| Tips on How to Ask for a Raise
Are you waiting for someone to recognize your worth and give you the raise you deserve or are you giving other people the power to decide your income and career?
Don’t think “it’ will happen someday if only your keep your nose to the grindstone. The truth is you are probably going to have to ask for what you want and merge the needs of others with your own.
Here are a few tips on how to guide a discussion asking for a raise:
Do your research: This will give you a psychological edge when you come to the table. You have to know what you are worth. Use newspaper ads, the Internet and networking to determine your worth.
Know what you have to offer: What have your accomplishments been? What are you doing currently? What will you be able to do in the future? How are you valuable in the company? Go to the table with some cold, hard numbers, and do not make an emotional appeal for a raise. Stick to your performance, and use numbers to back up your argument.
Make a plan: Ask if this is the right time to make your pitch for a raise. Is the company in dire straits right now or is it sitting pretty? Will asking now put an undue burden on the company? If you decide to go ahead and ask, make sure you know what your boss’s future needs are and how you will help with them. Make sure you take time to think through all the possible scenarios that could occur in the meeting and what your response will be.
Match your strengths to your company’s and boss’s needs: Pull it all together and deliver it with confidence. You will need to manage the meeting since you called it. Make sure you are properly prepared. Remember that you are proposing and requesting, not asking a favor or groveling. Practice before the meeting.
Now set up your meeting: Tell your boss you want to discuss your performance and compensation. After the meeting, follow up with an email within 24 hours.
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