How to ask for a salary increase - good advice. How to ask for a salary increase from management? Let's go for a promotion using an example

All managers without exception do not like to talk about this topic. The standard responses to your request are usually “We’re going through a difficult period right now” and “I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

You have been working in the company for a long time, you are valued, loved and respected... but only in words, which, alas, do not add weight to your wallet. Or, on the contrary, you are new to your job, but have already demonstrated brilliant results and you don’t want management to get into the habit of patting you on the shoulder instead of rewarding you for your achievements and saying: “Great, keep it up.” There can be many reasons, but the situation is the same: you are faced with the need to ask for a salary increase, but natural modesty/inability to conduct such conversations/fear of refusal (underline as appropriate) is preventing you from achieving your goal. What to do?

Try using a universal cheat sheet.

What to ask for?

The most important thing that the person asking should have (besides personal charm and professional skills) is compelling arguments for which he should suddenly be paid more than before.

There are two main reasons for requests for an increase, which do not cause controversy among experts in the personnel market - “increase in the volume of work” and “expansion of job responsibilities.” These are the most winning options when you can get what you want.

Controversial Arguments

• 1 Salary below market level
  In principle, you can appeal to the fact that the market will give you more. But be prepared to immediately go to this market and go if this remark is not to the taste of your manager. In addition, you need to take into account that when you applied for a job at the company, you agreed to this salary and knew what you were getting into.
  Conclusion: the argument is not suitable for all cases, but, for example, for those when you joined a company a long time ago, since then the salaries of specialists of your qualifications have increased in the market, but in your company they have not.
• 2 Improving your qualifications
  Of course, the very fact that you knew how to use two office applications, and now you can work fluently in four, or instead of translating texts with a dictionary, you learned to produce a high-quality literary translation without a dictionary, is highly commendable. But, by and large, management doesn’t care at all how you perform the work assigned to you. The main thing is that it is done on time.
  Conclusion: if you use new skills and knowledge to perform the same job responsibilities, then keep in mind that advanced training is more likely to brighten up your resume, rather than a monologue about a salary increase addressed to management.
• 3 Extensive work experience in the company
  Loyalty is a wonderful quality, but... you have been sitting in a company for years, in the same position, which is not key, and you have only asked for an increase now? Apparently, you are not particularly popular on the labor market, why would a company pay you more? Be happy with what you have.
  Conclusion: definitely, long-term work experience in one company will give you additional points in the eyes of HR specialists if you decide to change jobs.
• 4 Offers from competitors
  Another company is ready to make an offer to you, but you want to stay with your home company? This approach can work, however, firstly, your boss may regard it as blackmail, and secondly, the boss will know that you are already looking to the left.

Conclusion: who will be fired from the company at the first hint of crisis?

Invalid Arguments

It would be extremely unwise to negotiate a salary increase based on one of the following reasons:

• 1 “Ivanov works in the same position as me, but earns 10,000 more.”
  - So he does three times more than you. Based on this, your salary can also be cut!
• 2 “I took out a car loan, but I have nothing to pay back.”
  - But I don’t have enough for a bungalow in Goa! Maybe you can lend me some?
• 3 “There is inflation in the country...”
  But with this - to the Ministry of Finance. If you increase the wages of all company employees every year, you can launch a business around the world!

How to ask?

Asking for a salary increase is a negotiation. And like any negotiations, it requires setting a business problem, preliminary preparation and mastery of equipment. So what should you do before the big conversation?

Scout the situation

You need to find out what the company's salary increase practices are. Perhaps it is indexed once a year to all employees, then your individual manifesto may not be understood. Or the company accepts bonuses not for achievements, but for length of service, and you haven’t worked that long yet. And so on. You also need to understand who is responsible for salary increases - your immediate boss or your boss's boss? In the latter case, you will most likely have to convey the request through your line manager and rely on the boss's negotiating skills.

Choose the right time to talk

The main thing is not to start talking about a raise on Monday when you arrive at work and on Friday five minutes before the end of the working day. But seriously, you should choose the right moment when everything is good in the company with a profit, some project has been implemented, for which you are also credited, a positive result has been obtained, in which you are also involved. An extremely bad time to ask for an increase would be, for example, when the company is undergoing an audit, some major event is coming, or costs are being optimized.

