Work Dilemma: How to negotiate a pay rise with your boss

Negotiating your salary and asking for a pay rise are things that many fear to do, simply because we have been taught from young that talking about money comes across as impolite if not done tactfully. However, we also know that discussing a salary raise is inevitable, especially if you feel you deserve more from your job. Don’t worry if you’ve never done it before. Practice makes perfect, so you’ll be an expert in a few years. You’ve just got to make your first step.

There are a few pointers you can follow to ensure you don’t trip over your own foot when you talk to your boss about this. You don’t have to be nervous since salary negotiations are, after all, part and parcel of office life, and your bosses would probably have gone through this themselves a few years ago. They understand how you’re feeling, so just remain confident, and let’s get started!

1. Get your timing right

If you’re at an interview, it is definitely expected of you to negotiate your salary when the topic arrives. Don’t just jump at the first offer if you know what you’re getting is simply the lowest rate. However, if you’re already a few months or years into your job and you know that your company is currently going through a busy season, it would be best not to stress your boss out further by arranging a meeting to discuss your pay. Does your company go by the practice of annual performance reviews? Perhaps that would be a better time to set a meeting with your superiors.

2. Prepare for rejection

It’s important to start off by telling your boss that’s it’s perfectly fine for him to say “no”. This puts him in a comfortable position, and opens his mind to listen to what you have to say. It also shows that you are a rational person who is ready to discuss the situation maturely, instead of tending to your emotional needs. This should not be an argument or a war, but instead a friendly discussion to find out how both parties can help each other out. Remember that “no” is only the worst answer you can get for now, and that there is always another time you can follow up in the hopes of getting a “yes”.

3. Know your worth

Knowing how much your value is to the company is primarily all about networking and finding out how much others in similar positions as you are earning. The basic step would be to log into LinkedIn and attain a benchmark to gauge your worth. Speak to people who are working for the same roles as you and get comfortable with them, enough to ask how much they’re earning. Should there be any challenges in your situation such as recent cost-cutting measures, let your boss know that you are indeed aware of this, and ask how you can help.

4. Pitch your achievements and skills

Before talking about yourself, ask about your boss’ needs to find out how you can assist him in the future in meeting his targets. Tailor your responses to his aims to make the meeting more relevant to him. It would be great if you are adept at multiple skills, instead of just a focused area, to show that it would cost more in terms of labour to replace you. Use quantifiable data to present your case, but don’t just stop there. The company is probably interested not only in what you have previously done, but also what you can contribute in the future. Talk about future plans and aspirations for your company in terms of what you believe you will be able to achieve. In essence, make sure your employer sees that giving you a raise helps to further his business interests as well.

5. Consider other forms of compensation

Especially if your company has limits on budget, see if you can improve your work life in other aspects, such as the number of days you get for vacation, flexibility in your job or perhaps even a promotion. This shows that you understand the difficult position that your bosses are in, and in turn they will be more inclined to help you out.

6. Take time to think through

Your employer may have offered you an ideal raise that you were initially hoping to gain. However, don’t jump onto the offer too quickly, as giving it a day would help you to stay in control of the situation and enable you to consider if there may be other options you would like to discuss as well.

7. Wrap it up

Always say thank you, and let your boss know if you accept the conditions or not. If you’re happy with what you’ve been offered with, congratulations! If not, you might want to consider leaving, or trying again next year. Either way, you’ve done your best in the negotiation process, and you should be very proud of yourself for having done so.

Dione Chen

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