How to ask for a pay rise (and actually get it)

 Asking for a pay rise can seem pretty daunting. Particularly if you’ve never had to ask for a pay increase. 

The saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

For years I didn't know how to ask for a pay increase. When I was starting out my career someone told me I should never ever ask about pay as this was rude and would seem like you were only there for the money. So, for years I didn't ask for a pay rise or negotiate my salary in interviews. This was a mistake.

This was until one of my managers said as a friendly bit of advice, I should start asking for pay rises and it clicked that I wasn't being paid what I deserved because I didn't know my worth and I hadn't been asking for pay increases when I should have. 

I've worked for a few companies and had a few different careers and the biggest thing I've learned is that people won't just hand you something, you have to go and ask for it. So here, are my tips to asking for a pay increase.

How to ask for a pay rise

1. Research your salary

Start off with finding out where your salary sits in the current market. Specifically, look for your current location because a salary in Devon differs greatly from a salary in central London.

There are several salary calculator tools you can use from companies like Glassdoor, Total Jobs, and Indeed. Glassdoor has a tool where you can check current and previous salaries at your company too. You can also speak to reputable recruitment agencies who will be able to advise on things like market value and skill shortages 

2. Get the timing right 

Don't just blurt out "Can I get a pay rise" over lunch. Ask for a meeting with your line manager or wait for a monthly or quarterly review. Some companies have annual salary reviews scheduled. Also consider how long you've been in the company because if you've been there a month, it is unlikely that you are going to get a pay rise so soon. After 6 months or a year or with any promotion or increase in responsibilities.

3. Make a business case for your pay rise

Once you have a clear idea of your value, you can start creating your case to explain why you think you’re worth more than your current pay.

Compile a list of achievements thinking about training and development you have done. Have you obtained any qualifications or developed anything new for the company during your time. Include any savings you have made the company financially but also consider soft skills such as relationships with both clients and employees.

Also consider if your role has changed since starting. Do you have more responsibilities or are you managing a bigger team. These are all viable reasons for an increase. Ask your HR team for your original job description if they hold it on file and consider what has changed.

4. Prepare what to say

Preparing what you are going to say which ensure you get all of your points across. It is never easy talking about money and it can feel a little awkward so the more you've rehearsed what you are going to say the easier it will be and once you've done it. 

You may want to consider creating something tangible like a presentation or a document with all the information you want to present on your business case.

 I'd recommend always following up with an email so you have it writing.

5. Try the door in the face technique

Try asking for a little bit more than what you want to get what you want. ‘Door in the face’ is a psychological technique for persuasion which can work well in business.

 For instance, you want £25,000, ask for £27,000 they then may say no and you say well how about £25,000 or they say yes and you get more than you had anticipated. It's a psychological technique where people are more likely to say yes after saying no to something big.

6. Prepare for pushback

They may so no and give their list of reasons, unfortunately, some companies don't want to pay their employees what they deserve but counteract this and ask what do I have to do to get a pay rise and ask for objectives and tasks that need to be completed and ask for a follow-up review in a few months. Also get it in writing so that if once you've completed those tasks they still say no, you have some form of evidence. 

7. Look at the current market

If it's still a no. Maybe have a look elsewhere. As I mentioned in my post about when it's time to look for a new job. The market is candidate-driven and it's never been a better time for job seekers to look for another job and ask for what they deserve