Hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs, the economy is a mess, and the stock market goes up and down faster than Paris Hilton on camera. It would take a spectacular amount of testicular fortitude to ask for a raise in pay in these conditions.
If you do have a set of nuts big enough to do anything other than fall to your knees and thank your boss for not laying you off, Kudos to you. Here’s a quick guide to asking for a raise.
1. Check the salary policies of your company. If you work for a company that has hard and fast rules regarding compensation schedules, chances are they aren’t going to change them for you. Sorry, Sparky.
2. Do a little bit of research. Find out what people in your position usually make. If the average is 50k and you’re making 45k, you have some wiggle room. Show your boss what the average is, and the results you’re giving them. If the average is 50k and you’re making 60, sit your happy ass back down in that chair before you screw up a good thing.
3. Be ready to be disappointed. Just like Christmas when you were a kid, chances are you’re not going to get that shiny new bike you wanted. You’ll probably get a cheap knockoff from Wal-Mart. But it’s better than no bike at all.
4. Have alternatives. So they don’t want to give you any more money. I wouldn’t either. Maybe they’ll give you extra vacation days, allow you to work from home a few days a week, or match a certain percentage of your 401k. It’s a pretty reasonable alternative to having a little bit of extra cash, and seems like a win-win.
5. Don’t be stupid. Is your boss in a good mood? Are you sure? If you catch him right after lunch with his ex-wife, chances are he’s going to tell you No. If he started the day by kicking his secretary in the face or firing someone, you’re better holding off for another day.
The key to getting a raise in pay is to make sure you really deserve one. Take a good hard look. If you really do deserve one, it never hurts to ask. Unless of course they fire you. Then it hurts.
Now here’s a pep talk to get you in the zone:
Good Luck.
Tags: relationships, work
Comments (7)
Good luck love! Be sure to tell us how it goes!
Finally had that “give me a promotion” meeting… wish me luck (that I dont get fired)
How ’bout Kevin Spacey’s character in American Beauty where he threatens to out his boss on a (faux) gay sexual harassment charge?
HA. When you get fired I’m not supporting you.
I asked my boss for a promotion last month. He said to get some documentation together and we’d talk about it at our next meeting which was supposed to be tomorrow. because of personal issues, he’s out of state. Maybe it was an excuss to avoid the meeting? Our company is pushing a huge “do more with less” campaign, so asking to be promoted to a level I should have been at already is a small thing they can do for me. (I sure hope my next comment won’t be asking for job ideas!)
I’ll give you a dollar to do this and tell me how it turns out.
You know, I love reading in magazines all of their ways to get a raise ideas. One of my favorites was ‘make sure that you stand in the doorway of your boss’ office when you talk to him for several weeks prior to asking for your raise. This will ‘frame you’ in their mind. Stop just before entering, say ‘hello’ in the doorway, and then procede into the office’.
Oh, yeah. I’m sure that REALLY helps rake in the big bucks.