Prepare arguments and responses to objections

The arguments have been discussed above. Answering objections is a tool in the arsenal of a sales specialist who always knows how to respond to statements from a potential client such as “your product is too expensive” or “why should I buy a new phone model right now, my old one is still working.” Consider possible options for developing the dialogue and the boss’s objections. How will you respond if he says that the company has no money now, or suggests postponing the conversation until later?

Prepare escape routes

A cheerful “yes” is not the answer you are most likely to hear from a manager. Rather, these will be variations on the theme “yes, but...”, “maybe” or “not at the moment.” Be prepared for rejection and don't take it as a personal failure. Perhaps your boss was not prepared for the demands you made, and when he thinks about them, he will give a more desirable answer. Do not put pressure on the manager, demanding an immediate decision. Give him time. Your task is to get a specific answer, yes or no, and its rationale. If the manager is not ready to answer immediately, you should delicately tell him that you will come for an answer later and set a date for a follow-up meeting. You should be firm in this matter! Otherwise, you may never get specifics.

Think over a plan for further action

It is needed in case, after all the days taken for reflection, the final answer sounds like “no.” A negative result is also a result. Having received it and listened to the boss’s arguments, you will be able to understand how best to proceed in the future - try to return to the conversation next time and get your way, or look for happiness elsewhere.

Two typical situations

Now let’s look at two typical situations when an employee aims to ask for a raise, and ask our expert to comment on them.

• Case 1. An employee performs routine work. He knows his job and does it well, but due to the nature of his position, his work activity does not imply the achievement of significant results. How to motivate the request for an increase in this case?

Instructions

Decide what you can offer your boss. The conversation should not begin with the phrases: “I don’t have enough money” or “I don’t get paid enough.” First you need to justify why you deserve to be paid more. Maybe you're working overtime? Or have you been replacing the head of your department for six months while he is on sick leave and have mastered all the intricacies of the profession? Or have you received a new education and can apply for a more qualified job? In any case, you must somehow justify your request.

Prepare a portfolio. Let's say if you work in sales, prepare graphs that show the steady growth of your sales. If you work in the PR department, collect all the newspaper clippings, television and radio recordings to show what Herculean work you do for the benefit of the company. You must prove to your superiors that you are doing an excellent job and that you are not asking for a salary increase out of nowhere.

Think about what you can do for your boss if you receive a new position or a new salary. Maybe you will propose a new concept for the development of the company or one of its departments. Or a new brand. Or a new computer program that makes the work of company employees easier. Or you simply vow to work harder, better, stronger... It is not necessary to offer something revolutionary. The main thing is that this “something” is real in execution and allows the company to get ahead of its competitors.

Don't complain. The least of your bosses cares is that you have ten loans, your wife is about to give birth to their fifth child, and your neighbor is threatening to sue for a dented car. Your problems are your problems. The fact that you have a lot of them is not a reason to increase your salary.

If you and your boss are on good or even friendly terms, prepare for the conversation with special care. The fact that you drank with him while fishing last fall does not mean that you will immediately receive a top manager position with a salary of 100 thousand rubles. The boss evaluates you first and foremost as an employee. Plus, if he gives you new responsibilities, it means he trusts you. And it is important for you not to let your boss down.

Before the conversation, it’s a good idea to study the Labor Code and the employment contract. It may turn out that it is not necessary to demand a salary increase. Maybe you are entitled to some payments by law, you just don’t know about them. It’s worth mentioning them in a conversation if your boss can’t raise your salary (for example, if you work in a government office) or doesn’t want to.

Don't hesitate in conversation. Look your boss straight in the eye. Speak confidently and with reason. Don't make a fuss. You did not come to ask, not to humiliate yourself, but to take what is yours. Remember that it is possible to get your salary increased. The main thing is to convince yourself of this. And then the boss.

It is sometimes easier to defend other people's interests than your own. If you know you deserve more, talk to your manager about a salary increase. We asked business coach Andrey Anuchin to tell us how to benefit from these negotiations - regardless of their outcome.

There is a separate section of HeadHunter dedicated to price negotiations in any area of ​​life. There is no need to be afraid to offer a high price: during the course you will learn how to argue it correctly and not fall into the trap of more experienced interlocutors. For example, people like your boss.

Stage one. Preparing for negotiations and managing the situation

Timing

People are much kinder and more positive towards everyone around them and their requests when they are full. Therefore, it is better to negotiate after lunch.

