3 Smart Ways to Ask for a Raise

Do you think you deserve a raise in the new year? A shocking number of employees work year after year, hoping they will soon be offered a raise but never asking for one. Unfortunately, gone are the days where many managers would offer raises to the deserving. In this day and age, many times you’ll have to ask for a raise if you want to receive one. While this can be a frightening prospect, there are some tried and true methods that can increase your chances of success. Here are three:

Take on More Responsibility

If you want to show you should make more money, you should also show you can take on more responsibility. Instead of waiting to be assigned higher-level projects, start solving problems that aren’t necessarily on your task list and always offer to help out your colleagues. Ask a lot of questions and see where you can best contribute. Of course, not neglecting the duties that are assigned is critical, so time management skills are a must. Once you prove to your managers that you can effectively take on the work of those who get paid more, you can show your value and get the raise you want.

Believe You’ve Earned It—and Communicate that Effectively

Managers don’t want to hear that you need a raise, they want to hear that you’ve earned one. That’s why telling managers your woes of not being able to pay rent or send your kids to private school unless you make more money is incredibly ineffective. In fact, it’s counterproductive.

To effectively communicate you need a raise, you need to personally believe it. If you are not confident in your abilities and your worth at the company, your request will not be confident or believable. If you don’t feel comfortable asking for a raise, it could be because you don’t believe you’ve yet earned it. Try writing down everything you’ve contributed to the company in the past few months and how you’ve added to their overall goals. Once you review your achievements, you’ll like feel more confident about your worth and be able to convey it properly to your managers.

Share Your Vision for the Future

The last thing a manager wants is to give an employee a raise to only lose them to a competitor a few months later. Your managers want to know you’re in it for the long haul, so it’s important to show you’re committed to the company’s future when you ask for a raise.

Share your vision of the future when you’re making your bid for more money. Tell your bosses how you think the company can grow and improve over the next few years and how you see yourself fitting into this image. Let them see that you’re thinking about your career with them many years into the future and that they won’t be wasting them energy by developing someone who will not be around.

Asking for a raise should not be a frightening experience. If you truly know your own worth, show that you can take on responsibility, and convince your managers you will around for the future of the company, you can confidently ask for more money—and be more likely to get it.