Ask for a raise – and get it!
Few job situations are riskier than asking for a raise, especially in these lean times. Most of us feel apprehensive about asking for a raise, especially when companies are so occupied with trimming costs. Is it hopeless to ask?
“Not at all,” says the head of personnel at a corporation that employs thousands of administrative professionals. “Administrative professionals have assumed more duties, and they should be compensated for the extra work. In some cases, dollars have actually been freed up by layoffs in the executive ranks.”
Does that mean asking for a raise should be as simple as telling your boss, “You used to pay a manager one-third more than I’m getting to supervise the customer service desk. I deserve part of that pay”? Such a direct approach is unwise. “It can make you seem pushy and possibly uninformed,” says the personnel head. “You probably have no way of knowing where salary dollars have been allocated in new budgets.”
Raise-request basics
Be aware of salary and raise ceilings. It could be that your company has implemented a salary freeze or imposed a maximum percentage for any annual increase. If so, know what those figures are before you approach your boss to ask for a raise. If you discover that such policies are in place, should you back off from asking? Not necessarily.
If you can demonstrate that you have taken on many new duties and you enjoy a good working relationship with her, she may be willing to argue with upper management that you deserve a raise exceeding company ceilings.
Gather documentation. Be ready to document that you’re worth the raise you seek. Gather information on what administrative professions are making in other companies in your area. Your state government or local library can provide you with salary surveys for your region. Online salary-survey sites can help, too, including www.salaryexpert.com, www.salary.com,www.wageweb.com and www.bls.gov/ncs.
Be ready to explain your achievements. Examples: Your management skills have resulted in a decreased rate of absenteeism among customer service representatives since you took over the department.
Make a formal appointment. Don’t enter your boss’s office cold and start to talk about a raise. Instead, schedule a time that is convenient for both of you.
Making your presentation
Having prepared adequately, here are the most effective strategies you can use to make your case:
Get down to business quickly. State simply that you want to ask for a raise and present the documentation you have prepared. Be sure to cover all your accomplishments. If you are part of a team of people who report to your boss, he may not be fully aware of your individual contributions.
Start with a point you can both agree on. You might say, for example, “I think we both know that operations in our department have never run so smoothly,” or “I think we can feel good that customer satisfaction has soared thanks to the changes we’ve made.” This approach sets up a cooperative atmosphere.
Present a solid record of you’re accomplishments and rely on it as your key negotiating tool. Avoid saying “I need more money to pay my bills” or “I’ve demonstrated my good work and I deserve a raise.” In general, these statements are not well received. It’s your track record and your value to the firm that you should point out instead. Go into your negotiation armed with a list of your major accomplishments for the year. Note especially those extra projects that you took on and the initiative you showed in going above and beyond your narrow job description.
Present complimentary letters and other forms of recognition from clients, customers and colleagues. It is legitimate to point out any documents that will back your argument for a raise.
Keep your tone positive. Present your raise as a win-win situation. You’ve demonstrated your professionalism; more money will help you devote more energy and enthusiasm to your work. Again, focus the discussion on your past performance and the commitment you have demonstrated to your boss and the firm.
Name a figure without waiting for your boss to take the lead. Be aware of salary ceilings, but aim high. If your company has a 3 percent cap on raises, for example, start by asking for twice or three times that amount. Any documentation you have about comparative administrative professional salaries in other companies can support your case.
Control your body language. If your boss says there are experienced administrative professionals elsewhere in the company who do not earn the figure you are asking for, be careful not to nod in agreement. Rather, wait for him to make his next point, and don’t be afraid of silence. Although it can be uncomfortable, silence allows both you and your boss to digest what has been said and to consider the direction the conversation should take.
Repeat facts if necessary. You can say, for example, “Again, I’d like to stress that the presentations I’ve worked on have resulted in a 25 percent gain in the number of new accounts won in the last quarter. That represents more than a million dollars of new business I have personally helped bring in.”
Say no to a figure that’s too low. If your boss offers a raise of any kind, you have won a victory that you can probably make even better. “Say that the offer is not enough, and wait quietly for the next offer,” says the head of personnel. “Often you will be able to tack on a few percentage points by this simple approach.”
End on a positive note. If you are leaving the session with a raise in hand, ask when it will become effective. If you have not been so successful, ask when you and your boss can discuss the issue again: In three months? Six months?
Making a win out of a loss
If you are about to emerge from your session without a firm offer of a raise, strive for a conditional agreement.
You might ask whether you can discuss a raise again when you have reduced staff absenteeism by another 10 percent, for example, or increased the number of orders processed in your department by a third. When you meet your end of the agreement, you are then free to approach your boss to say, “I’m ready to discuss a raise again. What would be convenient time for you?”
If there is a wage freeze or a small rate-of-inflation ceiling on raises, seek other rewards that your boss may be able to grant. Try more supervisory or project-management responsibility, more autonomy or a chance to interact directly with top company executives. Such rewards build a foundation for future successes—including greater pay—and they do not force your boss to exceed her budgetary limits.
Put together a list of projects you would like to undertake, along with profit or cost-saving projections, and present them when you request a raise. This puts your request within the context of increased profits and lowered costs—boosting chances that your boss will stretch company norms to get you the most money possible.
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