Level up: Asking for a raise
In our last discussion, we made a case for why you should negotiate your employment offer (especially when you aren’t happy with it) and highlighted some key things one should keep in mind when giving a counter-offer. We encourage you to first read this post as it covers a lot of negotiation tips that are also applicable in a setting where you are trying to get a raise. The tips covered in this article are therefore additional pointers that could be helpful, especially if you feel like you never got a chance to negotiate your initial offer. It’s never too late to advocate for yourself! ;)
You may have unknowingly accepted an offer below the market rate, worked so hard for a long time and hit all your targets or even taken up a more demanding role without any additional compensation. Either way, it's clear that you need to:
Approaching a conversation around a pay raise can hence feel very necessary but may be difficult to initiate. So how can you possibly go about it?
Choose the right time to ask
If you grew up in an African household, you have probably already mastered the art of timing requests. For instance, an impressive report card from school would warrant a request for money to buy some new clothes. A dull evening where your parent is tired and hungry would clearly be a bad setting to ask for permission to attend an exciting event. You could even feel the eye roll at the thought of it! This level of strategic thinking that you may have used to carefully select an appropriate time to submit a request to your parent or guardian is also very relevant when trying to ask for a raise. Examples of good timing in the context of the workplace could include:
i) When the company has reported a really good financial year
ii) During a performance or annual review
iii) When your manager is relaxed or in a good mood, especially if they have received good news e.g. winning a new exciting project
iv) When your company is budgeting for the next financial/operational period
Plan for the conversation
After establishing an appropriate time to make your request, it's advisable to set a meeting where the agenda is to solely discuss your compensation. This way, you are able to give your manager a heads up on the conversation. You can do this by sending an email/ meeting invite with a title or description indicating your intent to discuss compensation.
The practice of formally scheduling the discussion allows you to commit yourself to ask for a raise while also giving yourself ample time to psychologically prepare for the conversation. Given the nature of the topic, it can be tempting to indefinitely procrastinate that ‘moment of truth’. It is normal to feel this way. You can, however, try to manage your level of fear and anxiety by drafting a script, anticipating potential questions and rehearsing the conversation with people you trust. This way, you have an outline in mind even if you get nervous during the meeting.
Gather evidence
When envisioning the outline of your conversation, it is important to focus on why you deserve a raise as opposed to why you need it. You would therefore need to make a strong case for yourself by articulating the value you bring to the organization while also ensuring that the requested salary increase is at par with market rates. One of the best ways to showcase your value is by providing evidence of good performance and tying this to overall organizational success. For example, having emails where you negotiated with suppliers and achieved significant cost savings, keeping thank you notes from customers to show how you are providing exceptional customer service and even noting down instances where your manager acknowledged your contribution. Documenting such accomplishments makes it easier to justify a salary increase.
Set a future timeline
In some cases, an employer/manager may reveal that they are unable to increase your salary even after you’ve properly justified your case. This can be really disheartening especially after putting a lot of effort into preparing for the discussion. To ensure that you leave the discussion with some concrete outcomes, you could prompt your employer/manager to explicitly state either individual targets, team goals, company-wide milestones or macro-economic conditions that would enable you to get a salary increase. Additionally, you can also set a future date where you can review the status of the initial barrier to your salary increase and revisit the discussion. In such circumstances, it is important to send up a follow-up email detailing your discussion and agreed timelines as well as continuously gathering evidence as you anticipate the next meeting. This will be crucial in helping you keep your organization accountable in the future. Sometimes, a timeline can mean a personal deadline for starting to explore other opportunities where your skills and effort will be valued- especially if your employer doesn’t honour agreements when revisiting discussions on compensation.
Lean into a community of young women willing to support you and cheer you
Even with all the preparation, asking for a raise can still feel like an impossible task. At Heels & Green, you can connect with your peers and get more relevant tips, feedback and encouragement to take that leap and level up!!!
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Author:
Wanjiku Kimani- Founder, Heels & Green
Other useful material on negotiation
Never Split the Difference- Chris Voss (Book)
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In- Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton (Book)
The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator- Leigh L. Thompson (Book)
Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator- Yale University (Course)
The Science of the Deal- WorkLife with Adam Grant (Podcast)
