what your employer could respond with. This way, you can practice what those answers will be for the day.
- Show your commitment to growth. As well as discussing your achievements, you need to show off your commitment to the company. You need to ensure that you express how you plan to grow within the company and where you see your career taking you from your current role. If you are simply asking for the pay raise because you’re being paid below market value, you still have to show that you are committed to growing and changing with the role or that you already have grown with the role.
- Be prepared for all possible outcomes. There’s every chance that they’ll say yes. Equally, there is every chance they’ll tell you no. You have to prepare yourself for all potential eventualities and how you want to respond. If you’re approaching a salary bump with the idea that you’re going to leave the company if you don’t get one, you can’t put that across because that comes off like blackmail. Instead, you want to make sure that you understand the details of why they said no and what you need to do to achieve it. That way, you can go away. Take stock, make the moves you need to make, and then go back and ask again at a later date. If they say yes, then you need to evaluate the package that they give you.
- Consider an alternative. If an increase in pay is not possible, then consider what benefits you could benefit from or consider. Maybe they’ll allow you to work remotely or work flexibly. Maybe they’ll offer you extra annual leave or opportunities for professional development. Your employer is likely to want to reward you but is not financially able to. Maybe you could set a deadline for when you’d like a pay raise and when you could revisit the conversation.
This is not an easy conversation to have, but once you’ve had it, you could end up with more money, or you could end up with a stepping stone into another career.