Hello and a very warm welcome to Episode No 53 of ‘Your Bravo Career’

 

My name is Mark Crossfield; I’m a Professional Career Coach / helping you to love your job and build a great career.  

 

How you can enjoy what you are doing day each day at work

and how to build a great career along the way.

Hello everybody, and welcome to Episode 53 of Your Bravo Career.

 

 

Having a salary increase discussion at work is something that everyone is likely to do at some point in their career. Even though there is no legal entitlement to a yearly pay rise, many organisations have annual pay review for staff. If that doesn’t happen where you work, asking for a meeting to discuss your pay is perfectly acceptable.

 

Of course, discussing your pay can feel unnatural and awkward. Many people report the experience can be intimidating and uncomfortable, even if you have a good relationship with your manager.

 

So in this podcast episode, I’m going to help you to work out whether you should be asking for a pay rise right now and, if so, how you should go about doing it in a way that gets the results you want.

 

Because, when it comes down to it, securing a pay rise is all about knowing your worth, preparing well and presenting a valid case to your manager.

 

So let’s get started …

 

And just to say, as well as the usual show notes from today’s podcast, I’m also sharing a link to my FREE How to get a payrise workbook – 9 steps to get the payrise you deserve.

Ok, where shall we start?

 

First of all, let’s set some context here …

 

1. Why does your pay matter?

Your pay matters and shouldn’t be a taboo subject. How much pay you get each month is how your company shows that they appreciate your work and value you and your skills. And, of course, it’s psychologically rewarding to know that the company values you in this way. Conversely, feeling underappreciated can negatively impact your confidence.

 

Your salary supports your day-to-day living and your lifestyle and helps you in achieving your long-term financial goals. The impact of being underpaid over a long period can have a dramatic impact, particularly when you recognise that the cost of living increases are pretty high right now.

 

Inflation eats away at the income we receive, and if our income remains the same, it’s worth less each month.

 

Ok, having set out the importance of your pay, let’s now appraise whether and when you should be asking for a pay increase …

 

 

 

Just because you can ask for a pay rise doesn't necessarily mean you should. To have the most impact and, therefore, success in any pay discussion with your manager, it’s worth considering your rationale for seeking an increase.

 

Here are some things to consider:

 

 

Consideration | Yes, you should ask | You might want to hold back
When was the last time you had a pay rise?  | It has been several years now | I recently had a pay rise
When you compare your pay with that of your peers (both inside and outside the organisation), are you underpaid?  See if the salary is published. Look at job adverts, ask, or use an online tool https://www.totaljobs.com/salary-checker/salary-calculator | My pay has fallen behind that of my peers | My pay is the same or better
Have you reached a job milestone?1, 3, 5, 10 years in the role for example | Yes, I have recently reached a milestone | I can’t think of any milestones.
Have you taken on additional responsibility recently? Hint, have you become more valuable? | Yes | No
Are you now adding additional value to the organisation in some way? | Yes | No
Have you recently completed some training and development? | Yes | No
Have you gone above and beyond what was expected of you in the role? | Yes | No
Is your organisation and industry doing well at the moment? | Yes | No
Is there a logical rationale for asking for a pay increase not mentioned above? | Yes | Not, really

Ultimately the decision to ask for an increase is yours of course, but hopefully, the considerations I’ve mentioned will help you to clarify whether it would be wise to ask for a pay rise. 

 

Next, we will look at the timing of when to ask for a pay review meeting.

 

Just because you have decided that you should ask for a pay rise doesn’t mean that you should barge into your manager’s office with your request. Timing is everything of course. 

 

There will be a compensation discussion for many organisations every 12 months, although this won’t always be the case. Even performance review meetings don’t always take place, and quite often, compensation won’t be on the agenda.

 

So, some of the things you need to consider in relation to the timing of your request are:

 

-       When is your next Annual Review/Appraisal with your manager? If this is coming up, then that would be a good time to discuss your pay. If this is not the case, then you can either wait if this is not too far away or you might want to ask for a separate meeting to discuss your request specifically.

-       How is the company doing right now? Try to avoid asking for a pay review following bad news, such as losing an important client or a downturn in orders.

-       Is now the right time of year? In your industry, some months will be better than others for talking about pay. In many organisations, the financial year end can be a bad time.

-       Are you currently rising on the crest of a wave at work? There are two aspects to this: Are you feeling relatively good about your work contribution and, therefore, more confident than usual? And do you feel now is a good time to recognise your contributions within your organisation, particularly in terms of how your manager sees you?

-       Has there been changes in what you do? Have you taken on additional responsibility, for example?

-       Have you reached a significant work milestone?

 

Having considered the aspects outlined above, you should now be in a position to decide when to ask for a meeting with your manager. 

 

A word of caution – if you are feeling uncertain about discussing your pay, the temptation might be to delay asking for a meeting and not taking the next steps. 

 

If that’s the case, make a decision to complete all the steps I’m outlining in the show today before deciding on a suitable discussion date.

 

If you decide that now is not the right time to have a pay discussion with your manager, it is very helpful if you can ‘signal’ to your manager that in a few months, you do want to talk about your pay.

