Want a Raise? Here’s How to Earn One
Posted February 13th, 2015
Conventional thinking says that there are two ways to get a raise – ask for one, or wait for your next scheduled one. But as anyone who feels like they are underpaid understands, neither of those strategies is ideal.
Wouldn’t it be easier if instead you could find a project to excel at, do a great job, catch your boss’s attention, and have him enthusiastically offer you more money and responsibility? It’s not as outlandish as it sounds. Below are some strategies you can follow to actually earn a raise.
Find Your Niche
There is surely something in your skill set that makes you different from everyone else in the company. Figure out what it is and how you can use that to benefit your organization. This not only helps you make a positive and unique contribution, it positions you as a professional with initiative and drive.
Make Yourself Indispensable
Offer to help your boss and coworkers get caught up on work. Volunteer for new projects and extra assignments. Don’t hesitate to offer your input wherever it is appropriate. If you position yourself as someone who is essential to a department or company’s success, your superiors will find it much easier to offer you more money.
Track Your Accomplishments
Good work doesn’t always get noticed. If you’re serious about earning a raise, you should carefully keep track of your direct contributions and the ways you facilitate the contributions of others. And if you have a particularly proud achievement, don’t hesitate to ask someone from inside your organization to write you a recommendation or acknowledgment.
Find an Internal Reference
Sometimes you catch the eye of a superior that isn’t in a direct position to offer you a raise. But they can still serve as your advocate. They likely have relationships with decision makers, and their input carries more weight than your own. If you are active throughout the company, you are likely to cultivate one of these relationships naturally.
Create Incentives for Your Boss
Your boss will be eager to offer you a raise if he thinks it will benefit him somehow. If your achievements reflect positively on your boss, they are much more likely to pay you back with more compensation. And, in the most general way, working for everyone’s benefit rather than being fiercely competitive is the more effective strategy.
You might follow these strategies and still have to wait for a raise and nudge your boss forward, but your leverage and confidence will be significantly higher. Ideally, when the time comes, both you and your boss agree that you deserve more money. Learn more about being proactive in your career by consulting with the experts at Bayside Solutions.
