Career quandary: How can I ask for a pay rise?
Harriet Allan at Penguin Recruitment responds to a question currently on many employees’ minds.
Question: I’m an established senior planner in the private sector, however, I lack the confidence to ask for a pay rise and have only been given small increases in recent years. With the rising cost of living, a growing family to support and more responsibilities added to my role lately I am looking for a more significant pay increase but I’m unsure how to approach my boss about it. What advice can you offer me?
Harriet Allan says…
As a result of the rise in cost of living, many companies are considering how they can better support their employees. However, when asking for a pay rise you need to do your research and build your case for it.
Do you know your worth? What is the highest potential salary you could be earning for your role? Planning Jobs is a good place to start to get an idea of what remuneration packages other companies are offering.
Make a list of your key achievements during your time at the company and the value you bring to the business. Highlight anything quantifiable and remind them of the great results you’ve generated. You mentioned your role now involves additional responsibilities so be sure to emphasise those.
Your employer will be aware that it is a candidate driven market at the moment and how difficult it will be to replace you should they fail to see the value you bring to the team and reward you accordingly.
Have in mind the minimum you would accept, as well as your ideal top figure. Consider whether there is something else you’d be happy with instead of a pay increase if that’s not possible right now, or not as significant as you’d hoped. For example, could you benefit from shorter hours for the same pay or a performance related bonus?
If you don’t come away with the result you feel you deserve then you may want to consider alternative career opportunities. Explore planning jobs with Penguin Recruitment here.
