You deserve better. With so much talk of contentment in the workplace, how you should be giving back, finding meaning in your role and the rest, it seems like your actual salary is sometimes treated as a perk of the job. Not, as it should be, the reason you’re working in the first place. This is how they get you, grind you down and underate you. But we repeat, you deserve better.
We here at IDEAL say it’s time to take back control of your happiness; you spend enough time at work each day – more than anywhere else in fact – and as such, you should be paid properly for your time. With a respectful wage comes enhanced enjoyment of your position. No more irrational hatred of inoffensive colleagues. No more dying inside at every water-cooler conversation about last night’s Masterchef. No more Sainsbury’s Meal Deal being the highlight of your dull day. It’s time to get what’s yours. Here’s how; our 5 IDEAL tips for getting a pay rise.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
If you’re keen to receive a raise, whether that arrives unprompted or by actually asking for it, you first need to get noticed on the floor. Some may approach this challenge by running around faster, sweating deeper and making a general song and dance about how much effort and extra hours they’re putting in. Let’s be honest here; no boss wants to hear about all that added graft and points scoring. Indeed, often extra exertion is viewed as weakness; if you’re not able to complete your tasks in the hours designated, then you’re probably not the one for that rise or promotion.
Instead, work clinically, efficiently and with cold calculation within your hours. Don’t succumb to the pressure to do more than you’re able to, avoid stress, and appear in control. These are the attributes found in the type of people who climb the career ladder quickest. Go get it.
Professional Development
There’s no better way to stick it to ‘the man’ than by bolstering your credentials on their time (and from their pocket, too, if you play your cards right). Yep, we’re talking about that all important professional development. Any decent employer will actively encourage you to learn new skills, gain new qualifications and become a more rounded ‘professional’, and the best way to do this is via training and courses. Should you find one appropriate for you, such as these CIPD courses online, you’ll be well within your rights to ask your manager to fund it. Once you’ve bolstered your CV thoroughly, you’ll also be the ideal candidate to get that pay rise.
Offer Solutions To Industry Issues
While it may sound a little bolshy to criticise an industry to someone in a ‘senior’ position to yourself, demonstrating an understanding of the challenges the trade faces and offering possible measures to mitigate them is a great way to get noticed. If you can identify faults which your managers haven’t, it instinctively shows you deserve to be on a par with them. Demonstrating initiative, courage and an implicit understanding of the industry is a surefire way to show your merit.
Network
Networking has become such a ‘management speak’ go-to, that its true value sometimes gets neglected. If you’re intent on raising your head above the parapet and demonstrating your worth to the company, then networking’s importance can’t be overstated. So, at every available opportunity – say, at conferences, external training programs, even down the pub – make sure you’re building up your contacts list and making your name known. The next time a manager needs a favour from a rival, imagine the clout you’ll hold in being able to make that connection.
Actually Ask
Fortune favours the brave. Never was a phrase more apt than in the case of getting a pay rise. Once you’ve followed the above steps and truly cemented your sense of indispensability, then don’t be afraid to actually ask for one. Your confidence and assuredness will be rewarded. Just make sure you do so with the right pitch; be bold but not cocky, direct but not rude, and most of all, have prepared the reasons why you deserve one. Good luck!
