For some people, asking for a pay rise comes naturally, but for others, it could be daunting. If you think you would like to ask for more than your current pay and your request is within the relevant salary range, you should consider letting your Manager know.

We have put together some tips to help you succeed in asking for higher pay:

Choose the right time

Asking for a pay rise when your manager or supervisor feels receptive will increase your chances of getting a positive result. Several factors will influence their receptiveness, including The business’ financial health, Your Managers workload, The time of year, Your recent achievements and Your work progress.

Research salary trends

Researching salary trends allows you to know the salaries of other professionals in similar roles. Enter your job title into the Indeed Salaries search. This tool gives the average national salary for your job and the salary spread across the country. Browsing through job advertisements for similar roles in your local area can help you determine a fair salary.

Schedule a meeting with your manager

Schedule a private meeting with your manager to discuss your salary. You can ask your manager for a meeting in person or via a video conferencing platform. Suggest meeting to chat about your performance, rather than your salary, as some managers could be seen to avoid financial discussions.

Prepare and practise your script

Preparing content for asking for a pay rise can help you feel confident during your meeting. Depending on your confidence speaking, you may write a list of bullet points or a more developed script with complete sentences. Your script should have three key parts:

– An introduction: state your purpose for calling the meeting
– The body of your speech: note your ideal salary, how you arrived at that figure and the reasons why you feel you deserve a pay rise
– Your conclusion: summarise your strengths, note your preferred pay increase and invite your manager to comment.

Dress for business

Dressing well on the day of your meeting will give your manager a positive impression and help them see you as a more senior, serious member of staff. Dress as you would for a job interview or an important presentation. If your workplace has a casual dress code, a suit or dress may seem out of place. However, a smart shirt or blouse with dress pants or a skirt can elevate your appearance.

Ask for a pay rise

Once you step into your manager’s office, you’re ready to ask for your pay rise. Take your time delivering your prepared content. Maintain eye contact to show your confidence. After delivering your proposal, give your manager time to respond. They may like to have more details about the achievements you have mentioned or projects you were a part of. Answer their questions thoughtfully, expanding on your positive contributions. After getting all the information they need, your manager may try negotiating with you. Return to your research and achievements as evidence that you deserve the full pay rise amount. Ask your manager why the full amount is not possible. Forces beyond their control, such as budget constraints, may be a factor. Your manager may also want you to have more skills, training or responsibilities before they increase your salary.

Thank your manager for their time

Whether or not they agreed to your pay rise, make sure you thank your manager for meeting with you. Thank them personally in the room, then again in a follow-up email later that day or, if you had an afternoon meeting, the next business day. In addition to thanking your manager for their time, your email should summarise why you felt deserving of a pay rise and the points you both discussed.

Example of a pay rise request letter:

Dear William,

I am writing this letter to submit a request for a salary increase. I have worked at International Sports World for eight years and look forward to furthering my career here. I have been and remain enthusiastic about taking on new responsibilities and duties in this role.

My recent achievements speak as to why I deserve a salary increase. I have received numerous accolades over the past year from you and my departmental manager, and I was the employee of the year following the end-of-year review. I have achieved the following goals in the past year:

– Installing new software systems to ensure that equipment remains secure and allows for fast operations
– Ensuring that new equipment requirements and spending remains in budget and allows us to make up for financial losses incurred over the previous year
– Managing a large media team to come up with new international sports stories that broadcasters were interested in.

Taking into account these achievements, I feel that a …..% increase in pay is a reasonable amount. According to the data for my city, my position pays an average salary of £…… per year, which is …..% higher than my current salary.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my request. I am happy to negotiate, so please don’t hesitate to ask for any further information.

Sincerely,

Emma Smith

Example of a Thank you email:

Dear Ms Antony,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me this afternoon to discuss my compensation. I mentioned the MBA I received through independent study during my five years at the company and my increased role in hiring and training salespeople. I also noted my strong sales record, including exceeding sales targets repeatedly by 15% to 30% each month.

I understand budgets are tight at the moment and appreciate your offer of a 4% salary increase. While it is less than the 7% I asked for, I hope that when we regroup in a year’s time to discuss the matter, as you suggested, I can look forward to a further pay rise.

Thank you again for your time and consideration,

Oliver Smith