How to Ask For A Pay Rise If You Really Want To Get It

Very early on in my career, I was offered a salary I wasn’t happy with. I knew I was worth more money. I had a postgraduate degree and 14 months of relevant experience. So using these exact tips on how to ask for a pay rise, I negotiated a 25% higher salary than what I was initially offered.

You don’t want to be the employee who leaves their compensation fate entirely in their employer’s hands.

If you feel inappropriately rewarded for your efforts this will cause you more stress in the long run. And the more underpaid you become, the more difficult it is to catch up with your peers.

You need to proactively understand your worth and negotiate it. It may not happen overnight (getting a pay rise) but if you don’t start now it will NEVER happen.

After all, your career is in your charge!

And if you fear you may lose your job because you asked for a pay rise, stay assured you won’t. You do however risk your job and your respect if you ask for a pay rise without relying on data to support your request.

If I can get this result so early in my career, so can you!

So here’s a 4-steps approach to understanding EXACTLY how much your experience is worth and how to ask for a pay rise.

How To Ask For A Pay Rise Step 1: Benchmark Your Current Salary

The first thing you need to understand is where your salary stands compared to the market.

There are 2 things to look at. The first is market data – the salary range that companies use as guidance, i.e. minimum, medium and maximum. The second is peers data – what people are actually being paid.

The two are often highly correlated. But not always. Market data usually takes some time to catch up with economic trends for example. And peers data gives you a better understanding of what people with an experience similar to yours are being paid.

Market Data Research

Follow these 3 steps to get the best idea about market data.

1. Brainstorm job titles similar to yours.

Basically, write down what is your job called elsewhere. If you do a generalist job don’t compare yourself to jobs which specialise in an area. For example, my full-time job is as HR Generalist. I cannot compare my salary to a Payroll specialist. But my job, with slight nuances, is called differently in different companies: HR Specialist, HR Advisor, HR Representative, HR Generalist, Employee Advisor etc. And I can safely use market data from these job titles to support my pay rise request.

2. Lookup the compensation ranges for those roles.

Now that you have a list of titles (including yours), check the salary ranges on sites such as Glassdoor Salaries, Linkedin Salary, Payscale. You can get the salary ranges for free. You will just need to create an account. For additional information, check out Quora and see what other people ask for or say when you search “[Company] salaries”.

Try to also get an idea about other forms of compensation, such as overtime, a performance bonus, fully covered insurance etc. If other companies offer that and yours doesn’t, this a good reason to ask for a slightly higher salary to compensate you for the lack of additional compensation and/or benefits.

3. Look up current job ads for those roles.

Salary ranges on the websites above may be slightly outdated. The ranges (if specified) on recent job ads show exactly what companies would pay in the current landscape.

You can also use this as an opportunity to bookmark some ads you’re interested in, in case things don’t work out as expected (more on that below).

Peers Research

The data points above are an estimate, a guide. It’s best to also understand what people are paid in reality (though Glassdoor does show actual salary inputs by people and not just ranges). If the ranges go up to a maximum of £50k for example, that doesn’t mean that it’s uncommon for people to earn £60k.

So talk to others in a similar job. But beware that it may create a conflict in your team and it may not be culturally appropriate. So try friends and LinkedIn connections first.

I also advise you to talk to recruiters you’ve worked with before. They are in the best position to tell you how much money recent hires in those jobs have been offered. A simple question such as this can give you exactly the kind of information you need: ‘I’ve done some research, and I think I’m worth X amount with Y years of experience. Does this sound right to you compared to the recent hires you’ve made?’ Plus, if things don’t work out with your boss (which we will talk about below) you’ve already warmed up those old connections. Which will make it easier to find a new job which pays you in line with your peers.

Building a Realistic Estimate

Look at how all those ranges overlap to build a realistic estimate. Here are a few things to note:

• Temporary roles, even if the same as your job, pay higher to compensate for the lack of job security.
• Different industries pay differently for the same job. For example, my job HR Representative is better paid in the banking sector than it is in retail, for example.
• Jobs in locations, such as London, pay higher. If you can only find salary information for a location different than yours, take into account the difference in the cost of living.
• Consider your total compensation – performance bonus, overtime, a retirement package, health insurance, family cover, etc. These may be top of the class at your company vs. other employers. Think about how much those are worth to you.
• Typically, the highest end of the range is reserved for people who have really mastered their role. Is that the case for you? Then you may need to actually have a career development conversation rather than a pay rise conversation and get a pay rise when you move onto a more senior role.
• Consider your contributions to the job and company. Do you go above and beyond expectations? Do you do a lot of things outside of the job spec? These warrant higher compensation even if you don’t have many years of experience. Experience doesn’t necessarily translate to top performance.

