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How to ask for a raise

Asking for a pay raise is always a delicate moment because you are overwhelmed with lots of emotions. You could feel a bit embarrassed, feel you are not deserving of a raise or even feel a bit of guilt.

But if you feel you have put in a lot of work that has not been financially compensated for, then you have every right to ask politely for a raise. It happens all the time. If it didn't pay wouldn't rise in line with inflation. Find how to determine the level of your pay raise. A great way to check for salary expectations is to make a financial salary survey before you ask for the raise.

You should bear in mind some points before asking for a raise:

Do you deserve a raise?

You should consider your work performance, have you outpaced your colleagues in the same department doing the same job.

Try to find out how much how much people working in other firms but doing the same job are earning. If you earn less then you are in great position to ask for a raise, even discounting the fact that different firms will pay differently.

Financial salary survey

You should use a financial salary survey resource to get a better idea of the kind salaries you can expect in a range of occupations.

Company's financial position

You should always assess the financial standing of the company at the time of your request for a pay raise. If the company is going through hard times then, perhaps, you should wait a while before things take an upturn where your request will be met with much more.

You should in some way keep your boss informed, if they don't have any way of measuring performance, how you are performing. If he or she sees that you are doing really well then they will be much more sympathetic to your request.

Choosing the right moment

Always pick a good time for requesting a raise. Never do it when in the middle of work and things are busy because it will raise the possibility of a no response. You should consider meeting your boss in his office sometimes after work or at lunch break when they are on their own.

If your boss does not agree with how much you are seeking try and come to a compromise. It therefore makes sense to ask for slightly more than you are actually seeking.

If your boss does not consider a raise in pay, perhaps you can negotiate a raise in other forms of compensation such as bonuses, greater flexibility in hours. However, it might be money what you are really after, in that case, you should reject any alternative offers to money they make.

Being patient

Your company may have a policy of looking at employees' pay every so often. If that is the case then you should wait till that period comes. In the meantime, impress your supervisor by outperforming your peers or meet company targets or better still, exceed them.

Getting a direct pay rise might not be possible at the time you ask for one, it could be that you may discuss the possibility of promotion in some way i.e. greater responsibilities which lead to increase in pay.

You should never use aggressive language when asking for a raise because it will damage any harmony you have with your supervisor and could damage any working relationship with him/her and leave you no option but look for another job.

If you are super confident that you will find alternative employment then you may have greater scope to ask for a raise but also be more demanding than others in your position.