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Any suggestions on how to negotiate for a raise?

Veteran

Angela Dickson Tomball, TX

I have been given additional responsibilities along with direct reports. I’d like to negotiate or understand what the possibilities for a pay increase would be for the new advancement.

28 May 2022 14 replies Leadership & Management

Answers

Advisor

Dave Mayewski Aurora, OH

Hi Angela, Cathy’s response is perfect. From experience seeing this type of discussion unfold it is important to keep a few things in perspective.
1. Keep your introduction short and visualize handing the microphone back to your manager so they can comment. I have seen employees that are nervous and feel like they have to keep talking. This should be a conversation and not a monologue
2. Try to understand what position or constraints your manager may have if it seems like they aren’t receptive. In some instances, especially larger companies they could be processes they have to follow to get you an increase so appreciating the constraints and timing will help.
3. Just in case there are valid reasons your manager can’t meet your needs are there other options? Vacation, flexible time, etc.
4. Leave on a positive note with your enthusiasm for the added responsibility and opportunity.

Hope these are helpful.

Dave

2 June 2022 Helpful answer

Advisor

cathy salerno Flemington, NJ

Hi Angela! Thank you for your service! Giana’s links provide some great advice. I have a few suggestions as I’ve been in these conversations both as the employee asking and the boss being asked. My advice is schedule a meeting but keep it short. Don’t talk too much. I’d suggest thanking your boss for the new responsibility as it provides a great opportunity to build skills. Then let your boss know that your expectation (for yourself and your career) is to continue to progress to increased contribution to the business and at the same time increased salary. Ask if the new role brings you to a new job level and if there is a new salary level increase that goes with it. Then ask what skills you should be focused on developing in order to get to the next salary level. Let the boss know that it’s important to you and you’ll appreciate feedback that will keep you on track for that next level.

30 May 2022 Helpful answer

Advisor

Amit Chaudhary San Jose, CA

Ramit has a step by step process for it
https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/salary-negotiation/

Advisor

Mary Proctor Leola, PA

Hello Angela,

Thank you for your service! From my experience in my department in the beginning of the year we develop goals and objectives which includes some development goals. In this area I would highlight the responsibilities and initiatives I plan to complete during the year highlighting those that would help to develop me for the next level within the department/organization, this can come with pay increase. Then during the mid year and end of year discussions with your manager you can share what has been accomplished for the year and your manager can then work with you to provide guidance one how to get to the next level. It is wonderful you have gained some more responsibilities and direct reports. Are there goals and objections and assessments in your current position that will help to provide guidance and focus to move you to the position and pay worthy of your current responsibilities? Hope this helps.

Advisor

David Eastman Gresham, OR

Hello, Angela

Thank you for your service!! As for negotiating for a raise, many people have trouble assessing their true value as it relates to salary and benefits. A couple of ways that you can find out the level of salary you should be making it to go into www.salary.com, type in your job title and it will give you salary ranges for your profession and reflect different areas around the country. You also could talk to some one who works in a similar profession and get their input on the salary you should be making.

When you go to negotiate your salary raise, have a range in mind versus a single figure. And make the bottom of the range the high wage you want so that, in the final negotiations, you will have met your goal for a higher raise.

David Eastman
US Navy Veteran

Advisor

David Eastman Gresham, OR

Hello, Angela

Thank you for your service!! As for negotiating for a raise, many people have trouble assessing their true value as it relates to salary and benefits. A couple of ways that you can find out the level of salary you should be making it to go into www.salary.com, type in your job title and it will give you salary ranges for your profession and reflect different areas around the country. You also could talk to some one who works in a similar profession and get their input on the salary you should be making.

When you go to negotiate your salary raise, have a range in mind versus a single figure. And make the bottom of the range the high wage you want so that, in the final negotiations, you will have met your goal for a higher raise.

David Eastman
US Navy Veteran

Advisor

Timothy Bowman Laguna Niguel, CA

Hi Angela,
You received many good responses here. I recommend reading Ask For More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Everything by Alexandra Carter, and I also recommend reading her information on LinkedIn, as she tailors much of her writing to women and negotiation in the workplace.

