Today's question applies not only to programmers, but to other professions as well. If you think you deserve more pay for the work you do and want to do something about it, you have two options: Find a new higher-paying job or ask for a raise.
Both options bring new anxieties, but they both bring new opportunities. If you like your current company and believe you can grow there, asking for a raise is usually a good idea. After all, your boss probably doesn't know that you're unhappy with your current salary until you speak up. At the same time, you can also reorganize your resume and try it in the job market. Not only can you seek better opportunities, but you can also re-evaluate your ability and value.
Asking your boss for a salary increase is the same as negotiating a salary when you start a job. You need to master certain strategies and methods to succeed. Even if you fail, it will not affect your current job. Here are some suggestions and step-by-step guides to help you prepare own request.
1. Choose the right time
When you're asking for a raise, it's critical that you choose the right time to ask yourself these questions:
How is the company's financial situation?
If the company is underperforming, now is not the time to ask for a raise. As an employee, you need to understand the financial health of your company. Research the company's financial reports to see if the company has recently cut spending or laid off workers. Check out the news for stories about your company or industry. Do company research and look at financial reports.
Even if the company is doing well financially, this research can be useful to you when you are talking to a manager.
What is your manager's job status?
If you know your manager is under a lot of stress or preoccupied with too many things right now, this might not be the time to ask for a raise. Showing a level of maturity in paying attention to a manager's emotions and figuring out how to help them can be useful to bring up in your conversations about compensation.
When is the best time of year to ask for a raise?
In many businesses, it is sometimes natural or convenient to talk about compensation:
- Some companies may conduct annual or quarterly reviews of employees. If your company does, it makes sense to ask at this time.
- Fiscal year end may be another option. The fiscal year is the 12-month period that companies use for budgeting and tax reporting purposes. At the end of the period (end of January is common), the company may have a hiring and compensation plan for the next year.
If you see one of these opportunities coming up, mark it on your calendar. This will give you a head start in planning your conversation with your manager.
It is suggested that you can try to ask the manager for a salary increase on "Thursday". Negotiations for a raise are most successful on Thursdays, according to research from Psychology Today. This is because at the end of the working week, people will be more flexible and tolerant, and keep an open mind to negotiations and compromises.
Did you successfully complete an important task or project?
If the company is doing well, your manager isn't under a lot of pressure, there's an easy time to ask for a raise, and you need to summarize your recent accomplishments. Just hit an impressive milestone or passed an important goal? If so, this might be a good time to ask for a raise.
Be sure to record details of specific accomplishments that you will mention in conversations about raises. While your manager may know your work extensively, they may not understand how impressive your work is.
2. Research salary trends
Every job has a corresponding market value. This value is usually within a certain range. Based on your education, experience, position, city and other factors, your salary range can be assessed on the job search platform.
consider your eligibility
Consider your education, years of experience, the number of years you have worked for your current company, and any professional skills or attributes you bring to the table. These all add value by improving your ability to perform your job. Ideally, your company takes these factors into account when determining your compensation.
list your achievements
Pay special attention to which ones add the most value to the company. If possible, use specific numbers to illustrate an achievement. Example: "Development of a new version of the company website resulted in a 20% quarter-on-quarter increase in website visits last quarter.
Determine target salary range or raise
If you think your current salary is significantly out of line with what you can earn, put yourself in the driver's seat by clarifying your appropriate salary range, as well as your own salary increase.
3. Schedule a meeting
Asking for a raise in person or privately is ideal. The best environment is a room with the door closed. Don't discuss it in common areas of the workplace, such as the kitchen or hallways. Try to avoid asking for raises in emails.
If you are about to have a performance review, you need to explicitly invite your manager to the meeting and present your request for a raise.
Take your salary increase interview or important presentation as seriously as possible, and dress appropriately. Even if your workplace dress code is relaxed, consider dressing a little more formal for this meeting. Your appearance can convey to your manager the importance of your understanding of the conversation.
4. Prepare what to say
rehearse meeting script
As you prepare, it can be helpful to recognize that it's natural to feel fear and anxiety when discussing money. Writing and practicing scripts is one way to manage these feelings. If you rehearse enough, you can keep going even when you're nervous. Throughout your playbook, focus on the professional, not personal, reasons why you deserve a raise.
with a clear purpose
Start your conversation by clearly stating the purpose of the meeting. You can consider the following:
" Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. In my current role, I am excited to continue working towards the company's key goals and to increase my personal responsibility. As such, I would like to discuss my salary.
" Thank you for coming to this meeting. I am excited to share some of my recent accomplishments with you and discuss my salary. Is now a good time to do so?
follow up details
If your manager is open to the conversation there, follow up with the details: tell them the raise or salary figure you want, cite the research you did to arrive at that number, and use examples from your work to demonstrate that the raise is reasonable. When you give examples of your work, please include a metric with clear numerical values. Here are some examples of achievements backed by metrics:
"Over the past few months, I have planned and executed our largest client event to date. Attendee feedback has greatly exceeded last year's event satisfaction score, averaging an 8 out of 10. Since last year, Lead generation also increased by 10%.
“I have consistently exceeded my sales quota and recently reached 128% of my monthly goal.
Throughout your talk, avoid using words that may compromise your position, such as: believe, feel, think, just, only and possibly .These words can make you look unconfident, and if you communicate uncertainty, your manager might as well. Go into this conversation, make it clear that you deserve a raise, and communicate your confidence with strong words .
5. Be prepared to answer questions
If you ask for a raise at the appropriate time and there is evidence that you should be paid more, you should expect your manager to consider your request carefully.
Also, you might consider that they will ask you follow-up questions, such as asking for details of your recent accomplishments or salary research you have done.
You can also look forward to the next negotiation. Listen carefully to how your manager responds to your request. If at any point you feel intimidated, go back to your evidence to strengthen your case.
Ask your own questions to better understand where they come from. Phrases such as " Can you tell me more about..." and " I heard... " can create space in the conversation for better understanding. Here's an example of how a conversation might unfold:
Manager: " Thank you for the overview. While I agree that you have contributed a lot to the company, it may not be possible to improve by X% at this time.
Employee: " From my research, I learned that X % is a reasonable increase, consistent with my contribution. Can you tell me more why it is not possible to increase today?
Manager: " This amount is not something I'm budgeting for right now, but it's something I can justify in the future. "
Employee: " That makes sense. What I hear is that you agree that my raise is appropriate, but maybe not right now. How can I help you justify that in the near future? Of course, when
you When asking for a raise, you may be rejected. In this case, you should learn more about why you were rejected. Ask the following questions:
- " Is there any skill or accomplishment you want to see from me before increasing my salary?"
- " Are you satisfied with my overall performance?"
- " Is there a better time in the near future for us to have this conversation?"
At this stage, it is also normal to negotiate your request for a raise. If you encounter a lot of resistance, you may need to ask for a lower amount.
6. Thank your manager
No matter how the conversation about your compensation request goes, end it by thanking the manager for his time. Later that day or the next day, send them a follow-up email outlining why you're asking for the raise and including a summary of the conversation you had.
If your manager needs to ask someone else about your raise, this email will make it easier for them to start the conversation on your behalf. If they decline your request for a raise, this email can serve as a record of the conversation. You may decide to ask for a raise again at a later date, and if you do, you can refer to this email at that time.
If you feel like you're not being paid fairly and your relationship with your current company isn't progressing, it might be time to look for a new job.