How to Get a Pay Raise

To get the salary you deserve at the job you have or the job you want, you have to have a plan. The best strategy to get a pay raise is to negotiate right before you accept a new job or during an annual performance review. The worst strategy for getting a raise is to wait until the day you hear about person X’s salary from a coworker at the snack machine, get angry and walk into your boss’s office. Maybe the boss is having a bad day. Your day could suddenly become very bad. However, you can handle this situation with grace. Read on to learn how to get a pay raise.

Things You'll Need

• An ability to track and explain your accomplishments

Instructions

Get the Ball Rolling

1. Do arrange to meet with your boss, or boss to be. Ask your boss to spell out the criteria or accomplishments you need to prove to earn a raise.

2. Ask your boss to layout a time line, and milestones to be accomplished along the way, for when a pay raise is be possible.

3. Set a specific date to meet with your boss to review your performance and decide a possible raise.

4. Research your company's financial health and salaries in your career field. Use websites like Salary to learn what people in your job earn.

5. Get a status check. Arrange a meeting with your boss at the half way mark to see where you are on track--or falling short --of meeting performance expectations.

6. Don't leave your meeting without an agreement that you will write up a summary of what your boss said, and when you will meet again.

7. Do have your boss agree to sign off on your summary as being correct or make any needed changes.

Salary Review Meeting With Your Boss

1. Do track your accomplishments. Create files including anything that shows how you have met or exceeded performance goals.

2. Review your accomplishments before your meeting. Be able to explain and prove, where and how you have met, and gone beyond, objectives your boss gave you.

3. Be able to give detail on areas that don’t meet performance goals, how and what you are doing to fix any problems.

4. Have a concise story for why you deserve a raise and what you have done to deserve it.

Negotiation

1. Be realistic. Understand the company’s financial situation. If there are layoffs more money may be impossible.

2. Regardless of your company’s financial health, be willing to ask for increases in benefits that will improve the quality of your life--other than money.

3. Ask for flexible work hours, the option to work from home, more vacation time, education and training programs, parking or money for public transportation.

Prepare for the Unexpected

1. After all this you still may not get any more money. Do set goals and a time line for another meeting to discuss a pay raise.

2. Get a clear understanding of what areas need improvement and what you need to do to fix them.

3. Write down your new goals and get your boss to agree to them.

4. Don't threaten to resign if you don’t mean it or get what you want. Some people get angry after a salary review and threaten to quit. Don't threaten to quit unless you have another job.

5. Get back to work.

Resources

• Salary website