Help me negotiate a payrise

[MonkeyontheShelf]

I need to ask for a payrise at work. Usually payrises would be discussed as part of the end of year performance review process, which takes place April. However, my DH has been made redundant from a senior position. The job market is very slow and we need to remortgage in a years time. I've done a couple of AIPs and currently on my salary alone I don't earn enough to remortgage for the amount we need, even if we pay off a big chunk using the redundancy payout. I earn about half of what DH used to bring in including bonus. He's doing every right in terms of job hunting, but has consistently been told at his level that it could take months to secure a role.

Background at my job is - I was promoted in Feb 2022. Since then I have consistently overperformed and I now have considerably more responsibility in terms of line management, clients, and projects I'm running. I'm seen as a safe pair of hands and have been brought in to advise other people at my level (who I know are being paid more than me). I've just had a mid-year review and have been told I'm performing 'above expectations'. We discussed progression and the fact that the company is growing and changing quickly. Currently at my level (managerial) there are a lot of employees, next level for promotion is director which has far fewer roles. So until the structure changes, or someone leaves, there isn't a natural opportunity for promotion.

Currently the company is growing and there are a number of roles being hired for at my level, including a permanent hire for a role I'm currently covering in an interim role (alongside other commitments so not feasible for me to cover full time). The role has an advertised salary band with a range of £25k. I entered my role at the bottom of the range, and apart from an inflationary payrise (not performance related) I have not progressed along the band. I know others have been hired in on a much higher salary than me.

I would like help formulating an argument as to why they should consider giving me a payrise now, based on the above. My feeling is - they are hiring, given my experience now if they hired me at the moment into that role I wouldn't be at the entry level. I'm coaching and mentoring those that are newly promoted into the level, and am seen as someone experienced, with expertise, and who can be relied upon to deliver.

So - any advice on how to do this? I want to be factual and not get upset, given the stress of the current situation we are in.

The primarly leverage for getting a payrise is the threat that if you don't you will move somewhere else and get more money.

Needless to say you have to be prepared to go through with the threat if they don't deliver.

I wouldn't be direct in issuing that threat. I would just make it known to my manager that I was not happy with my current renumeration. If the response to that is nothing or some lacklustre crap excuse like no one is getting a payrise, then I would go.

Your performance review is the best case to claim a salary increase.

If someone says to you, you are doing great, this that and the other, it's hard for them to refuse when you say "I'm looking forward to the pay rise I should be getting as a result of my exemplary performance then".

Bottom line is that recruiting good people costs money and is risky as they might not turn out that well. If they are paying you below your worth then they will come up with something, provided you aren't stuck in some sort of role where there are set bands that can't be altered. In that case you might want to consider moving to a job where salary negotiations are more flexible.