Once you’ve considered all of this, figure out where you stand and what your desired salary is. You can start the negotiation with a slightly higher figure than this but don’t ask for too much in the hope that you’ll get this. It looks unreasonable and unrealistic. Instead, ask for around what you think you’re worth and just stand your ground with the strong data points you’ve found to support your pay rise request.

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How To Ask For A Pay Rise Step 2: Set Up Time To Discuss

Now that you’ve figured out the range and the minimum you’d accept, it’s time to set up an in-person meeting with your manager. Don’t be tempted to ask over email to avoid the in-person discussion!

Follow these best practices to ensure you pick the perfect time for this conversation.

• Pick a time when your boss is under less pressure – avoid days around deadlines and/or month-end.
• Give him or her the heads up that you’re willing to discuss your pay. Yes, this may allow them to prepare counterarguments why not to give you an increase but if you surprise them the chances are they will still want to go away and consider it.
• Choose wisely when to ask:
  • Figure out when budgets are set and when raises are granted.
  • If a colleague leaves and your manager fears losing another team member this may a good opportunity.
  • Typically, asking during your annual performance review is too late unless you’re really underpaid and your boss fears losing you. By the time performance appraisals take place budgets are long set and there’s little opportunity for manoeuvring. If you hope for an increase in Q1 in the following year have the conversation as part of your half-year review. Understand what the expectations of you are. Then remind your manager again as part of an informal quarterly performance discussion.

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How To Ask For A Pay Rise Step 3: Prepare For The Conversation

The meeting is in the calendar. But you can’t just sit and wait. This is not a conversation you have regularly. So you must prepare. Here are some things to do ahead of the conversation

• Collect memos and emails from your clients or stakeholders and your boss acknowledging your excellent work. Seek facts to show how your work has supported the company’s goals. This could include new clients, contracts, successfully delivered projects etc.
• Practice in front of the mirror or, even better, with someone else. Make sure you don’t lose eye contact, cover your mouth when speaking or giggle nervously.
• Think of reasons your boss might say No and prepare counterarguments.
• Script the conversation. Going into the meeting with “I want to ask for a payrise cause I’m not paid enough” certainly won’t give you the pay rise you’re hoping for.

Instead, prepare answers to these questions:

• What value do you bring to the team and business?
• Which have been your greatest recent successes and contributions?
• What contributions will you make going forward? Highlight that you’re an asset worth investing in.
• What data supports the fact you’re underpaid?
• Explain that you value and love what you do and the company but in the market, you are worth more.

Here are some lines to avoid:

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How To Ask For A Pay Rise Step 4: At The Time Of The Conversation

The time has come. You’re meeting with your boss in 10 minutes. You’re nervous. This is not something you ask for every day. Follow these best practices to ensure the conversation remains professional and increases your chances of success.

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If the Answer Is ‘No’

• Don’t take it personally or get discouraged.
• Understand the reason. Understanding the reason behind the No will dictate what you do next.
  • Do you need to develop more skills or take on a new role? Be prepared to take on extra work. As long as that fits your long-term career aspirations and plans, it’s a win-win in the long term!
  • Is the company not willing to invest in its employees? It’s probably time to look elsewhere.
  • Is your boss not willing to support you without apparent reason? See if other departments are hiring. Or have a chat with HR and explain the reasons you’re asking for an increase.
• Don’t ask for a pay rise again too soon. Asking multiple times makes you come across as greedy and unrealistic.
• Explore opportunities outside of your company. You’ve already done some of the research on who’s hiring!
  • Pro Tip 1: Do not share your salary when interviewing. Inevitably, recruiters and managers benchmark against that and if you’re already underpaid this will only perpetuate the cycle.
  • Pro Tip 2: Add these seriously important but often overlooked things to your CV to stand out from the competition. And apply for the job even if you don’t meet all criteria. Here are some top tips on how to nail your interview even if you’re not fully qualified.