How to ask for a pay rise?

[icebearforpresident]

I work for a small company with 3 offices. In the branch I work in there is just me, the boss (company director) and a part time member of staff.

Recently I have gained a qualification which means I can join a professional body. Other members of staff in the other offices should have done this but I am the only person who has started, never mind qualified. I want to use this as leverage to negotiate a pay rise.

My boss has commented before about how he and the other directors see me as being in charge of the day to day running of the office (though manager is not in my job title) and while I don’t get formal appraisals I will often get good feedback for things, just a simple ‘good job’ type comment or complimented on how I have handled a situation. I am frequently singled out by clients for praise. But I know our figures are down against last year and that while we aren’t in trouble it is on the directors minds and they are looking into cutting costs by simple methods like switching suppliers.

I’m not looking for a huge pay rise, if I could get an extra £1 per hour i’d be delighted, but I have no idea how to go about actually asking. Should I ask for a sit down with my boss or put it in writing? Should I give them a figure or wait and see what they offer? I’ve never done this before and while I think if I ask they’ll probably give me something I’m nervous at the prospect!

The best way is to firstly gather any written feedback you have, even if it's a simple thank you email. If there's anyone in the business who you have done a particularly good job for, ask them for some written feedback and get into the habit of doing this every time you complete a piece of work.

Next, think about why you deserve a pay rise, (not why you want one). It could be that your qualification increases your market worth, or allows you to do more for the business. Maybe you've recently implemented something that has saved money or time. Perhaps you're doing extra work outside of your job description.

Ask your manager for a meeting "to discuss your career progression". Simply state the reasons you have and say as a result you'd like an increase in salary. Use the feedback to support your request. If they say no, ask when they will be reviewing your salary next and what do you need to do in the meantime to justify an increase.

At the end of the meeting, put everything discussed in an email and ask them to confirm. At the agreed upon pay review date, bring evidence that you've done everything you were asked to.

Stick to the facts, very few people get pay rises without asking for them. It feels cheeky to ask but it really isn't.

Good luck!

Thank you Nomad. I had most of that in mind anyway so good for you to confirm I was on the right track. While I don’t have any written compliments from colleagues there’s a few thank you cards in the office from clients which, while they are to all of us, mention me specifically.

I had plans to put this into motion tomorrow but i’ve had to text my boss today to say I won’t be in, one of the kids has gave me their tummy bug, so maybe best to hold off another few days!