Raise Ready
Fear, anger, grief, lust, panic, parental care, pleasure, and seeking more. Those are the core emotional instincts of the human brain, and according to psychologist Jaak Panskepp, seeking more is the most important.
From a career’s standpoint, I think he’s got a point.
If our current job doesn’t periodically offer more money, more responsibility, or more flexibility etc. we will soon find ourselves back on Reed. Unless of course, we manage to secure any (or all) of our desires.
Requesting a promotion or raise isn’t the easiest conversation to have, but it’s not difficult if you’re prepared. Usually, a business will avoid spending money they don’t have to — but don’t think it’s because they are lacking in it. Remember that person who got offered more money when they handed in their notice?
Exactly. Here’s your plan of attack:
Set The Scene:
Don’t mention it in passing. Arrange a meeting or wait for your periodic 1–2–1 with your manager and prepare. Create a short proposal (word doc will suffice) stating all the things you have achieved and the positive results YOU (not your team) brought to the business during your time.
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Conclude stating you’d like a PROMOTION. Avoid language like ‘pay rise’ as it gives the impression you want free money for doing what you’re supposed to do. With a promotion comes:
- Job title change
- More responsibility and opportunity to lead
- Your sought after pay rise
Special Delivery:
You may choose to communicate your desire for a raise orally, and this might be all you need*. You may choose to create a short business case document and present it to your seniors in a meeting. You may choose to do both at the same time, or one before the other. They’re all acceptable, just deliver it in a way that works for your company’s culture.
*If you’re fortunate enough to work in a place like this, skip ahead to the Hints and Tips section.
Here’s One I Made Earlier:
Intro:
*I personally think this part should be spoken, but it’s completely up to you*
“As you know I’ve been here for X amount of time, and have reached the point where I think I’m in need of additional responsibilities. I’m particularly keen to add XYZ as part of my new responsibilities, and would also love an opportunity to be involved in ABC at define capacity/ level.”
P1:
During my time here I’ve been fortunate enough to take responsibility/ the lead (now’s not the time to start fabricating!) for several successful projects such as XYZ (3 examples). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed making a positive change and streamlining existing processes, whilst ensuring my regular duties were performed beyond the expected business standard.
P2:
These factors, accompanies by the positive feedback I’ve received reinforces my belief that I’m excelling in my current position. This has incentivised me to request a promotion. I would like to take responsibility and be more hands on with XYZ (name something you’ve been given exposure to/ done a bit of that you feel comfortable incorporating in your daily work life), develop my seniority within the team, and a salary increase to reflect these changes.
P3:
Describe briefly (2–3 points) what your new role would look like, and back these points with the fact you’ve already done/ had exposure to the proposed tasks. For example:
“I would like to be responsible for conducting exit interviews with leavers, inductions with new starters, and compliance checks for upcoming employees. Whilst Sheila was on annual leave, I was solely responsible for these tasks for 3 weeks and became very comfortable executing them all efficiently.”
Hints & Tips
- Be patient as it might not happen overnight. Some cases may even take months a there’s budget sign-offs and Pay Structures which regulate how much people in particular positions are paid to ensure company wide fairness.
- Mention you want to grow in the business and you se it as a career rather than a job. The organisation needs to feel like they’re investing in you rather than throwing free money at you. You need to justify why they should increase their costs by paying you more, which will then incentivise them to give you what you want.
- You may have a second meeting with your director/ manager’s manager as it’s likely they may need to approve this. Try to hold off on talking numbers until this point, or until you’re specifically asked. Personally, I’d let them suggest first as it’s easier to negotiate up rather than stating your price then being completely refused. Inevitably they’ll start low, so state what you realistically expect and go from there.
And if none of this works, quit and look elsewhere.
