How to Secure a Raise

I talk with people about their career all day, every day. The number one reason people look for other jobs is they feel under appreciated in their current roles.

Typically, that under appreciation manifests itself in being under paid.

There aren’t many people who wouldn’t want a bigger salary. Money makes the world go round after all.

And even if you don’t count yourself as materialistic, greater wealth brings greater freedom. Sure, money might not buy happiness. But a lack of it certainly makes life harder.

There are many permutations of being under-valued. Perhaps there are other people in the team being paid more? Maybe there’ve been promises broken over performance related pay? It’s possible you just know you can get more money elsewhere for the same work?

Should I tell a recruiter what my current salary is?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. Despite the war that often rages on social media about this topic.

When you work with a recruiter, they’ll typically make commission based on a percentage of your salary. Therefore, it’s in their interest to get you the best offer they can. They’re not trying to low ball you.

There’s very rarely anything untoward happening if a recruiter asks you what you earn. It’s typically so they can get a benchmark. An idea of what good looks like for you.

It’s crude to suggest this is solely a monetary calculation too. There’s far more at play.

How much is a flexible working week worth to you?

Or the ability to work from home? Some people work for businesses an hour away, they have to take 3 trains to reach. Some people work for companies round the corner.

Working from home isn’t worth the same in these different situations. Flexibility is worth far more to a parent of young children. And the benefits of being in an office for someone at the junior end of their career could be massive.

So should you tell a recruiter what you’re currently earning?

My opinion is yes. But it shouldn’t stop there. The more a recruiter knows about your current situation, the better placed they are to help you improve it.

Can a recruiter help me get a better salary, without moving jobs?

Absolutely. In fact, the best recruiters know there’s little point in coercing you into a situation you don’t want. Good recruiters are an earpiece to the market.

You may already know your salary’s not fair internally.

But do you know the wider context of the market? A good recruiter can help you benchmark. Even if there’s nothing in it for them.

Recruiters are great networkers. They pick up information about the job market in every conversation they have. They’re normally willing to pass that on too. And so, finding a recruiter you like and chat to regularly will pay off.

Even if you’re not looking for a new job every time you speak.

Naturally however, the M.O. of a recruiter means they’re far more likely to help you achieve better if they’re involved in the process. And that means helping you move jobs.

After all, finding a better paying role is something they’ll also be rewarded for. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking an extra ￡3k will make your dreams come true.

How do I get a better salary?

The answer to this isn’t unilateral for everyone in the world. For some, getting a better salary is as simple as asking for it.

For others, just the thought of having that conversation will bring them out in a cold sweat.

But there’s a good methodology you can use, for having this conversation without ruffling feathers, and assessing your wider career path at the same time.

The first step is knowledge.

They say knowledge is power. The more knowledge you have heading into a salary negotiation, the more power you have to improve it.

What are people in the same job getting paid outside your company? Is it dramatically more? Is your current salary fair internally? Is it location based? How do you assess the wider perks and benefits of your package? Could they be better? When’s the last time you were offered a raise? And how much does your remuneration revolve around performance?

If you know the answer to the questions above, you’re probably better equipped than your boss heading into salary negotiations. Without this knowledge, you’re whistling in the wind.

Performance based reward

For the vast majority of people, the amount they earn is based on performance.

It’s a matter of supply and demand, and a two-way deal. The benefits of hiring someone to do a job is unilaterally based on the value that person brings. Should you stop doing your job it’s unlikely you’d still get paid.

Equally, the more value you offer, the better your chances of a raise.

For many though, in bigger companies with more defined salary structures, there are bandings and parity with others across the business. In situations like these, it’s possible the only chance of getting more money is to do a bigger job. And therefore what you’re actually after is a promotion.

Simply performing more effectively in the job you have now won’t cut it.

Raising expectations

Here’s a simple way of proving your worth for a new salary or promotion.

1. Ask what you need to do to get one

2. Go and do it

3. Chat again when you’re performing at that level

It’s perhaps unlikely you’ll knock on your manager’s door, ask for a raise, and receive it straight away with a kind hand shake.

What’s far more likely is gently enquiring what you’d need to do to get a raise. This puts the ball firmly in your manager’s court, and also sets up an agreement.

You’re not even asking for a raise directly. More, probing the conditions under which they’d be happy to offer you more. You can treat this as another fact-finding mission. More knowledge to arm yourself.

You can then direct discussions into the direction of a raise.

“If I achieve all the things on your checklist, are you happy to increase my salary or promote me?”

Not that I’d suggest using ultimatums in your career, but this conversation is an incredible mechanism for holding your employer to account.

Should they agree and follow through, you’ve got the raise and promotion you want. Should they renege on the deal, you’ve got a reason to look for better elsewhere.

You’ve also preemptively negated the chances they’ll offer you an improved salary once you hand your notice in. It’s as close to a win/win as you’ll find in salary negotiations.

Even thinking about this in your job search, finding better, with a better salary and more responsibility will be easier. You can prove you’ve been operating at a higher level than your title. And also give a new employer proof you’re keen on progressing and willing to work hard to do so.

Salary negotiations, be it with your current manager or a new one, are often fraught with emotion. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of believing you’re not worth a certain amount. And that can knock your self esteem.

Do as much as you can to take it out the equation and you’ll be on the right path to getting better.

Whatever stage you’re at in this process, we’re experts in the job market.

We’ll never over promise and under deliver. We live on our credibility.

Get in touch and find out if you’re being under paid.