How to present your pay request
It is natural to be nervous when asking for a salary increase. No one does it often to have enough practice.
Therefore, you need to make all the necessary preparation and planning for this to occur.
The good news is that there are ways to manage your fears and anxiety.
Always think strategically about your delivery
Confidence is the key to achieving the best outcome.
Each person and scenario is very different. You are the best person to know what steps or strategies to adopt in approaching the subject matter with your manager.
Even cultural and social differences can play a big part.
Know what to say if the answer is “no” or “maybe”
Do plan with an end in mind.
Potential outcome 1 – “Let me think about it.”
If your manager doesn’t give you a firm ‘yes’, but instead says that they will think about it or will get back to you, that’s fine!
Make sure that you are clear on what the next steps are.
Say something like, “Could I plan to check back with you when we meet on the 20th?”
Potential outcome 2 – “No, you can’t have a salary increase now.”
If the answer is ‘no’, all is not lost. This is a perfect opportunity to ask, “Can you please tell me what you think it would take for me to earn a salary increase in the future?”
A decent manager should be able to explain to you what you need to do to earn more money.
You can then assess whether you are able and willing to follow the path that your manager lays out (or whether a realistic path exists at all).
Potential outcome 3 – “I am not too sure about your request.”
If your manager is not able to give you specifics about how you can earn a salary increase in the future, that’s a useful signal that if you want more money in the future, you may need to leave to get it somewhere else.
Be prepared to leave the organisation in order to get the salary increase.
Always focus on your employers’ needs
Instead of focusing on why you want a pay increase, you are much more likely to get a pay increase if you think about what your manager and employer need.
Always framing your approach and discussion in terms of how it will benefit them (what is in it for them!) can go a long way.
Remember, it is not always about you
Avoid projecting an entitlement mentality.
Instead, focus on value creation and how you can effectively create or give more value to your employer in the future.
Express how they can benefit from your work in the future quantifying them if possible.
Arm yourself with information
Then encapsulate the information. Prepare beforehand so you can back your case for a pay increase if you are asked by your manager.
Find out as much as you can about changes in your industry, market conditions, and even your workload or qualifications.
Have an understanding of salaries paid to other people in similar positions in other organisations. Benchmarking is good contextual knowledge, but it should not be used as a weapon to force a salary increase. Every circumstance is different.
Write down your reasons
Write and rehearse your responses as if your manager will ask you to explain or justify your reasons for a salary increase.
Succinctly talk about things like your strengths, responsibilities, achievements over the year and anyway you have added value, saved costs, provided good customer service or generated revenue.
Sometimes we have all the good reasons in our minds. But when we are forced to write things down, it becomes vague and non-convincing.
Write a script
Prepare a script ahead of your meeting with your manager highlighting the value that you have brought to the business, how you love what you do, but feel that you are now worth more.
Cover every possible scenario your manager could use for not giving you what you want. Understanding your manager’s personality will be a plus for you.
Practice, practice, and practice (until you get it right and natural)
While it may sound basic, you can avoid being anxious and fail to mention key points by practising with a family member or a friend.
Continuously practise until it feels comfortable, natural, full of conviction, and full of warmth.
You may also want to consider typing up and printing out a copy of the key discussion points for your manager, so they can look it over and discuss with other managers if necessary.
Be certain
The more certain you are of what you want to achieve and the more convincingly you can present your value.
It will increase your chances of achieving the pay increase you are looking for.
Set up a meeting with your manager
Timing is everything.
Don’t just bombard them on their lunch break or in between meetings!
Ask if you could arrange a time to sit down and chat about your future at the organisation.
Pay attention to your body language
Stay relaxed and confident. Speak slowly and deliberately.
Use hand gestures to reinforce your points if this is your natural style.
Sit up straight and make eye contact with your manager.
Don’t fidget, giggle nervously or allow your gaze to wander around the room or cover your mouth while speaking.
Avoid crossing your arms, getting defensive or angry.
Stay calm
Cool, confident and convincing should be your mantra.
Aim to be strong, yet reasonable.
Try not to let your emotions get the better of you.
Crying to your manager is unlikely to achieve a positive result.
Start on a positive note
Don’t start with, “I want a salary increase”.
Instead, kick off the conversation with something like, “I’d like to discuss my career and how I can do my best work.”
Get to the point
Then get to the point.
Say something like, “With my achievements over the past 12 months and bearing in mind the benefits that I’ve brought to the organisation recently, I would appreciate it if you would consider a review of my current salary.”
Talk about your achievements
Highlight tangible and intangible benefits you have specifically made. Let the facts and figures impress your manager.
Include dollar figure or percentage improvements.
State how you have streamlined a process or improved team morale.
Remember that there is a fine line between highlighting your achievements and boasting.
Therefore, be as objective and professional as possible during the meeting.
Explain why you feel you deserve a raise
Paint a positive picture for your manager. Strategically communicate your value to them.
Impress upon them that you are worth keeping around and that you are a valuable member of the team.
Don’t demand as your right
People ruin their opportunity for a salary increase by approaching their manager with hostility. They are demanding more money as if it was their right or entitlement.
Be humble
Humility certainly helps in these situations.
Remember to come from a place of optimism, humility, and loyalty.
Stop talking and listen carefully
Keep your sentences concise and to the point.
Don’t feel the need to fill in any silences or ramble on. Give your manager time to think and respond. Do not talk too long but keep the beginning short.
Wait for responses to your questions. Put the onus onto your manager to respond. They might be thinking of the approval process, making the case on your behalf to their manager, etc.
If you go on and on, people can forget what you are even saying!
Ask them if they need any more info to sell it on
Remember that it is probably not just your manager who can give the green light to your request.
They may need to present a business case to various people above them, explaining the situation and justifying your value.
Be willing to compromise
If you are a top performer, chances are your manager will want to keep you.
But if a pay increase is not possible right now, remember that there are other benefits to ask for aside from cash incentives that could be equally beneficial.
Be gracious
Remember to thank your manager for their time.
They may have other things going on. Your meeting and subsequent follow-ups may take up precious hours of their day.
Keep information confidential
Once you do receive a salary increase, do keep the information confidential and private to you.
Don’t go around the workplace telling others how much you got. It is a surefire way to kill off any future salary increase discussions with your manager in the future.