Prepare and rehearse your first phrase

The first sentence must be precise. It sets the tone for the entire conversation.

“I want a raise” or “I think I deserve better” or “pay me more or I’ll quit” - all options have their pros and cons. Which option is right for your case?

Be sure to rehearse the first phrase at least in dialogue with your wife or husband. You must pronounce it in such a way that they believe you and you believe in it yourself.

Consider the interests of third parties

How does the leader reason? “If I increase now, it might become a habit. If I raise one, everyone will have to raise.” Your compensation may be a political issue for a manager whose decision will affect many people.

The following situation arose on one of the projects. There were simple problems that everyone could solve. And complex tasks that only I could solve.

I negotiated for a salary increase, but got nothing. Later, I found out what the manager was afraid of: my colleagues might find out that my remuneration had been increased for solving simple problems, and they would also begin to demand an increase.

Therefore, it was necessary to ask for a promotion only for solving difficult problems and convince the manager that no one would know about the promotion.

Define your negotiation situation

Is this your “last fight”? Or is this “reconnaissance in force”? A way to test the strength of a stone wall or a game of roulette based on the principle of “what comes up”?

These negotiations can be approached in different ways. If this is the “last battle,” then we need to act more seriously and decisively.

Determine the best alternative to failed negotiations

Think about what you will do if your manager refuses to raise your salary.

Will you continue to work as before? Or will you write a statement? Or will you tell nasty things about the leader behind his back? Or will you perform another feat to prove that you are worthy of a promotion?

Maybe your manager simply doesn’t have the resources to increase remuneration right now. Will you offer your help to find these resources?

Determine what kind of negotiations you are going to have

At manipulative negotiations Each side uses various tricks and tricks, hoping to deceive the enemy. Usually in such a game the manager is stronger, but the employee can also create a successful situation. For example, when you demand a salary increase at a corporate party: by playing on the same team, you save the boss’s life and hint at reciprocal gratitude on his part.

Power negotiations associated with the struggle for power and the demonstration of power. You can negotiate with power when you pose a threat or have a valuable resource. For example, threaten to leave for competitors if your fee does not double from tomorrow.

If you have power, there is always a temptation to use it. But remember that people don't like to be pushed against the wall. They may refuse you just to maintain power. And if they agree, they will harbor a grudge and sooner or later they will remind you of it.

Business meeting come from a partnership relationship between you and the manager. You do one thing, and in order to achieve better results, ask for the necessary working conditions. You evaluate your gains and losses, your boss's gains and losses, and bargain, showing how each party can minimize losses and increase mutual benefits.

Stage two. To battle

During the negotiation process, two problems must be solved sequentially.

The first task is to achieve the very fact of discussing your salary.

The second task is to achieve what you want through the negotiation process.

Make sure there are no distractions for you and your manager.

If the conversation is not very pleasant for the manager, he will want to avoid it under some pretext. Therefore, you should have enough time to discuss all issues.

Non-verbal

If you believe that you need this money and if you want to get it, then don't smile. A good leader is a good psychologist. He will determine in about 15 seconds whether it will be easy to refuse you. If you smile, it means you come in peace. So you will leave in peace. And without money.

State the purpose of the negotiations

Your memorized confident phrase is important here.

“I would like to discuss the issue of increasing the fee by 10%.” Or “Can we discuss raising my salary?”

It only takes a few seconds for the manager to understand whether your request is worth taking seriously, so you need to be as natural and confident as possible.

Give reasons why you are applying for a salary increase

Maybe you accomplished a feat? Maybe you have obvious and objective merits?

Tell us about your strengths and achievements. There must be at least three reasons why you deserve the best.

Don't dump everything at once - save your strongest arguments for the end of the negotiations. You don’t think that the manager will immediately agree with you?

Don't ask "Why?"

There are no ideal workers. There will always be reasons to refuse. You came to talk not about why you can’t raise your salary, but about why you need to do it. Therefore, instead of studying the cockroaches in the manager’s head, follow your own line - argue for your own merits and advantages.

Don't leave without a clear answer

Your task is to achieve a certain reaction. Yes means yes, no means no.

Leaders often use manipulation and avoidance. Remember, most often they have more experience in negotiations than you.

“I don’t decide this”, “let’s wait”, “show what you are capable of” - this is all avoiding the answer and the desire to leave everything as it is.

