How to Ask for, and Get a Salary Increase

by Colm Cavey, Professional Career Consultant.

Assuming you got a note from the HR Director or the boss laying out your salary increase for 2017 there is really no need to read further… If however you didn’t get that little long, awaited note, then it’s time to think your situation through and formulate your plan of attack or more to the point your plan of negotiation.

With most companies in Ireland I think it’s well recognised that recent years have been challenging and the hardest hit have been the SME’s who in many cases don’t have the resources or support of a multi million pound parent company somewhere in the world. The big Multinationals, as a rule will have a salary increment plan stitched into your employment contract and so if you don’t perform it’s the bonus that takes the hit. With smaller companies it’s the local MD that has to make the decisions, and some may have a certain measure of latitude in the course of their decision making.

If you are with a company that has survived a number of very difficult years you will know it even without being told. In such companies salary increases may be cancelled or reduced to a tiny amount based on affordability. That being the case trying to negotiate an increase just for yourself is unlikely to be successful. On the other hand there may be some who will use the ‘tough times’ as a reason to renege on an increase expected or calculate an amount that is unreasonable. If this is a place where you work you will know it without access to their books.

So what do you do? Say nothing and carry on or be like ‘Oliver Twist’ “Please Sir, can I have some more?” If you decide to ask for more, then plan your approach very carefully. If your company is such that you can access the MD easily, then importantly, plan your timing carefully to make the first overture. An ideal time would be the day after it has been learned that a long sought after customer has just signed a very big order. Strike then and quickly but very gently as any discussion of this kind won’t be tolerated if it appears to be confrontational. Gentle is the order of the day so wait quietly in the long grass until the moment is right. A few days or weeks won’t make any difference.

1 First and foremost ensure any overtures you make regarding money are not confrontational.
2 Never ever threaten to leave if there is not a reasonable increase.
3 Do not state the increase you expect.
4 Avoid ambushing your boss in the corridor or on the way to the lift.
5 Give the man/woman time to consider your discussion or proposal.
6 Always give advance notice of what you want to talk about.
7 Review carefully your job description and satisfy yourself that you have fulfilled its requirements 100%.
8 Review your own past reviews and identify any negative comment on possible shortcoming and ensure they are fixed.
9 Ensure it is clearly understood you are negotiating on you own behalf and no one else.

So what’s your plan going to be? It’s not going to be you knocking on the door marching in and asking for an increase especially if no-one else in your department got one.

On a ‘good news day’ take or create an opportunity to meet him/her or if the system allows and it’s possible, ring the Boss on his/her extension or failing that ask their Secretary if you could schedule a few minutes to meet, as you have a few suggestions you wanted make.

Shortly before your meeting mail your Boss your agenda, referring to a couple of issues that has proved difficult in the past, (and you have a couple of intelligent suggestions to offer). The last item on your agenda will refer to salary.

All this sounds a bit daft but be assured, you will get his/her attention and their curiosity will be aroused. The reference to salary is important, as the last thing you need to do is have your Boss think they have been ambushed. Give them time to prepare how they will say no! Be prepared to present a good case for yourself if they do.

Don’t think for one moment that your Boss won’t know what you’re up to so when you meet be up front and reverse the order of the agenda. Start by mentioning there are a few things you wanted to mention and maybe it’s best to get the salary one out of the way first. The reason being if your negotiation is going nowhere you can back off a bit and move to the next subject, giving everyone a breather.

Be sure you go back to the salary subject and give him/her every reason to reconsider your salary. If a plain straight salary increase is not forthcoming then you have only two workable options to suggest. Suggest you take on as a project one of your suggestions and being successful and produce a saving, you get an increase. The other option is to suggest you take on some extra responsibility. In either case the Boss will see that he/she is getting something extra for the increase and it’s not just a case of paying more for the same service.

If all fails never, never ever make any threat of handing in your notice. If you feel that way inclined wait until you have secured another job and it’s signed, sealed and delivered. Only then give you notice.

Be well organised and ready to move fast, so prepare and prepare well. If career change advice is needed, then get it. It always works out cheaper in the end. I recently had a client who went through all the above but to no avail. I worked with them in their career change privately and they successfully achieved a new position very similar to the old one with a salary increase that made the career change fee look like small change, plus a bonus that they didn’t have before. Sometimes it’s very worth while.

The very best of luck.

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