The Do's and Don'ts of Asking for a Raise Asking for a raise is no easy task. Here are some tips to help.
This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog
Everybody wants to get a fair paycheck for the accomplishments they have achieved. In the ideal scenario, your boss notices your achievements and gives you a raise. However, in the real world this is not really the case and you need to stand up for yourself and ask for a raise. Unfortunately, this is not a very easy situation and can be very stressful. For this reason, we have put together the do's and don'ts of asking for a raise.
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1. Don't compare yourself to co-workers
Never say that your coworkers' salaries are higher than yours and that is why you deserve a raise. When you talk about others' salaries, it means you are gossiping in the workplace and this is not professional at all. Even if you think you deserve a higher paycheck than someone else, keep it to yourself because you never know whether the information you have heard is correct. Instead, talk about your accomplishments and why you think you deserve getting a raise.
2. Leave emotions out of it
Don't try to emotionally blackmail your boss. Everybody has personal problems that they need to deal with. However, the needs of your children or the hospital expenses of your parents don't mean you deserve a higher salary. Therefore, don't try to arouse pity for yourself using your personal problems. Give your boss a valid reason for a higher salary.
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3. Plan ahead
If you want to ask for a raise, then schedule a meeting. Never ask this via email. It is much better if you ask this in person so that you can understand from the reaction of your boss what s/he really thinks. Maybe s/he also thinks that you deserve a promotion but due to budget restraints, s/he cannot afford to give you a raise right now or maybe s/he thinks you need to work more to deserve a promotion. Whatever the reason is, the best way to understand your boss's real feelings is to talk with him/her.
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4. Put in the extra work
Never start the conversation by saying you have done all of your duties. Of course, you will do all of your duties because this is why are getting paid for. Remember you are asking for a raise and a raise means getting extra from your agreed paycheck. Therefore, your boss will ask you what extra work you have done so far to deserve this raise. If you think you deserve a raise, then you should be ready for the extra work because if you will get paid more, this means that you should take on more responsibilities.