Stage three. After negotiations

If the negotiations are a success, thank the manager, praise yourself and accept congratulations.

If negotiations fail, now is the time to do what you decided in advance: to implement the best alternative to unsuccessful negotiations.

Remember that negotiation is a game in which you can always make a new move. Therefore, approach this issue strategically. Use any manager's decision to achieve your own goals.

The employer has the right to increase the employee’s salary if there are grounds for this by concluding an additional agreement to the employment contract and completing the necessary documents. In particular, the employer can increase wages to employees in the following cases:

• The employee is transferred to a higher paying position;
• Organizational working conditions have changed (for example, the working conditions in which employees work have changed, the working hours have changed, etc.);
• Technological working conditions have changed (for example, the production process has become more complex, new technologies have been introduced that complicate the work of workers, equipment used in the production process has been added, etc.);
• The company carried out wage indexation.

In addition to the reasons listed above, the employer may decide to increase wages to employees if the company’s financial performance improves. An employer can increase wages for all employees of the company, as well as for individual employees or a specific department - this remains at his discretion. But what to do if the manager does not increase wages? The employee should take the initiative and write an application for a salary increase.

Application for salary increase (sample)

The unified form of the form has not been approved. The application must be drawn up in free form, following certain rules.

In the header of the document you must write to whom the application is addressed. It is customary to write the position and full name. This is the first point where employees often stumble: in whose name should the application be written? To the immediate superior, department head, general director, head of the human resources department? It is for this reason that they often look for an application for a salary increase - a sample or example of a form. Typically, an application for a salary increase is written to the general director, and is visaed by your manager. Next, indicate from whom the application was received. In addition to your full name, indicate your position, for example: “From Ivan Nikolaevich Petrov, sales department specialist.”

Next, you must indicate the name of the document: “Application for an increase in wages.” In the body of the statement, get to the main point of the issue. It is recommended that the text of the application provide a reasoned explanation of why the employee asks the manager to consider the application for a salary increase. It is worth indicating the real successes and achievements that were achieved while working in this position in this company. It is worth indicating achievements in numbers: how much the performance of a department or a separate area of ​​work that is in the employee’s area of ​​responsibility has increased.

Common mistakes when writing an application for a salary increase

When writing an application, you should use a business style and also try to avoid the following mistakes:

• Too much text, excessively detailed presentation of the essence of the appeal;
• You should not compare wages with the wages of other employees;
• You should not compare the amount of work performed with the amount of work of other employees.

In the text of the application, the employee should indicate the amount of the increase he expects. It is worth considering that the general director may not remember the salary amounts of the company’s employees, so the amount indicated by the employee will help him make a decision more quickly. Having completed the main part of the application, you must put a date of completion and signature.

The immediate manager should endorse the application for a salary increase “I don’t mind, full name.”

Deciding to go to the boss yourself with a request is not so easy. But what to do if the employer doesn’t see your achievements and doesn’t even think about revising your motivation? Long gone are the days when salaries could only be increased upon transfer to another position. If you think it’s time to increase the treasured amount, follow the advice.

Step one. Prepare yourself mentally.

Experts say that the value of an employee is determined by three factors: the significance of his work for the company, real and potential skills and the average market value of specialists in his profile. You need to have a clear understanding of these components - then you will be able to evaluate yourself from the employer’s point of view and successfully build a dialogue with him.

“The manager goes for an increase in compensation only if he is sure that the employee deserves it,” says Anna Lenda, head of the HR department of Creative Media CJSC. “In order not to look unfounded, it is necessary to back up your words with documents and specific figures confirming success.” .

Anna Babakina, HR manager at Syngenta, agrees with this: “You need to prepare for a conversation with the employer in advance. To do this, you need to answer yourself the question: why should I actually increase my salary? And it’s best to back up the answer to this question with facts confirming that you are truly a valuable employee. Remember your achievements, initiatives, proposals that were accepted and benefited the company. You can also note what you learned while working in this organization, what new tasks or activities you mastered, that is, how much you expanded your functionality as a specialist.”

“Secondly, assess whether your salary really lags behind the market,” continues Anna. “This can be done by looking at the vacancies that are published on job search sites.” “You can gather information by interviewing people you know from other companies, as well as by looking at advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet. There is no point in asking for a raise if your current salary is already higher than the market average,” advises Anna Lenda.

