Probably, the caveats that you have learned about salary negotiation when you were offered the job, you have now would apply when you want to ask for a raise. It never hurts to negotiate. It never hurts to know what the industry standards are and what the fair market value of your job is. You could also ask what benchmarks are going to get you a higher salary.
If you think that you merit more than the across-the-board increase or performance-based raise that your company is giving, then negotiate. Here are some tips to help you get the salary increase you deserve.
1. Be confident.
If you are asking for additional benefits or an increase in your salary, then be confident that you do deserve it and do not second-guess or doubt yourself. During the job offer, the cardinal rule is that it does not hurt to negotiate, when it comes to raise negotiations, it does not hurt to ask.2. No appeal to pity please.
ChangingMinds.org defines argumentum ad misericordiam as trying to gain agreement by empathy or sympathy. Most people make the mistake of going through pity tactics or ad misericordiam when asking for a raise. They detail personal problems, which are more or less irrelevant, as a justification for getting a raise. Having too many bills to pay or getting a second mortgage is never a basis for getting a raise.Instead, talk about how much you deserve and why you deserve it. Be sure to tell your boss about your achievements, the things you have accomplished, what professional certifications you have pursued, and yes, you could tell your boss about what other people in your position are getting.
3. Is it the right time?
It would be difficult to get the salary you want if your employer is suffering from financial setbacks. You should be aware of how well your employer is doing financially by checking out business news or the company’s financial reports.Another important thing to look at is how you are contributing to the company’s bottom line. Sales people have this easy because they work with dollars. It may be more difficult for IT professionals to quantify just how much money they have saved by implementing systems and infrastructure, but you should be able to pinpoint a dollar value to the work that you do.
Furthermore, you might want to take your cue from the experts as to the right timing for a salary negotiation to help you get a raise. Cindy Perman at CNBC.com writes that January might be the right time to ask for a raise when the IT department has a fresh budget. If you have missed that, then your next best bets are in June and July. It really depends on when the business year starts in your company, or when it’s after your busy season.
4. Always set an appointment to talk about your salary.
It is a good practice to show your boss that you do mean business when negotiating for a higher salary. Set up an appointment and treat the negotiation as a business meeting. Face to face negotiations always work better than those coursed through e-mail or telephone.5. Be ready to prove your worth.
If your boss says that you are not yet ripe for a raise, then be ready to prove him wrong. If you have consented to a lower salary than what you expected when they gave you the job offer, but you agreed on set conditions that should happen for you to get your desired salary, then show your boss that you have met these conditions.If you have been in your position for quite some time or it is time for an annual review, then review all the achievements, certifications and skills you’ve acquired starting with the most recent going backwards.
6. Treat salary negotiations as a magic 8 ball.
If you do not get the salary that you want, there are a lot of options that you could take. You could wait for a while then ask for a raise again, or you quit your job. When the boss says no, try to figure out if the reasons are valid or not. If it is, you might want to wait it out and correct the criticisms leveled against you, and then ask for a raise. If it is not, then it might be time to find a new job.
7. I.T. professionals might benefit from a little bit of psychology.
It may be a good idea to take a look at what your boss thinks is important rather than what you think is important. You may have achieved a lot of things but these might not be in line with the goals your boss has for your department. For example, you might have completed a Microsoft certification, but your boss puts a premium on Internet security certifications. Know your boss’ priorities. This will make it easier for you to negotiate for a higher salary.8. Avoid these common salary negotiation mistakes.
- Talking to your boss unprepared.
The worst thing that you could do to sabotage your getting a raise is to talk to your boss about it without first preparing what you are going to say and how you are going to support it. For example, you go to your boss telling him or her that you deserve this much because you helped the IT department. When asked how your actions helped or when asked for more quantitative proof of your achievements, you have nothing to show for it. - Thinking that you deserve a higher salary just because you have been in the company for far too long.
Do not make the mistake of saying that you have not gotten a raise for so long. It does not matter how long you have been employed in the company, but how well you did during the last rating period. - Not preparing for a “no.”
Not every employee who asks for a raise is granted one every time. There are various reasons for raise requests getting turned down, so you must be able to handle a NO. - Giving an ultimatum.
Telling your boss that you’d quit if you don’t get a raise is a sure fire killer to the negotiation table. It may work for some because their bosses need them at that particular time, but you might find yourself having to follow through on your threats. - Not going beyond the “no.”
Sometimes people settle just to end the salary raise negotiations right there and then. But doing so, you are losing out on knowing just what is keeping you from getting that raise and how to get one in the future.
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