The Right Way To Ask for A Raise

Although your boss may disagree, now is the perfect time to ask for a raise. With the tools and trainings provided by your local Jaycee chapter, and the resources available through JCI USA, you've been expanding your skill set and making positive contributions in your professional life - it's time to cash in on all that hard work. Now you need a plan. What's the best way to guarantee a positive discussion about your value to your organization and avoid an early and disappointing exit from your management's office?

Here's an interesting article by author and career planning professional Dawn Rosenberg McKay discussing the Do's of asking for a raise. Some highlights to keep in mind include:

Find out how much others in your field are earning. Websites such as Salary.com will provide you with the latest information regarding what your job is worth through salary surveys and other collected information. Referencing the industry norm can be a powerful tool in convincing your employer that an adjustment is due.

Evaluate the financial health of your employer. Scheduling a salary discussion with your boss the week after a disappointing earnings announcement may not be the best timing. Choose a time when the company is celebrating a win - you're much more likely to be rewarded following an organization-wide success.

Prepare your argument. This is critical to your overall chances of a positive response. Asking management for an increase with little information to reinforce your point allows them to tell you what you're not doing, rather than focusing on the contributions you have made, and the reasons you are deserving.

Decide what you will do if turned down. Let's face it, not every request for a raise will be met with approval from management. You need to have an action plan for a negative response. Will you start looking for other employment or a transfer? Will you accept the decision and try again in six months? Take a minute to anticipate all possible outcomes so there are no surprises with whatever decision is made.

Set an appointment with your boss and make your case. This seems intuitive, but many employees toil diligently with the hope that management will come to them and recognize their work with a nice raise. A wonderful idea, but more often than not, it just doesn't happen. Use the techniques and tools learned through the Jaycees to politely and intelligently push the issue.

Do you have any good tips for asking for a raise? Share them with your fellow Jaycees on our Facebook and Twitter pages - we'd love to hear some great stories and ideas.