It is always difficult for employees to know when and how to ask for a raise at work, especially when they are giving their best for the growth of the establishment they are working for. For most of them, they are afraid this may not go well with their employers and they do not want to appear selfish and thereby lose their respect.
To be honest, you deserve it if you have been putting in very noticeable effort over the years. However, not many employers would be willing to discuss salary increases. Notwithstanding, you should not feel disconcerted about it.
A good employer should know that a promotion or increase in salary is a very good motivation tool. The practice will ensure that employees give their best in the discharge of their duties.
Many workers dream of promotion but do not know how to approach the leader on this topic. As a rule, promotion issues are not resolved spontaneously, so it is crucial to think through all the steps and carefully prepare for a conversation with your boss.
Steps to follow before requesting for a Raise
Analyze Your Own Effectiveness and Usefulness
First of all, you need to understand what the company expects from you and what value you represent for the company. Analyze your own performance:
- How well are you doing in your current job?
- What can be improved?
At the same time, not only your personal assessment is crucial, but also a view from the outside. Ask your colleagues or supervisor for feedback on your professional skills and personal qualities. Perhaps others see those qualities that can interfere with promotion, but you simply do not notice them or do not consider them critical.
Take a Closer Look at Employees Who Have Already Received Promotions
Try to find something in common between them. Perhaps they have similar character traits and behaviors, and they took the initiative or achieved something significant before the promotion.
These observations will show what results of work and qualities are crucial for the company’s management when it decides to promote an employee. This way, you can understand what skills you need to develop or what to focus on at work to stand out as a promising candidate for a promotion.
Be Visible in your place of work
Of course, hard work is essential, but all your efforts can go unnoticed if your colleagues and boss do not know about you. If you want to convince an employer that you deserve a promotion, you must be visible through your initiatives and contributions to the company.
Look for situations in which you can take the initiative and demonstrate your knowledge and skills, for example, at general meetings, brainstorming, and company performance evaluations. Actively participate in corporate projects and events — this is a great opportunity to demonstrate your leadership qualities, communication, and organizational skills.
Develop and Demonstrate Your Leadership Skills
According to Forextime, promotions often involve empowerment in the area of HR, so it’s critical to improve your leadership skills constantly. What you can do to develop and demonstrate your leadership qualities:
- Do your job flawlessly, earn respect, and become a role model for your colleagues.
- If possible, try to take on the functions of personnel management (for instance, as part of the implementation of projects within the department), and show that you can lead and motivate team members.
- Develop those qualities that increase your effectiveness as a leader, such as communicative competence, a systematic approach, a focus on results, flexibility, confidence, and proactivity.
Solve Problems and Stay Positive
Every company has processes that can be optimized and problems that need to be addressed. Identifying these issues and processes, and developing (and where possible implementing) initiatives to address and improve them will help you stand out. Demonstrate a desire for performance improvement and leadership qualities.
Remaining calm and positive even under pressure and in times of crisis is one of the crucial qualities of a good leader. Try to develop these qualities in yourself.
Be Patient
It is not always possible to get a promotion right away — sometimes it can take quite a long time. It is crucial to have a high level of motivation to stay on the right track.
Constantly remind yourself of the reasons why you want and deserve a promotion so that you can work harder towards your goal.
Negotiate
So, you are ready to talk to your boss. First of all, choose the right time and place to talk. It is better to arrange a meeting in advance, rather than start a conversation spontaneously, for instance, at corporate events or as part of work meetings.
Prepare for a conversation. Make a plan of what you will say, and rehearse your arguments and answers to objections (you can record a rehearsal on video and work on mistakes). It is a bad idea to justify your desire to get a promotion by saying: “I have been working for three years, I have never been on vacation, I have never taken sick leave, I work seven days a week.” Such arguments can cause rather a negative reaction.
It is better to focus on what value you have brought to the company and why you are a valuable employee. Gather arguments that show you deserve a promotion, such as a list of your accomplishments, proposed initiatives, and completed projects.
Think about the answers to possible questions, and also decide for yourself what you are ready for and what you are not. After all, the offer from the employer may not be exactly what you expected. Be prepared to negotiate compromises or hear “no”: there is always a chance that the manager will say no. This does not mean that the negotiations end there.