 

Ok, the show's next part will help you prepare your case, ask for a meeting and put in your pay increase request.

 

But first, a quick resources update.

 

Resources Section

 

This week, it was great to see my podcast featured in a Best Career #podcast list.

 

I highly recommend taking a look at the list.

 

 

This is a list of 9 podcasts, and these are definitely worth checking out.

 

So, after finishing this podcast, why not check out some other great podcasts to help you in your career.

 

OK, let’s get back to the show.

 

Ok, so we have established why you should ask for a pay rise and worked out when the best time to have the discussion with your manager.

 

The remainder of today’s show will focus on the preparation work you need to do, what you need to do and say in the payrise meeting and also what to do afterwards.

 

So, let’s get started by …

 

 

So, you’ve initially considered whether to ask for a pay rise and when would be a good time to do it.

 

Now you need to prepare your case and request a meeting. That way, you’ll be cool, calm and collected in the meeting – and armed with the facts you need to make your case. 

Remember this: Evidence always trumps emotion when it comes to getting a pay increase.

 

So, the first thing you will do is list why you deserve a pay rise. You might already have these reasons in your head but get them down on paper.

 

You might have worked in the company for 5 years or taken on additional responsibility. Whatever the reasons you have in mind, capture as many as you can and write them down. 

 

Having done that, I now want you to look at each of the reasons you have written down and rank each one in order of importance to your manager using a high (H), medium (M) and low (L) reference guide. 

 

So, for example, if you have developed strong client relationships, this will likely be of high importance to your manager. Working for the company for 5 years is probably of low importance to your manager. 

 

If you haven’t had a payrise for a long time, this might be of medium importance to your manager. You get the idea.

 

List the reasons and then assign importance (HML) rating to each one, from the point of view of your manager.

 

Reason | Importance to me(H/M/L) | Importance to my manager(H/M/L)
I have recently taken on additional responsibility | H | H
I have now worked at the company for 5 years | H | L
It’s a long time since I have had a pay rise | H | M
I have you gone above and beyond what was expected of you in the role? | H | H
My pay is lower than that of my peers? (both inside and outside the organisation) | H | M
I have developed strong client relationships? | L | H

 

This will now give you a way to order the points you raise with your manager – starting with those that are most important to your manager (H) and then (M) and finally those that are most important to you (H) and then (M). Avoid any mutual low-importance (L) reasons as they add little to your case, don’t mean much to you and will potentially dilute the more impactful reasons you have presented.

 

You will, of course, need evidence and examples to use in your meeting, and this might include some salary benchmarking which you have done and more detailed evidence of the reasons that you outlined above. 

 

Why you are planning your discussion, it will also be useful if you have thought through how much your increase should be as you may well be asked for a figure. 

 

Planning your response in advance will make it much easier to discuss with your manager.

 

Again, do your homework and have some rationale for the figure you come up with.

 

One further thing to do before you request the meeting. You need to consider your options if you don’t get the pay rise you would be happy with.

 

As always, the more options you have in a negotiation, the stronger your position is, and you don’t want your manager to hold all the cards.

 

So, other things you might want to discuss at the meeting if you don’t get a pay rise are:

 

Training and development opportunities

 

Agreeing on a date for a further review in, say, 6 months

 

Agreeing on more flexibility for your role

 

Basically, something that is valuable to you.

 

Ok

 

Having done all that, it is now time to ask for a meeting. Here are a few suggestions for how you might do that.

 

Ideally, you should meet face to face and in person. If you’re not in the same location as your manager, or if it isn’t possible to meet face-to-face, have the conversation over a video call, although in-person meetings are better.

 

If you are meeting in person, the best setting is a room with a closed door. Don’t have a discussion in a workplace common area, such as a kitchen or hallway. 

 

If you have a performance review coming up, you won’t need to invite your manager to a meeting since that review will probably be in the calendar. If not you will need to let your manager know that you would like to meet to discuss compensation.

 

 Either way, here are some lines you can use when you email your manager:

 

“During my review, please can we spend some time discussing my compensation?”

 

Or,

 

“I’d like to meet with you to discuss my salary. Please let me know if this time works for you.”

 

OK, let’s move on to…

 

 

Now you have prepared your case for a pay rise, you should be feeling more confident to discuss the matter with your manager. But what do you actually say in the meeting?

 

Firstly, remind your manager that you want to use some of the meeting to discuss your pay. This is important as it is easy to lose confidence in a meeting and decide not to bring up the subject. Secondly, you will be putting a marker down at the start that some of the time in the meeting with be set aside for discussing pay.

 

When you do move on to pay, or at the start of the meeting, if the meeting is just about your pay, thank your manager for taking the time to meet with you to discuss your pay.

 

Then set up the meeting by summarising the positives of your current role.

 

“Thank you for meeting me today. As you know, I have been working here for [amount of time] and have recently been focusing on [quick summary of what you’ve been doing].

I have really enjoyed being part of [project or team] and am proud of the role I played in this organisation.”

 

Having provided this context, you should now move on to the points you have prepared earlier, starting with those you have identified as most important to your manager.
 
