5 tips to secure the pay rise you deserve

An important element of job satisfaction is being paid what you’re worth – but when it comes to negotiating a pay rise, people are often plagued by fear or self-doubt. Assume full control of your career by overcoming this obstacle.

We know that the economic climate, timing and your current salary rate play key roles in whether or not you’ll get the pay rise you want. In our experience, the biggest mistake professionals make is not proving how their value surpasses their current pay packet.

Successfully securing a pay rise depends on two key factors – clearly quantifying your contribution to the company, and building a bulletproof case. Here are five ways to prove you deserve a pay rise:

1. Skill up to get ahead

If you’ve completed a new qualification, finished some training or are undertaking a new career development program, make sure your boss knows about it. You don’t get any prizes for being shy. Spell out how you plan to translate your new knowledge and skills into benefits for the business so they can clearly see the value you are adding.

2. Go above and beyond

Meeting your targets is great – but that’s what your current salary rewards you for. To prove you deserve more, you need to regularly surpass your KPIs – and keep a record of it. The key word here is metrics – gather revenue figures, customer feedback and growth statistics to show how your performance is reaping dividends for the business.

3. Team leadership

Do your colleagues regard you as a leader? Do they often come to you for advice or guidance about their work? If you’re a junior staff member who has demonstrated leadership capabilities, use this position. Go to your boss with concrete examples of scenarios where you’ve led your team. Show how your effective leadership approach turned a project into a success.

Successfully securing a pay rise depends on two key factors – clearly quantifying your contribution to the company, and building a bulletproof case.

4. Business benefits

Did touching base with an old contact bring the business a hefty new account? Or maybe your campaign idea worked to multiply your customer base? If you’re proactive when it comes to accelerating the business, you should detail these initiatives to your employer and show them the tangible results.

5. A case for innovation

Some professionals are relentless innovators who design processes that can mean big cost savings for their business. If you belong in this category, we recommend flagging it with your employer. Outline the improvements you’ve made – in monetary terms – to inspire them to reward your new approach.

There are many ways to work towards a pay rise. Your best chance of reaping monetary benefits is making your employer aware of your true value to the business. That could be upskilling, going above and beyond your targets or bringing in new clients for the business.

What techniques have you used to successfully negotiate a pay rise? Share your experience in the Comments section below.

Michael Page