How to Negotiate a Pay Rise

Discussing salaries, bonuses or hourly wages can be a taboo subject in the workplace. Most employees would rather talk about anything than ask their employer and negotiate a pay rise, but discussing a salary increase doesn’t have to be daunting or embarrassing!

If you deserve a raise, you shouldn’t back away from having a conversation with your line manager or HR department.

The art of salary negotiation is a key career skill that will help you throughout your working life. The good news is, with advice from our team here at Stockport Jobs Match, you should be able to negotiate like a pro!

Timing is essential

When asking for a pay rise, it’s essential your timing is right there’s no point asking your employer for an increase during an important meeting or the launch of a new project as it’s likely to be pushed down their to-do list.

Salary increases are usually done as part of your performance management process, annually or sometimes bi-yearly. However, if your company doesn’t have a set pay review time – or you’ve just missed it – raising the subject of your salary during your performance development review (PDR) is a good option.

Have a goal in mind

Before asking for a review or increase have a goal in mind of how much you’re looking to increase by or where you’d like to be by the end of next year. Be sure to explain your reasons behind this and why it’s so important to you. Why does this have to be done now? Where does your salary fit into your overall career trajectory?

Build a case before you ask

Before heading into your meeting or telephone discussion you’re going to need a water-tight business case and evidence of your skills. Ensure you record specific things you did, significant moments, events and how these may have benefited the business or your team. Have you made a conscious effort to increase your knowledge? Have you increased your company ROI? Have you improved team collaboration in your department? Have you managed any large or complex campaign/project?

Be prepared to negotiate

Be prepared for your employer to negotiate with you or ask additional questions, but don’t be scared to make sure you know what you deserve. Give yourself some flexibility or scope, as your goal may not be achievable right now. How much scope for flexibility are you going to allow? What are you willing to accept or not accept?

If you’re not happy with their offer(s), is there something you can compromise on any other suggestions? Think about a solution that could fit in well with your strategy. Could they give additional holiday days? Could they give you additional personal development days? Could you finish early on a Friday? There may be different elements of your pay package that could be interchangeable or traded-off.

Keep it simple and easy

If you do get an offer that matches your goal or whether you’ve had to compromise, you’ll need to close the discussion. Try saying: “Thank you, I appreciate your time and offers. I appreciate you’ve taken on board my case and listened.”

Although the time might be right to negotiate a pay rise, you may also need to think about other ways to get recognised at work first. Raising your profile with your boss and co-workers, learning how to ask for feedback or shout about your achievements can be a great place to start if you still feel nervous. Check out our top tips for how to get recognised at work.