You find yourself contributing more at work, despite having a smaller team and larger workload than you did at other points in your career. Is it ridiculous to think you might deserve a salary increase?
Knowing how to ask for a raise at work right now can be tricky. After all, requesting more money can be intimidating, even in the best economic climates.
But research by Robert Half shows that now may be as good a time as any to make that request for a raise. In a recent survey, 91% of senior managers said retaining valued staff is a top concern. And 63% of respondents to a Robert Half survey said they planned on asking for a raise in 2024.
Should you decide to ask for a raise, these seven tips can help put you on the right track.
Take the time to learn the average starting salaries for your position and similar roles. Consult the Robert Half Salary Guide to determine the going rates for your job, then localize the numbers to your area using our Salary Calculator. If your compensation is below par, you can use this information as leverage for requesting an increase.
While you’re looking at the numbers, carefully consider whether your company is in the position to offer you a bump in pay. Has it landed a deal recently or realized an upswing in revenue? Or has it just undergone budget cuts or layoffs? If the latter, you might build a case for increased benefits, such as additional paid time off, professional development, a new title or an equity stake in the company, instead.
You know you’ve been doing a good job, but when you’re figuring out how to comfortably ask for a raise, you should start by building your case and documenting the bottom-line benefits you’ve brought to the company.
Let’s say you work in an accounting department. You created those excellent month-end reports — and introduced accounts payable alerts. But what does that mean to your employer? Instead of pointing to your actions by saying, “I used Excel to update our month-end closing procedure,” make clear their precise benefits, such as: “I cut 20 hours from our month-end closing by implementing new features in Excel.” Or think in terms of quantifiable time and cost savings: “I reduced our payroll processing time by 12 hours per week by automating our reports.”
Perhaps you work as an administrative assistant, and you helped your team transition to working from home when stay-at-home orders were in place. The specific added value? “I helped us keep our business functions running smoothly and kept teams in contact virtually to minimize interruptions to productivity and revenue.”
If you’re a UX designer who wants tips for how to ask for a raise, you’d want to share impressive metrics, too. Something like this builds credibility: “I’ve improved our bottom line by designing a user interface that raised our website conversion rate by 110%.”
And whatever your role, if you’ve been given more responsibility since your last pay increase, be sure to mention that when requesting a raise.
What do you say when asking for a raise? That depends on the specifics of your role, of course, but make sure you’ve prepared for the discussion with facts, figures and examples of how you’ve excelled in your job since your last raise or your hire date. With adequate preparation, knowing what to say will come a lot easier than if you just try to wing it.
Not sure how to start preparing? Well, when was the last time you read over your job description? If it’s been a while, take another look and make sure you’re fulfilling all of your duties. If you’re going above and beyond — especially as your company adapts to ever-changing business conditions — make note of your most meaningful accomplishments.
Enter the meeting ready to talk about the projects you’ve played a role in and how you’ve worked beyond your job description. But be prepared to listen to any feedback you get, too, because many managers will see your active interest as a positive sign, which might translate to a future pay raise if they can’t provide one now.
Something else to prepare: If your boss doesn’t have the authority to grant you a raise and has to get approval from someone higher up, you can help by writing a letter asking for a raise with the key points about why you think you’ve earned it.
The best time to ask for a raise may vary from position to position, but whenever you ask, being prepared as you begin the discussion is a must.
Role-play asking for a raise with a friend or family member. Practice answering questions about the standard salary figures you’ve researched, the hours and dollars you’ve saved the company, any professional development training you've completed since your last pay increase, and maybe even how you’ve helped improve productivity.
In a pinch, a friend can offer honest feedback on your tone, body language and eye contact.
Speaking of tone, it’s important to always be polite. How do you politely ask for a pay raise in a real-world setting? As mentioned earlier, you come into the discussion prepared with facts, figures and examples to back up your request.
Being well-prepared for a discussion can help prevent an emotional reaction to something you don’t want to hear. When you speak, share the reasons you believe you deserve a raise in a clear, respectful manner, and actively listening to your manager’s replies. When it’s your turn to speak again, move the conversation in a direction that best helps you articulate your case for a raise.
And be sure that your conviction shows. If you don’t believe you deserve a raise, why should your boss?
No, we don’t mean cursing. We mean confidence. Avoid saying things like, “I feel like,” “I think,” “might,” and “may.” Terms like these make it sound like you’re unsure about your contributions. Tell your boss what you did, not what you think you did — and what positive effects your work has, not what it might have. Just make sure to keep it professional and that your confidence doesn’t come off as arrogance.
Maybe you took all the right steps before you walked in to ask for a raise, but your boss still turns you down. Don’t be afraid to ask what it would take to get a raise in the future. If your manager isn’t ready to consider a raise, ask what specific actions would be needed to merit one, and set a review date. If tight budgets are the issue, ask about a one-time bonus, either now or after a set time period.
And if your boss is not ready to discuss a raise, you can ask about an upgrade in benefits, such as a remote, hybrid or flexible schedule.
Position yourself for a future raise by taking the initiative, discussing your long-term goals with your boss, expanding your skill set and networking with others to raise your visibility in and value to the company. The next time you have a performance review or a big win, you can ask again.
Just remember to be respectful and professional. And stay positive. You may not get what you want. But if you know how to ask for a raise and go in prepared, your request should at least get careful consideration and pave the way for future conversations.
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