We get it - asking for a pay rise can be daunting no matter how long you've been working for! As recruiters, we advise our clients and candidates on salary queries regularly. Money is not the be all and end all, but it’s important to make sure that you feel adequately paid for your hard work.
If you feel like you deserve an increase in your salary, read our top tips below on the best ways to go about the process.
Henry Walker, Marketing Recruitment Consultant
When discussing a pay rise with your boss, it’s important to work out the best time to have the discussion, for example, an annual performance review is a great opportunity to discuss more money as it’s the end of the company’s financial year. If salary raises are finalised in January, asking in December would too late, as budgets are already set.
It’s always best to schedule these conversations in advance, springing this on your boss without any warning would catch them off guard. It’s important to plan ahead so both you and your boss have time to prepare which will lead to a more productive chat.
Evie Barker - Senior Agency Recruitment Consultant
Studies show that more than 60% of people feel unconfident when it comes to asking their boss for a raise, with only 42% of Men and only 22% of women feeling confident about asking for an increase. So, you’re not alone but those who don’t ask, don’t get. Remember you’re doing yourself a disservice by not asking to be paid fairly.
Not everyone can be confident 24/7, we know that, so fake it until you make it. Ensuring you portray a level of conviction, will only work in your favour you when asking for a pay rise. You wouldn’t be in the position you’re in unless your boss wanted you there.
What’s the worst that can happen? Set a realistic expectation for yourself knowing the answer could be a ‘No’ before scheduling in your meeting with your boss, eliminate your fear of rejection from the get-go. Remember ‘No’ may also just mean ‘Not now’.
If you struggle being direct, then pace yourself when speaking - articulate well and don’t jump at the first figure/resolution offered to you if this isn’t something you’re satisfied with. Often, we feel need to fill in gaps of silence, learn that not every gap needs filling with chatter or rambling – Practice asking a question and waiting for the answer. Mirror language where appropriate, relay points back to your Boss so they know your listening and acknowledging what’s being said. Try to sustain eye contact and try not to fidget if possible as this can show nervousness.
We understand that some of these suggestions can be hard for neurodivergent people and those with disabilities but hopefully you have a good enough relationship with your boss that they will understand.
Emphasise how a raise would assist the wider business and your immediate team if it was implemented, your boss doesn’t want to lose talent and would much rather keep you on board than have to replace you!
Meg Hughes - B2B Recruitment Manager
When asking for a pay rise, it’s important that you can provide evidence of why you deserve one. Companies will (usually) try and look after their staff through economic downturns and crises, however, they do have to keep business going - showing that you provide more than what your original job spec entails or highlighting key wins that have benefited the overall company are excellent ways to do this!
When going into a meeting regarding a pay rise, always have clear examples of when you have excelled, and also bring a plan, explaining how you will continue to bring this new standard of work. That way it will be easy for your company to agree to your pay rise!
Emma Burke - Agency Recruitment Director
With an ever-changing job market, comes an ever-changing range of salaries, that wavers with the times. Some businesses have much stricter regulations when it comes to pay rises than others, so asking the question can sometimes be met with blockers, objections, and refusal; the thought of all these can act as a deterrent. Some are afraid of asking for a pay rise in the thought of being considered greedy, but conversely it can show strength and knowing your value to a business.
If you feel that you’re being underpaid for the role you do, or want to be paid competitively in line with the market, do some research into job adverts and see what they’re being advertised for. It helps if you have a good relationship with a recruiter within your line of specialism to find out what someone with your experience can expect to find on the job market. It may be that they recommend that you’re actually being paid competitively for the work that you do, and in line with other roles in comparison. Recruitment Consultants aren’t just there to find people jobs, the ‘Consultant’ side means that they/we can offer fair advice.
Alice Moore - Data & Technology Recruitment Consultant
There are many companies where pay rises need to be approved by many people at various levels, go to HR etc. In this case I would always advise keeping an open line of communication, maybe even asking for a timeline. Ask how long that normally takes, and if you are uneasy with the time frame they give then always voice that. If you’re told a pay rise isn’t achievable right now, find out when it will be available, and what do you need to do to get there? The same is said for asking for a promotions.
Some other companies cannot offer what you are looking for, and that’s ok. My advice would be to always remember what you need and want - don’t end up in an uncomfortable position (in this case financially) for anyone else. If the company that you are at cannot offer you what you need, it’s ok to see what else is on the market. You should always weigh up the advantages you currently have such as flexibility, training etc., but a lot of that can be negotiated elsewhere. It’s important to not feel trapped due to fear of the unknown.
Leif Radford - Data & Technology Recruitment Director
If possible, try to hire candidates whose salary expectation is less than the total budget you have had allocated, leaving room for you to reward hard work without needing to undertake a whole re-budgeting process
Ensure your team have clear, tangible objectives that are formally reviewed on a regular basis, enabling you to be aware of whether they are in relation to their targets – if they’re massively over-delivering then a pay review is reasonable, if they’re not then you have solid justification for not approving a pay increase
Always take these requests seriously, devoting the proper time and attention to make the member of staff feel heard, even if you’re already sure of the outcome. Rebutting a pay rise is one thing, to make an employee feel that you aren’t even open to a discussion will inevitably cause them to start looking elsewhere
If you'd like anymore advice, you can contact us here.
You can also request our Salary Survey to see up to date salary bands for your job title.
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