How to ask your boss for a raise? How exactly should you ask for a pay raise? Effective words, phrases, methods I demand a salary increase.

Many employers like to talk about salary increases in the future. But in practice, they prefer to avoid this issue, referring to a difficult period in the work of the company or promising to consider the request tomorrow (next week, next year). Let's try to understand how to ask for a raise from management and whether it will be of any use.

Should I ask for a pay rise?

You have been working in the company for several years, do your employees respect you, do you cope with your duties, and do your bosses praise you? It makes sense to ask for an increase in salary, otherwise the leadership will be happy to be limited to only verbal thanks and a handshake. There are many reasons that might motivate you to ask for a pay rise. But many people are shackled by fear of rejection, modesty or shyness. What to do in this case?

Any request must be supported by arguments, especially when it comes to superiors. It is necessary to explain why you need to increase wages now, if everything suited you before.

Low salary. This argument can be made if your work in the labor market is valued higher than in your company. Perhaps, at the time of your employment, wages corresponded to the market, and now it has begun to “lag behind” it.

There is one nuance in this argument - the employer may offer you to familiarize yourself with the market salary yourself, so bluffing in this case is not recommended.

How to ask for a pay rise

New Skills. Coming to work, you knew only a few programs, now your knowledge has expanded. You have mastered the language, you can translate documents without the help of a dictionary and an online translator, and you have also learned how to type at high speed. All these achievements can and should be voiced as arguments when they help you do your job better - faster, better or in greater volume.

If your productivity has not changed, then it is unlikely that you will be able to achieve something. The result is important for the leader, and how you achieve it, it doesn’t matter to him, because it was for the result that he appointed you a salary.


How long can you ask for a pay rise?

Significant experience. Long work experience with excellent performance of their duties can be a reason for promotion wages. If you are sure that the authorities appreciate you and your work. A person who has sat for a long time and suddenly starts talking about a promotion looks strange. Lest you be answered, know that significant experience will be a huge bonus if you decide to change jobs.

Competition. If you've been offered a position at another company but want to stay at the same company, it makes sense to ask for a pay raise. In this case, it all depends on how irreplaceable you are in the company. A good specialist will be forgiven for a possible betrayal and turn a blind eye to a kind of blackmail. Otherwise, offer to try your luck with the other company you're talking about. In this case, you have nothing to lose, but if there are still doubts, it is better to be more careful.

Thinking about how to ask for a salary increase from management, if there are a number of arguments that will definitely not bring the desired result. We believe that they should never be voiced, even if this is true.

How much to ask for a pay rise

Comparing your salary to that of a colleague. Most likely, they will answer you that the work you do is different, and the results are different. In addition, comparing yourself with other people can characterize you from an unfavorable side. After all, you don't know what the relationship is between your boss and your colleague.

A story about taking a loan, lack of money, etc.. Putting pressure on pity is the last thing, especially since compassionate and very sensitive people rarely occupy leadership positions. The boss may reasonably object that he did not force him to take a loan, and he is not involved in charity work.

Inflation. The company also operates in an inflationary environment. Therefore, you will most likely be sent to complain to the Ministry of Finance.

A salary increase should be negotiated, not begged for. As you know, without preliminary preparation and a plan of action, negotiations are not conducted.

First of all, find out how often the salary is increased at the enterprise, by how much, for what, and whether there have been such cases at all. This data will help you find suitable arguments. It is also necessary to find out who decides the issue of salary increases.

In small private firms, the boss directly deals with the salary, and in large companies, most likely, you will have to transfer the request through management to higher authorities. In this case, you will have to rely not so much on your eloquence as on the diplomacy of your boss.


What day to ask for a pay rise

It is important to choose the right time, so Monday morning and Friday evening it is better not to start talking about salary. Choose a moment when the company is doing well, or a project in which you were involved was successfully completed. In such a situation, your chances of achieving what you want are much higher. You should not choose a period when the company is "aground" or arrived tax office with verification.

No matter how convincing your arguments are, it is unlikely that the leader will immediately answer you in the affirmative. Then how do you ask management for a raise? Most likely, you will have to remember all the techniques for persuading customers in order to achieve the desired result. If the boss refers to the lack of time and offers to discuss this issue later, then specify when exactly you will come. The exact answer is not worth demanding, let the person think. Hoping and waiting for him to remember himself is not worth it - be sure to come at the appointed time and ask about the decision.

If in response to your request followed by a refusal, do not take it to heart. Explaining the rejection can motivate you to work harder, at least you know what to build on next time. Perhaps the refusal will be an occasion for you to think about a new job, where your work will be appreciated more highly.