Advisor

Stephanie L. Los Angeles, CA

Hi Angela! Thank you for your service and I'm so glad you are advocating for yourself at work, and congratulations on your increased trust and the responsibilities you've been given. All of the responses in this thread are really good. I wanted to add one more idea that has been helpful for me and others who I have coached, which is also to create a brief list of your recent accomplishments (about 8-10 items, all fitting on 1 page) that you can bring with you to your meeting. It can be something simple like a list of bullet points with a little bit of context/description. The idea is to identify things you have done that have made a positive impact on the department or organization such as positive improvements, cost reductions, increased efficiencies, new programs, enhanced processes, and anything that makes the business better even in a small way. If you can put numbers behind it, that's also good (e.g., 'reduced costs by 10%' or 'increased program participation from 10 to 20 people'). Then, you can bring this list with you to your meeting with your supervisor and introduce it by keeping it positive by saying something like, 'I'm very happy to be here and part of the team, and out of enthusiasm, I made a list of things I'm proud of that I wanted to share with you. I hope it can be the start of a conversation that we can explore about the possibility of increasing my compensation to match the expanded scope of my responsibilities. I'm happy to be part of the team and excited to show you this list that I put together....' Then, you hand the list to them and it starts the conversation with a lot of possibility and collaboration. It also feels really good and is a boost of confidence just making the list of accomplishments. (This list can also help jumpstart or refresh a resume for when it's time to put feelers out for other opportunities.) And by positioning the list and conversation from a place of strength and easygoing professionalism, it helps to put you both on equal footing (as much as we can in this kind of a dynamic); it's also very diffusing because you're just sharing what you're proud of (and reminding your boss of all that you're doing :) I tend to lean towards asking for compensation by itself (especially if this is the more important thing) because often by bringing up compensation and job title at the same time, organizations view it as a choice and change a title without raising compensation; and sometimes by increasing compensation, the title is easier to increase later, but this varies by individual preference and situation. I hope this helps, let us know how it goes! I'm sure you'll do great!

Veteran

Doug Dicken Albuquerque, NM

Angela,

An additional tool for your toolbox would be to buy Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It written by former FBI negotiator, Chris Voss - https://info.blackswanltd.com/never-split-the-difference

He goes deep into the emotional intelligence, tactics and strategy of negotiations, and provides templates on how to sculpt your own negotiation to your situation. The book is addictive!

Keep being awesome,

Doug

Advisor

Jeff Martin Ashburn, VA

Depending on how large and how engaged your company’s HR department is, you might try asking HR to evaluate your role and ask them to help determine if it is graded at the right level and if you are paid competitively / appropriately for the work you are doing. A good HR dept will do that analysis but not every company has the HR capacity and willingness. Best of luck to you.

Advisor

Charles E. Cabler Florence, AL

Angela, I feel your pain. Been there, done that! In my situation, I wanted the bank position and accepted it without a raise or promotion, although it would have been nice to have. I worked diligently for six months to demonstrate my ability to do the job successfully. After six months, I conducted my own research for my position, or comparable position, nationally, within the state and with local banks. I requested a meeting with my manager, talked about my performance and as soon as he indidicated his satisfaction with my performance , I approached the subject cautiously, but using my research information. I ask for a reasonable raise amount and a promotion, and received both a raise and promotion from AVP to VP. He didn't want to lose a trained employee who could do the job at any other bank. A simple technique, but it worked. All the best to you.

Veteran

Amy Collingwood Honolulu, HI

Hi Angela,

Cathy and Giana have you covered with the talk track. That's great your manager is someone you can easily talk to and is helping you navigate your career. One other consideration to ask for is a new title (if appropriate). It sounds like your team is possibly expanding if the direct reports are new hires, so does your current title capture a leadership role sufficiently?

Even adding "lead" to a title can be helpful with transitioning and exploring new career opportunities.

Good luck - and congrats on crushing it!

Veteran

Angela Dickson Tomball, TX

Thank you both for your reply.

Cathy, your suggestion is spot on and something I’d actually say to my manager…thank you for keeping me on track. My manager and I have a great relationship and he’s always seemed to have my best interest at heart. Please keep in touch as I have heard great things about J&J and their respect for veteran employees.

Advisor

Richard Byrne Hillsborough, NJ

I've added instructions and links under this section of my EE webpage to help navigate the BLS.gov websites for employment & wage data:
http://eehot.com/ee.html#mentoring
To negotiate it is good to know where you and the other party stand.
Finding another job with higher pay would put you in a better bargaining position.
Alternate Compensation could include stock awards:
https://www.finra.org/investors/insights/employee-stock-awards-five-questions-workers-should-ask

Negotiation tips:
https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-and-skills/be-ready-for-salary-negotiations-with-these-8-tips

I've added Links to information & videos for job searches:
http://eehot.com/ee.html#jobs - commercial jobs
http://eehot.com/ee.html#gjobs - Fed. Gov jobs

Example job searches:
Higher education Leadership - your location:
https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Higher+Education+Leadership&l=Tomball%2C+TX&radius=100&vjk=f958cc8369a377f9

- location unspecified:
https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Higher+Education+Leadership&sc=0kf%3Aattr%286QC5F%252COR%29explvl%28SENIOR_LEVEL%29%3B&vjk=65ec802b4dbf4bb7

Another search:
https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Higher+Education+Leadership+%24125%2C000&sc=0kf%3Aattr%286QC5F%252COR%29explvl%28SENIOR_LEVEL%29%3B&vjk=971b46baebd90ff6

Human Resources search your location:
https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Human+Resources&l=Tomball%2C+TX&sc=0kf%3Aattr%286QC5F%252COR%29%3B&radius=100&vjk=f958cc8369a377f9

Good Luck!

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