Your Pay & Your Value: How to Ask For & Get a Pay Rise.

• Is your salary a true reflection of your value?

• When did you last ask for pay rise?

• How did you make your case?

• What was the result?

Most of my clients don't know the answer to the first question which can be a huge hindrance as this is your benchmark, your guide to what to ask for.

In the spirit of national Payroll Week which is this week, I really wanted to raise awareness on how you can ask and, crucially, get a pay rise.

Admittedly, this is something I always used to struggle with when I was an employee which predominantly due to 3 things:

1. Not knowing my true worth to the organisation

2. Unsure as to how to ask

3. Lack of confidence to even ask

If any of these points are resonating then I hope this article will help you navigate the next time you have 'that' conversation.

Know Your Value

Let's start with an easy question - how much are you getting paid? (It may help to write some things down as we go through this) Next; what is the total sum of the package you are getting? Review all of your benefits such as private medical insurance, phone, car, gym membership etc.

What is the grand total?

Now it's time to visit your favourite search engine and look at what current, available roles are offering. Be strict with your comparison as you need to look within your industry and at comparable businesses.

Small companies will not be able to offer as much as large organisations in terms of money but they may have a working environment that is better for you.

You may want to chat with some industry specific recruiters to get their take on what your earning potential is in the current market.

Once you have done some classic research you will have an average of what the market is offering and therefore, potentially, what you would be paid if you got another job. Of course there is always room to negotiate, however, that is for another advice article.

Let's now focus on you and your worth to the organisation where you are currently employed and ask a few more questions:

• Are you exceeding your targets? Or objectives / KPI's?

• How are you doing this?

• How can you prove this?

• What else are you doing or do you have such as strong client relationships, specialist skills or unique experience?

• What have been your stand out achievements?

• What training have you undertaken and how is it benefitting the business?

• What else do you bring to the role, the team, the organisation?

Be ruthless here and review yourself - if you are meeting them - fantastic but you may want to consider how you can up your ante as that is what will stand out

Several of my clients often don't even have objectives or they are out of date so get them updated and agreed with your boss asap.

On a side-note, this is a fantastic opportunity to update your CV and LinkedIn profile to keep it up to date and to help you if you do decide to look elsewhere.

If you believe that you are exceeding your targets the it is time to...

Create Your Case

I used to just wait for my boss to come to me to say if there were pay rises being given out. It took me a far too long to realise that I needed to make my case as he had no idea of everything I was doing - the value I was bringing to the team and to the company.

Once you have detailed how you are doing a truly stand out job you can then make your business case to discuss and prove to your boss.

This is where you want to look at your potential, future progression and development within the company.

Consider what you want to be doing in 12 months' time and then beyond - what is the value you will bring in the future?

Take it further, what ideas have you got for the business which can lead to improvements or growth?

When I eventually summoned up the courage to ask (don't worry - we'll cover that in a bit) I had made a cheat-sheet of notes including my ideas, my figures and a progression plan based on my projected success, that of my team and that of the business. It helped give my then-boss options of how my raise could be quantified over time.

I chose a suitable time to ask - at our annual performance reviews - it meant I waited a few months, however, I did pre-warn my boss that I wanted to discuss my salary in our review so he was fully aware and had obviously done some number crunching too.

If you have missed that 'perfect' opportunity then book in a meeting with your manager or boss:

• schedule at least half an hour in order to have a full discussion

• avoid meeting close to project deadlines or other stressful dates as otherwise it may get pushed back or even forgotten

• aim to meet just after lunch – after the morning stress and before the afternoon kicks off

Be Brave: Ask

You have done your home work, you are fully prepared and now it's crunch time. I won't diminish your fears by saying "keep calm and just ask" as I know how unhelpful that statement is.

However, do consider what is the worst that can happen if you ask. The very worst is that the response is a flat "no"

Fine. If that's the case then I'd recommend you push a little to ask when a pay review will next be considered. If it will be in the next few months - great - you can be even more prepared and revisit the conversation.

If you receive (like I did) a vague answer or even worse then you can now plan for an alternative option - mostly likely a move out of the company.

Bosses and leaders take note here - you will lose top talent very quickly if you don't consider pay raise requests.

Now consider the best that can happen. They say "yes" and you get a higher salary and improved package - fantastic! Time to celebrate and rejoice - hurrah!

Finally, let's look at the most likely case that will happen. The response may well be mixed as they will negotiate with you. Fabulous as you have opened up the conversation so can now understand more from them to come to an agreement.

In my experience, a lot of people really dig their heels in at this stage, I'd recommend exploring all options with your employer - perhaps you can agree an ascending pay rise plan over the next few months or payments made in instalments.

Listen fully to their proposals and be ready to ask questions about these so you get a clear and full understanding of their position. You then know exactly what you are dealing with and what is and is not feasible for them.

Follow Through

Make sure that whatever is agreed is implemented! And if nothing is agreed then start to look at your other options.

What if they are putting off having the conversation with you? So very easy to do when we are mostly working from home or in a hybrid working environment.

This is where you do need to be firm and insist on having that meeting to talk things through. If you are constantly receiving a cold shoulder then you have your answer. It's time to take back control.

Another note for bosses and leaders - have the damn conversation and really listen to your employees - if you value them and want them to stay then you need to show them how much. It starts with a pay and package discussion and can end with them leaving of being your biggest supporters.

Final Tips

Keep calm - I know, I know - easier said than done but even if you are not hearing the best news you are tackling a fear, making your case known and moving forwards.

A simple breathing exercise such as Square Breathing will help you anchor yourself before such conversations:

• Imagine a square in front of you

• Inhale through your nose up one side of the square

• Hold your breath across the top side of the square

• Exhale through your mouth down the other side of the square H

• Hold your breath across the final side.

Repeat this several times until you feel more grounded.

Accept no with grace and dignity. Then plan your next move rather than throwing your toys out of the pram. One employee I know of did the latter - threatened to leave, caused a scene and made his manager feel incredibly uncomfortable to say the least. He handed in his notice, went for interviews but no-one offered him what he was on let alone the increase he demanded.

So he revoked his resignation, stayed and it was not a happy working environment for anyone.

Say thank you if it is a yes and keep proving to them your worth and value. Even if it is a small increase the company is trying to meet your request - they may be facing some tough times but are keen to keep you. So keep the conversation open for when better times appear.

Good luck and if you need more career help or advice about work then contact me: coach@kate-bishop.co.uk

Kx