How To Get a Pay Rise Employment

With the recent rise in living costs, many people will be looking at ways to increase their income. While secondary jobs are an option for those with free time and without other responsibilities, for those in full-time employment and for whom looking for other positions isn’t currently possible, one option is a pay rise. 

How To Get a Pay Rise 

Pay Rises (or raises) aren’t often talked about in British working culture;  however, that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. The truth is that an incredible 70% of people who ask for a pay rise receive one. All it takes is a little preparation.

In this article, we’ll take you through the steps you will need to go through in order to ensure that you get the pay rise you deserve. We can’t promise that you will  definitely get the pay rise you deserve; however, we will promise to help increase your chances. 

Ask Yourself Why You Deserve a Pay Rise

To start with, you’re going to want to ask yourself why you deserve a pay rise. Think about your job spec and then go through ways you’ve gone above and beyond that initial job spec; think about times when you’ve provided a level of service that is both exemplary and has had a positive benefit for your employer. Consider the extra responsibilities that you’ve taken on.

When assembling this information, you should make sure to quantify your contribution. It’s very difficult for even the most intransigent manager to argue with facts. 

Understand Your Worth – To Both Yourself and Your Company

The next part of this process is research. You want to find out what other people in positions similar to yours are earning. The best way of doing this is to check job listings online and in newspaper ads. Look for roles with a similar level of responsibility and experience, if not exact job title. Doing this will give you a comparison to work with. 

For example, you may discover that  your company pays considerably less than their competitors. This is information that you can bring with you to your meeting. 

Make Notes in Advance

It’s very important to put your request in writing before the actual meeting. A written document will give you a clear idea of your arguments, help you to work out any weaknesses in your position, and will ultimately help to improve  your chances of getting the pay rise. Once you have your notes written, you should type them up into a clear and concise argument of no more than 3 pages. 

Approach Your Boss at a Good Time and Place

A big part of preparing this request is knowing the right time  to make the request. While you can, theoretically, make the request at any point, realistically you’ll have much better luck if you time it correctly.

To start with, you want to do it at the right time for your company. This can be at a performance review (if you have one) or it can be at the end of a large project which has yielded great results. It’s more than likely that your boss will be expecting a request then, so they may consider it a professional courtesy to be asked then. 

At the same time, you may want to wait  until your boss is in a good mood before asking them. Catching them in a good mood will increase the chance that they will say yes to your request.

Learn To Negotiate

As part of this process, it’s important to understand that you will have to negotiate as part of this process.  Your boss may not want to give you as much money as you want, after all. As such, before going into the meeting, be ready with some tactics prepared. 

For example, you may want to request an amount slightly higher than you’re willing to accept. For example, let’s say you’re looking for a 6% increase on your wages. By asking for a 10% pay rise, you are giving yourself and your employer breathing room. This will allow your employer to feel like they are able to negotiate you down, and thus save face to their employers. 

Consider a Back Up Plan

You may find yourself in a situation where your employer isn’t willing to offer you a salary increase. However, you may find that they are willing to offer you an increase in perks. For example, they may be willing to increase your holidays or a petrol allowance. 

Manage Your Expectations

While the odds are in your favour, it’s important to make sure to manage your expectations and understand that sometimes your company just isn’t in the position to increase your salary at this time. There are other options which can help you increase your income, options which we go through  in other knowledge hub articles. 

For More Information 

Building Better Opportunities is a charity based in Staffordshire. We provide specialised  and individualised advice to our clients, with the goal of keeping them in work and improving their quality of life. 

Whether they’re old or young people, full time or part time or simply looking for work experience opportunities, we help our clients maximise their employment opportunities. For more employment support in Stafford or general welfare advice in Staffordshire, contact Building Better Opportunities today.