How to ask your boss for a raise?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Do you want to know how to ask your boss for a raise so that he can't refuse you? Then read on.

No matter how good your manager is, he does not think day and night about how to increase your salary. For him, this is an extra expense, so your task is to make him think that you are worth the money you ask for. In fact, you need to sell yourself to the company a second time, and this is not easy. Let's talk about how to ask your boss for a raise.

Not the best option would be when you, counting on inspiration and catching the boss in the corridor, stun him with this great idea. Most likely, he will refuse you. Let's take a scientific approach.

Argumentation

In addition to your personal and professional qualities, the most compelling arguments in a conversation can be two: the expansion of job responsibilities and the amount of work exceeding the standard load.

Which arguments should be avoided?

1. Your salary is below the market average. You can take a chance and hint to your boss that other companies will pay you more, but then be prepared forthe fact that the boss will suggest that you look for such a company. You can use this argument only in one case: if you have been working in a company for many years and have never received a salary increase, while the salaries of your colleagues have noticeably increased in the market.
2. Professional development. Yes, the development of professional skills is a good thing, but we must not forget that professional growth is part of your job. The manager cares about quality and timing, not the way you achieve results. Therefore, if you use the acquired skills to perform the same work as before, then the point on professional development is more suitable for a resume than for a confidential conversation with superiors.
3. Great experience. If you have been working in the same company for years, and there are not enough stars from the sky, the conclusion suggests itself that your position in the labor market is low. This means that your loy alty may be a plus for the recruiter, but not for your manager.
4. Invitation to a competing company. It is extremely unreasonable to bring to the attention of the manager that a competitor has made an offer to you. Firstly, the manager will understand that you have “sharpened your skis”, and secondly, he may perceive this information as blackmail. Guess who can be laid off first?

Wrong motives

In an effort to explain your motives to the leader, it is undesirable to use the following arguments:

1. "Sidorov has the same position, but the salary is higher."

If the employee to whomyou refer, loaded more, the boss may have a question, but is he overpaying you?

2. "I took out a mortgage, but there is nothing to pay."

First of all, you didn't consult your boss when you took out the loan. Second, he may advise you to live within your means.

3. Refer to inflation and rising prices.

Most likely, he will recommend contacting the Ministry of Finance.

How to build a conversation?

The main thing to understand for yourself is that asking for a raise is a negotiation with a person whose interests do not coincide with yours, therefore, the question of how to ask for a raise from the boss is quite serious. And you need to prepare for the conversation no less responsibly than for negotiations with a major client.

The first thing you should do is gather information. Try to find out how the salary increase works in your company, namely, whether annual indexation is practiced or, perhaps, salaries increase depending on the length of service and the like. Talk to colleagues about how to ask for a raise from your boss, examples from their personal experience may be useful to you.

In addition, you need to find out who influences your salary increase, your immediate supervisor or his supervisor. In this case, you will have to enlist the support of your boss and rely on his skill as a negotiator.

Everything has its place and time

Now about how to ask for a raise from the boss on time. Be serious about choosing the time and place for the conversation. It is believed that it is best to raise suchquestions on Friday, after lunch break. At this time, the level of complacency of the authorities usually rolls over.

This is, of course, a joke. Well, seriously, probe how things are going in the company. If your last quarter's performance is poor, or your department hasn't met its targets, asking for a raise at this point is the height of imprudence.

The mood of the chef is also important. If in the morning there were three separations and two dismissals, it is better to wait it out, otherwise you risk running into rudeness.

Developing a conversation script

Write a conversation script. It is clear that it is impossible to predict all the scenarios for the development of events, but it is necessary to think over the main ones. Write down all the possible objections that your boss will try to turn the tide of negotiations and prepare counterarguments for them.

Most likely, you can guess that in response to your proposal, the boss will not throw himself on your chest with an enthusiastic cry: “How did I not guess it myself?!”.

Most likely, this will be an evasive answer, the purpose of which is to buy time. Perhaps your boss is the kind of person who likes to think things through before making a decision. Perhaps the decision depends not only on him and he cannot solve the problem on his own. Either way, you need specifics, "yes" or "no", so check when you can come to him for an answer.

What's next?

Suppose, after considering everything, the manager refused you. Think about how you will act in this case: try to return totalk later, leave it as it is or look for your happiness elsewhere?

Typical situations

Let's consider the situation with specific examples.

First example. How to ask for a raise from your boss if you do not affect the results of the company.

An ordinary employee who performs normal routine work. An experienced professional, and a very good one. The specifics of his work is such that he does not have a special impact on the financial performance of the organization. How to ask for a salary increase from the boss in this case and what arguments should be given?

Each specialist has tasks that characterize the success of his work. These can be personal results or the results of the work of the entire department. Use this information to your advantage as a bargaining chip.

If you haven't had a pay raise for several years, you have every right to demand a raise.

