Salary Negotiation

When something in your job changes
This is the first and most important thing you should look for where initiating a salary negotiation. It is a very expansive reason and can incorporate many possible types of scenarios – but an important change in the workplace normally provides the perfect opportunity to ask for a raise on many occasions. It may be that part of your job remit is unexpectedly changed, it could be that a department within your business is scaled down, disbanded, or otherwise amalgamated into another part of the business, thereby changing the role that you have to perform, or a fellow co-worker may move on and you might have to assume some or all of their responsibilities either on a temporary or permanent basis

…The thing to remember is that sooner or later change always occurs, and it will be down to you to prove to your employer how these changes have impacted the role you have to perform and what you’ve done to merit a raise in light of this…

Changes linked with inflation/ cost of living
This is one of the most basic reasons you can have for asking for a pay raise. It’s normally one of the areas that unions deal with on behalf of their members, but in circumstances where there is no representation in your line of work, then it may come down to you as a hard-working and conscientious employee to bring this to your employer’s attention.

The most important thing about this type of approach is that you need to come prepared with basic facts about the rising costs of living. (A basic rise in the cost of living is normally anywhere between 2-4%, depending on the price index you use)

With this type of approach, you should also try to emphasize the things that affect you most like rent, fuel, food, transportation costs, as they are linked to the value of inflation

…You should be able to present regional and national statistics about selected demographics to your employer as concerns these things as well. Don’t be afraid to speak openly with your employer under these circumstances. Personalize your approach if you can! Portray basic facts about the costs of living as they impact you. Talk to your employer about how these affect you and be relatable; keeping the overall tone of your conversation constructive and professional, and linking in where possible examples of how an increase in salary might also help improve performance

With this approach don’t underestimate the importance of emphasizing both your own individual contributions and where appropriate, the strong performance of your company as a whole (assuming it has performed well)

Exceeding targets or workplace metrics
Another instance where it would be most appropriate to approach your employer would be when you have met or exceeded a target or important metric in your role. Especially in an instance where you do this on a regular basis, or where you have achieved something notable that greatly benefits your company

Other instances of workplace changes
These may include things like an annual review, or perhaps an important presentation or major announcement in which a new directive or new policy outlines are unveiled by your company. These can be viewed as focal points within the workplace, and as such provide a great opportunity from which to make your approach

Focal points are events that precipitate change in your workplace either straight away, or at a point in the near future. Approaching your employer at such times will usually work much better than simply approaching them out of the blue, and when you consider the leverage you have at times when your employer is imposing additional challenges or procedures into your working environment, it makes sense to use these to your advantage

Don’t forget that focal points are usually things that are presented within the workplace in very positive and upbeat ways. They are normally centred around announcements involving changes or events taking place within your company. If you are shrewd, you can even incorporate some of the messages being made during these announcements into your own pitch for a salary increase

In all of these circumstances common sense and your own good judgement will be the main determining factors. If your job role changes and you take on additional responsibilities – it is much more prudent to wait until you have been performing in your new role for a given length of time – anywhere from six weeks to 3 months– before approaching your employer to ask for a salary increase

For situations that involve announcements or specific company events, presenting your case for a salary increase will probably work much better if you approach your employer immediately after those events occur. In instances where you are initiating a salary negotiation based on your performance it is sensible to establish a history of exceeding performance targets before you do so. As an employee you are generally expected to perform well anyway – so be prepared to have a potentially challenging conversation with your employer before you see any results – a salary negotiation is a situation where persistence often pays – that’s why it’s best to only ever approach your employer from a position of strength, for instance; at times when your performance stands out from the norm or you’re already meeting agreed performance targets following previous reviews. Lastly, you need to have patience too. It could possibly take many business quarters, perhaps even a full annum or more, before you’re realistically in a position to negotiate for the increase you’ve worked so hard for

Also, remember that there are other potential benefits to a salary negotiation outwith a rise in salary…
As we discussed earlier…when preparing for any salary negotiation your main focus should always be to make an effective pitch to your employer to try and convince them to give you what you are asking for. The secondary objective, which will be largely dependent on the answer you receive, would be to ensure that you are making the most of the negotiation itself by looking for any additional opportunities that might present themselves during it. This would be in a ‘worst case scenario’ where you are unsuccessful in attaining what you have initially asked for. In that instance, remember that an employer will certainly notice any time you approach them to instigate a salary discussion. Even if they decline your request, there is every chance their opinion of you could still go up and as an employer, they are guaranteed to be more attentive to your needs as an employee, on top of which, they will almost certainly be more aware of your desire to progress within the business, that’s why it’s important to remember that there may be opportunities outwith the actual negotiation itself

For instance, your employer may be willing to give you the opportunity to prove yourself by widening your area of responsibility, and this might lead to a promotion further on down the line. Or they might be willing to agree a deadline with you, at which point if you’ve met a certain target or achieved a certain goal, they might accede to your request, or may be willing to make concessions in other areas – that’s why there are all sorts of useful outcomes that can possibly occur from a salary negotiation – and this is a possibility you should always prepare for with pre-rehearsed follow-up questions that you can use as a contingency if your initial salary request is denied

This is a good point at which to revisit what was discussed earlier, which is the fact even that if your employer is unwilling to negotiate on salary, there are other areas you can look at such as signing or performance bonuses, health benefits, vacation time, or even pensions, and you should be prepared to discuss these areas with your employer if your initial approach fails