1. Come ready with data and statistics about your job description 

The more knowledgeable you are about the market of your current position and the salary range it pays, the better equipped you are to negotiate a raise with confidence. Check multiple sources about the average salaries for similar jobs in your city based on your experience level to get a good average rate. This is valuable data and numbers to present and have up your sleeve during your meeting or performance review - should you need to provide evidence to prove you're being underpaid or feel you deserve to be paid more. 

 

2. Present your achievements and contributions 

Chances are that the salary you're on reflected your experience and knowledge when you started working at the company. But it's been a year now, and you've accumulated additional responsibilities, your workload has increased, and you've managed and executed a number of successful projects. You want a pay raise to reflect your positive contribution to the company. Prepare a document detailing all your achievements and present them as part of why you feel you deserve the pay raise. Your employer will be able to see the cold, hard facts and evaluate your request better this way. 

 

3. Be clear on your salary expectations  

Super important. The key to being perceived as professional is to ensure you walk into that meeting knowing your exact target salary. Do your research and understand what the market is currently paying. A hot tip is to give a non-round number, for example - $67,450, as it makes it seem like you've really done in-depth research and are not throwing digits into thin air. You also want to make sure you pick a sum that's not too high or too low, so when your employer makes a counter-offer, you're still happy with it. 

 

4. Be open to compromise 

Look at the 'asking for a raise' conversation as a two-way street. Usually, that involves a bit of back-and-forth between the two parties to ensure everyone's needs are met. Know in advance what things you're ready to compromise on, such as Work From Home days or vacation time, and the things you're not willing to budge on, like the minimum salary increase you're happy to accept. Then find a comfortable middle spot that you and your employer are both satisfied with. This should be a win-win scenario for everyone. 

 

5. If it doesn't work, consider changing jobs

As much as we want things to go our way, and we've proved that we deserve that salary bump, things don't always go to plan. If that happens, take a step back and consider whether the company you're with can give you what you feel you deserve. If the answer is 'no,' it might be worth dipping your toe into the career pool to explore other job offers. You can do this yourself or speak with a career coach about your career goals and aspirations. 

 

Asking for a raise doesn't have to be scary.

Yes, it's not the most comfortable conversation to have, but if you walk into that meeting knowing your worth, what you want to get out of it, and have the data and research to back it up - we guarantee you're setting yourself up for the best chance at success.

Have you successfully negotiated a pay raise? Let us know your experience in the comments below.

 
As always, love the Easy Clothes team xx