Second example. How to ask for a raise from your boss if the responsibilities are blurred.

The employee was charged with many other people's duties, he, as they say, “drags”, but, thanks to his skills, experience and intelligence, he manages to do all this during the working day. What arguments to use, even if the length of the working day has not changed.

Unfortunately, the situation is typical. An employee loaded with someone else's, moreover, not officially formalized functionality, in fact, has no rights, because. there is no such extra work.

In this situation, the ideal wasI would think about how to ask the boss for a salary increase at the stage of distribution of duties, but if the moment is missed, you need to try to secure the support of the management, especially since most often the boss knows perfectly well how busy a person is and appreciates it.

Now imagine that you don't have the opportunity to talk to your boss face to face. For example, as is often the case, you are in different cities or you do not feel confident when meeting him and are afraid that timidity will not allow you to argue your position with arguments.

Third example. How to ask for a raise if you can't meet in person.

Let's talk about how to ask your boss for a raise in a letter. This option has both undeniable advantages and serious disadvantages.

The main disadvantages are the lack of eye contact, the ability to see the reaction of the interlocutor and influence it during the conversation.

However, if you take things seriously, all these disadvantages are offset by undeniable advantages. And the first of them is the opportunity to think over the argument and use it to the fullest without the risk of being obscured, forgetting or confusing something. In addition, there is no danger of coming at the wrong moment, because. no one reads the mail if they are overwhelmed with business.

Moreover, you will save your nerves, because after the letter is sent, nothing will depend on you and you will just have to wait for an answer. Needless to say, how importantin this case preparation.

Start with gratitude. But only sincere, for sure you have something to thank the person who hired you and, perhaps, spent a lot of time and effort on your training or adaptation. You can move on to the main thing - the reasons why you should have a salary increase. List all your achievements and be sure to write how it has affected the work of the department or the company as a whole.

You can do this in the form of tables or graphs. The main thing is for the manager to see that thanks to you, the business success rates have really increased. Keep in mind that all the taboos in the argument mentioned above also apply to letters.

In conclusion, it would be useful to mention my desire for professional growth and the opportunity to develop in the company. This will give the boss a good impression and he won't think that you only care about money.

Now a few words about how to ask for a raise from the boss by phone. The same rules apply here as in personal negotiations. Write a conversation script, in this case you can put it in front of you and peek into it as needed. And don't forget to schedule a call ahead of time.

And now for some information about what bosses are like, maybe it will entertain you and help you prepare.

Fake Democrat

As a rule, tries not to interfere with the work of subordinates, giving them complete freedom of action, which makes it very similarto a true democrat. But, do not relax, such a boss, as a rule, does not explain what he really wants, and no matter what you do, it will turn out that he did not want it at all.

If a subordinate is suspicious and unsure of himself, such a boss can become a real punishment for him, and work will turn into a source of constant stress.

How to behave? The first and easiest option is to change your boss and find a new job. True, in this case there is a risk that the next leader will be even worse than the previous one.

Second, more difficult, but also the most reliable - strengthen the nervous system, increase your self-esteem, work on yourself.

Mood Man

Yesterday he was the standard of an ideal boss, and today he throws lightning, reprimands, swears dirty and is looking for something to complain about. But, the storm will pass and he will meet tomorrow morning in a state of melancholic calm.

Such antics of the authorities do not contribute to the establishment of a favorable psychological environment in the team. Yes, and this only harms the work process, since it evaluates the work of subordinates not by their abilities and results, but depending on their mood.

How to behave? A person of mood is not yet the worst version of a leader, and all that can be done is to abstract in moments of outbreaks, do not start, do not argue, but calmly listen, take into account and forgive.

Energy Vampire

In ordinary life, this is an erudite, witty intellectual. He opens a conversation with a subordinate in a quiet voice, gradually increasing the pace and volume of speech, then he gets a taste and starts scolding the employee, preventing him from inserting a word.

After a conversation with such a boss, subordinates usually experience a breakdown and emptiness. But the chef is transformed, his mood rises, his cheeks turn pink, a sparkle appears in his eyes.

How to behave? The first and most important rule is not to succumb to provocation. In no case do not reciprocate the vampire, do not start and do not scream. That is what he expects from you. Your weapon is calm and poise. As a result, he will break his teeth on you and fall behind, such people do not like hard food.

Simpl tricks will help make the task easier. “Close”, just lock your fingers together, this will help save your energy potential. And at the most tense moment, just lightly bite the tip of your tongue seven times. No doubt it helps.

The perfect boss

If you get the perfect boss, you are lucky. This leadership style distinguishes smart, tactful, fair and competent people with a good sense of humor. It is a pleasure to work under the wing of such a person, he helps each employee to reach their potential and provides everyone with a decent reward.

How to behave? Work, improve and appreciate what you have.

Hopefully you figured out how to ask your boss for a raise. We wish you personal and career growth!