More Money? Do You Want To Ask For A Raise?
How To Ask For A Raise Even Though It’s Not The Perfect Time (It never is!)
You’d probably love it if your boss walked up to you today and said, “I’ve decided to give you a raise, effectively immediately.” Don’t hold your breath. No one wants to spend any more money than they have to. So, you’re going to have to ask for a raise. Here’s my advice on how to do this. First, do your homework on what you should expect in the way of compensation. Be sure to consult Internet salary websites, such as Salary.com or Salary Center on Monster.com. In the U.S. women are paid 77 cents for every dollar men make. If you set your sites on what men are paid and expect the same, you probably won’t be disappointed. Don’t mention gender or need—keep the salary negotiation to what you bring to the business.
Make a list of your special skills and your accomplishments—especially recent ones. Make an appointment with your boss to “talk about something of importance to you.”
And because I know this is a stressful time for you, I’ve included a script for you to have handy for a salary negotiation where your boss presents an obstacle. Memorize it. You probably won’t have to recite it verbatim, but it will give you an extra boost of confidence to know you’ve got a script if you need it.
Tip: A Script for Stressful Times
I’m pleased to be working for this company, and I know the company is benefiting by my ___. (List 3 things, for example: client contacts, special project, marketing, etc.) I am looking for a salary of __ dollars.
Now your boss presents an obstacle. (budget, timing, skills, etc.)
Have your individual X, Y, Z’s figured out ahead of time. Then, rather than dispute the obstacle, say, “I understand your situation. The number I have in mind is X. The value I bring to the position is Y. And the benefit to the company will be Z.”
It’s up to you to read your boss, and at the same time, be fully confident you are deserving of this raise. If you truly believe you need to back down or accept a little less, set a time (3 mos., 6 mos.) when you can revisit this question about the salary you have in mind.
Further Reading:
WomensMedia site, Gender Wage Gap: Are you paid as much as a man if he had your job?
by Evelyn Murphy with E.J. Graff
WomensMedia site, Confronting the Gender Gap in Wages, by Deborah M. Kolb, Judith Williams, and Carol Frohlinger
The Shadow Negotiation : How Women Can Master the Hidden Agendas That Determine Bargaining Success
by Deborah Kolb and Judith Williams, Simon & Schuster, 2000.
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