Asking For a Raise at Work: How to Be Prepared
You are the one in-charge of your raise. No one else is responsible. If your boss doesn’t deliver then there is little reason for you to tolerate it. If you don’t get a great raise it is either because you don’t deserve one, you didn’t present your case in a compelling way or your boss is a fool. There are a lot of foolish bosses around, so there is a distinct possibility that you have one. If you have a strong case for a serious raise and are denied, then it is your responsibility to seek a well-paying position elsewhere. Using the methods within my tips you should be able to find another position at higher pay. If not, you should contact me to discuss what you may not be doing as well as you think you are.
Now let’s discuss what you need to do before the actual negotiation takes place. Imagine that you are in the hot seat directly across from your boss. Are you nervous and sweaty? Well, if you are properly prepared you won’t be.
Being prepared includes:
- Following your strategy even if your boss is acting in an intimidating manner
- Knowing what salary you expect and why
- Knowing what to say if he balks at your request
- Knowing what your worth is in the marketplace, your company, and department
- Having your accomplishment list and job description at the ready, and taking comfort in the knowledge that, if all else fails, you can get more money elsewhere
Be warned that to get the desired raise, you and your work history have to be worth it, or your boss will think you are merely demanding money without merit. In that case, you either won’t get the raise, or you could push the envelope and actually get replaced shortly down the road. So you need to know in advance the value that you bring to the table. That value is not an absolute number, but an approximation based on many factors.
Some of those factors include what others make doing what you do, and the supply and demand curve for people like you. If there is an abundance of people who are available to step in and do your job, then you have less negotiating power. If there are few to none available to hire, then you have a stronger position for negotiating. Even if there are plenty of people available in the marketplace, but few folks would ever work at your firm, for any number of reasons, then that positions you more strongly. If your boss is the type that would rather lose you and suffer the consequences, then your negotiating position is weakened.
As you can tell there are a ton of reasons why you are in, or not in, a good position to negotiate. You have to consider them all. For some folks they reason that the only way to win is to just get a job elsewhere, because the dynamics at their firm preclude getting a raise. On the other hand, people can misread their own circumstances. I’ve helped people get great raises where they thought it was near impossible to do so. So each situation is unique. There is no cookie cutter approach in this business.
Also, you must know and believe you have power. The ultimate power you have is the knowledge that you can go elsewhere. If you are not aware of your worth in the marketplace, then you lack power.
How do you assess your organization and boss regarding their being open and able to giving you a raise? Share below in the comments:
Are you anxious to get started moving your life forward and making the money you deserve? I don’t blame you.
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