“Over the past 12 months I have [talk about your achievements that have benefited the organisation].”

 

"In the time since my last salary adjustment, I’ve worked on several initiatives that have added significant value to the company. For instance, in the last few months, I [insert example of your most impressive accomplishment].
 

Having done this, you can now get to the point of the meeting, which is to ask for a review of your salary.

“With my achievements over the past 12 months and bearing in mind the benefits I’ve brought to the organisation recently, I’d appreciate it if you would consider a review of my current salary.

“I’ve also had a look at current compensation levels for roles similar to mine in companies of the same size and believe I have a clear view of the industry standard salary.”

At this point, your manager will likely require time to think over your request and have the idea approved by other stakeholders involved in salary increases. It’s likely a discussion about actual figures may be revisited in a later conversation, should your request be fulfilled.

Extra tips: 

 

Go into this conversation knowing that you deserve a raise and communicate your confidence with strong words that leave little room for negotiation.

 

Avoid words that could weaken your position, such as: believe, feel, think, just, only, and might. These words can make it seem that you are not feeling confident or sure—and if you convey uncertainty, your manager may become uncertain, too. 

 

In terms of dress code, consider dressing slightly more formally for this meeting. Your appearance can convey to your manager that you understand the significance of the conversation.

 

If you are worried that you are going to feel nervous talking about a pay increase, here are some tips that can help you:

 

First, remind yourself that you’re just having a conversation with your manager. No one ever got fired for asking for a pay rise. Rather, asking for more money shows ambition and you want to stay with the company.

 

Also, remember that your worth as a person does not depend on the outcome of the meeting. If you do have some nerves, don’t worry. Nerves are not necessarily a bad thing; with your brain engaged and your senses heightened, you can make connections quicker and perform well when put on the spot.

To calm your nerves down:

 

That should take you a total of 18 seconds. In that time, you will have significantly lowered your heart rate, and you'll find you won't rush when you speak.

 

 

 

What can you say during your meeting if you get push back from your manager? Maybe your manager fobs you off with some promise to review your salary in the future. Or they agree to your request, but the suggested increase is much less than you would want. Or, of course, they reject your request. All these responses are possible.

 

Here is an approach you can use during your meeting to push back and reach a better outcome.

 

If your manager tries to fob you off, promising an increase next time.

You: I have researched my salary compared to current market rates, and there is quite a gap. Frankly, leaving my pay increase any longer will only worsen matters.

 

 

Here is a script you can use in this situation.

 

You: Whilst that’s an increase, it is much less than my request, and it won’t close the gap between what the market is paying and my current salary.

Your Manager: Well, that’s what I have the authority to offer you.

You: If you wanted to pay me more than your current offer, who would you talk to?

Your Manager: Well, I’d talk to _______________, but I don’t think they would agree to your request.

You: I’m happy to have a conversation with __________ about my request and include you in the discussion.

Your manager: Let me talk to ____________ first, and I’ll let you know how it goes.

You: Given the research that I have done on my salary compared to current market rates, would it be possible for you to share this information with HR and let me know how you get on? 

You: Given the research that I have done on my salary compared to current market rates, would I wonder whether we could make a case together with HR? 

There’s no guarantee, of course, with these pushback tactics, but by using a bit of persistence and with data and logic, you are much more likely to get nearer to your ideal pay increase figure.  

 

 

If you don’t get your pay raise, it is natural to feel anger and rejection and to become disillusioned and disinterested at work.  Whilst this is expected, you don’t want to stay in this frame of mind long. Instead, remain professional and adopt a proactive response instead.

 

First, work out why your request was rejected and what you can do about it. A starting point is to speak to your manager and get clear feedback on your rejection. Find out the specifics. Was it the budget, the timing, or the quality of your work or performance?

 

 

If you can, it’s also worth getting advice and a different perspective from an outside party, such as a mentor, who has been in a similar position before and can offer advice on the best ways to handle it in your specific circumstances.

 

Once you have received, the feedback, you can then put together some options sharing these with your manager. Your options include:

 

-       Agreeing a revised timeline with your manager

-       Undertaking some training and development

-       Getting involved in a broader range of projects to gain experience

-       Setting some targets for your performance and linking these to a future pay rise

 

Once you have agreed on your approach, ensure that you check-in from time to time with your manager.

 

Your alternatives could, of course, include looking at alternative employment opportunities.  If you decide you want to leave the organisation, make sure you’ve thought it through and are confident it’s the best decision for your future.  In this scenario, it’s essential not to burn your bridges and make sure you remain professional in your current job.

 

Thank your boss

Reflect on what you did that led to the raise, both in terms of the last 12 months but also in your preparation work.

Celebrate a job well done!

 

OK, that concludes my discussion about how to get a payrise.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the show today.

 

  

You can email me at mark@bravocoaching.co.uk and you can find the show notes at bravocoaching.co.uk/podcast.

 

You can get my FREE How to get a payrise workbook – 9 steps to get the payrise you deserve at

 

 

If you haven’t already subscribed, why not do that now. 

 

That way you won’t miss the next episode.

  

Have a wonderful week and I will speak to you again in a couple of weeks time.

 

Bye for now.