Step two. Choose the right moment.

Preparing for a conversation should not be limited to just systematizing your knowledge and arguments in favor of promotion. Half the success depends on the right choice of moment and time for conversation. Psychologists advise not to pester your boss with a request for a raise in the first half of the day, since this is when the most work is done. It’s better to do this after lunch: there are fewer urgent matters, and a well-fed person is in a more complacent mood. If you look at it more broadly, it hardly makes sense to stutter about a salary increase when the company is not doing well. In addition, you should not ask for a raise on payday.

“Have you successfully completed the probationary period and fulfilled all the requirements and tasks assigned to you for this period? At this moment, you can safely apply for a salary increase, says Anna Lenda. “However, you shouldn’t talk about a promotion if you recently (less than 6 months ago) already made this request, and the issue was resolved in your favor.” Maria Zhukova adds that if an employee applying for a promotion has made a serious work error on the eve of a scheduled conversation, the conversation should be postponed until the situation is resolved positively. Also, do not discuss salary increases casually - wait until the manager has time for full communication.

Olesya Milekhina, general director of the recruitment agency Helion Image, believes that it is necessary to ask for an increase in “salary or bonus part of compensation after several years of work in one company, if during this time the motivation system has not changed.”

Step three. Choose a place to talk.

It is best to talk to the boss in his own office: he feels on his territory and is completely relaxed. According to Maria Zhukova, resolving issues about salary increases at corporate parties is a common mistake. At such holidays, the manager, of course, is often in a good mood, but is clearly not in the mood to resolve work issues. He will listen to your request and your arguments, but most of the information will fall on his ears.

Step four. The decisive conversation.

Finally, you come to the main point: the conversation with the manager. Psychologists try to reassure: “An increase in salary or promotion is not a matter of life and death, but just the acquisition of another life experience, and, of course, a way to improve your financial and social situation. Don't forget that there are always plenty of alternative possibilities to achieve what you want. You just need to learn to see and use them.”

But their beliefs rarely work: at the most crucial moment, the employee begins to worry, and the conversation may turn out to be crumpled or even simply not take place.

Make a plan in your head of what you want to say. Experts advise that instead of saying that you are not satisfied with your current salary or position, as most people do, you need to take a different approach. For a successful outcome of salary negotiations, you can demonstrate to your boss your own achievements or market dynamics, as a result of which similar specialists in competing companies began to earn more.

We asked our experts to simulate the situation of a conversation with a boss.

Anna Lenda: “Ivan Ivanovich, I wanted to discuss my work with you. I really enjoy working in our company and want to make the most of it. Therefore, it is important for me to understand how you evaluate me. What do you think I still need to work on? Do you think I have prospects for a promotion or salary increase (of course, if the company has such an opportunity)? I want to present my chances and your assessment of my work. After all, wages are also an assessment.”

“You shouldn’t justify your desire to get more money with the words: “I’ve been working for two years, I’ve never been on vacation and I’ve never taken sick leave,” or “I spend all weekends in the office,” continues Lenda. “Such arguments will cause nothing but irritation.” Under no circumstances give an ultimatum: “Either you raise my salary or I quit.” The most likely answer would be “Quit.”

And here is an example of Olesya Milekhina’s answer: “Ivan Ivanovich! Could you give me a few minutes? I really enjoy working in our company. I am interested in the tasks that I solve, I have established good relationships in the team, and I see further prospects for professional and career growth. The only thing I know is that the level of income of specialists with my education and experience last year on average in the market increased by 20%. In this regard, would you consider revising my motivation system or listen to my suggestions on this issue?”

What if it’s a refusal?

Psychologists again try to console: refusal is not a reason for depression. If you are denied a salary increase, talk to your manager about giving you more responsibilities that will be rewarded. If this option does not suit you, then directly ask what is involved in this decision. “Even if an employer wants to increase your salary, he cannot always do this,” says Anna Lenda. – In this case, ask when you can return to this conversation. If you are rejected because the quality of your work does not meet management's expectations, ask what you need to change to improve your results. Make a list of goals and objectives so that both you and your manager are clear on what you agreed on.”

Olesya Milekhina and Maria Zhukova agree with this opinion: “If an employee is generally satisfied with his current place of work, you should not make a hasty decision to leave the company. It will be appropriate to return to the conversation about salary increases in a few months.”