Let's look at two more typical situations that people face when they want to ask for a pay rise.

Option 1. A person performs routine, monotonous work, does it well, but does not have the opportunity to do something above the norm in order to show an outstanding result.

This situation was commented on by the head Nadezhda Lyakhovskaya. She argues that a salary increase in this situation is possible if the employee performs his functions well and has been working without a salary increase for several years. Over the past few years, the inquiries of applicants for your position have grown. Therefore, you have every chance of getting a positive response from the director. Since the work itself is routine, focused on the process, and not on the result, then in the arguments you need to emphasize your role in the work of the company, the achievements of your department, etc. Do not forget to add that you want to grow and develop for the benefit of the company.

Option 2. The employee, in addition to all the work, is loaded with many functions that were not indicated in the contract. He completes all his assignments on time and with quality. How to ask for a pay rise in this case?

It would seem that in this situation there should be no questions, but this is not at all the case. How to ask for a salary increase from management, because in the conditions of the crisis, many companies reduced the number of employees, dividing their functions among those who remained. This also happens on large enterprises, but there is nothing to say about small ones. When talking about salary, ask to include all functions in the contract or exclude them.

Every second Russian over the past 3 years has asked for a salary increase, but only half of them received an increase.

Olga Svistunova

asking wisely

Read how to ask for a raise to make sure you get it.

Prove readiness for stress

Before talking about a promotion, convince your boss that you can handle important tasks. Ask to be entrusted with a more complex project than what you usually face, and always with a deadline. If you manage, the manager will meet you on salary terms, as he will understand that you have potential.

If something goes wrong, it’s too early to talk about an increase: first take refresher courses or do self-education.

Suggest ideas

Employers are reluctant to meet those who simply ask for a raise, but offer nothing in return and remain silent. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on ideas for improving the work of a department or division, reducing costs and optimizing processes.

The more initiative you show and the more leaders know about it, the better. Employers prefer employees who do not just sit out their pants from 9:00 to 18:00, but increase the company's profits, act independently and think ahead.

Soft wording can help: ask what you can do to increase your salary next month. Specify whether the manager is satisfied with you, if there are any comments on the quality of work. Feedback will help to draw conclusions and understand in which direction to move.

Describe professional achievements

Before you start talking about salary, prepare for it. Imagine that you are going to an interview where you will have to talk about achievements at your previous job. Share the results you have achieved with a presentation or graph. Express the benefits in numbers, and better - in rubles.

Prove that employees in other companies are paid more

Don't make unfounded claims, find and print vacancies with functionality and experience similar to yours, and show them to your manager. Ideal if you collect data from competing companies. If salaries are higher there, this will be a weighty argument for the employer.

A successful interview will boost your confidence. It will be easier to defend your point of view if a competitor is ready to hire you even tomorrow. But you don't have to brag about it. Explain that you do not want to leave, appreciate the employer and are ready to continue to be useful, but you cannot live and feed your family on such a salary.


Point out increased responsibilities

If, in addition to your work, you also have to do the work of a colleague who quit or on maternity leave, or there are so many tasks that you forgot what your own children look like, but you remember the appearance of your clients perfectly, then this is an occasion to start talking about salary growth.

Refer to job descriptions, in which there is no hint of the duties that you are currently performing. Ask to monetize all additional work, in case of refusal, you also refuse these duties.

Decide on the amount

Many managers regret the departed employees, whose salaries they did not raise on time. Therefore, come to the conversation, having decided in advance on the amount.

There is no need to announce the final figure down to kopecks: name a specific interval in which your salary should fall. Be mentally prepared for what the leader will set new salary at the lower end of the offer.

Convince that your dismissal will cost more

Any company loses money when an experienced employee who knows all the inner workings leaves. Even if a newcomer is taken to your place right away, he will work at half strength for a long time: you need to adapt to a new place of work, get used to colleagues, and understand the rules of the company.

If you have taken refresher courses or trainings at the expense of the company, then your dismissal will be even more expensive. The company will again have to spend money on training a new employee, so it’s more profitable to simply increase your salary.

If the answer is still no, try negotiating periodic bonuses for additional workload. Not everyone is officially ready to raise the salary fund, so this request can be a great way to keep an employee.

There are situations when an employer despairs of finding a worthy candidate for a vacant position and offers good conditions, if only the fired one returned.

Be ready to change everything

For example, the city where you work and go to a branch or company in another region. Sometimes excellent conditions are offered to those who are willing and able to move: along with an increase in salary, this can be partial payment for rented housing, relocation payments, or rapid career growth.


Income can be received not only at the expense of the employer. Read how people don't go to work and earn money.

Sometimes a step forward begins with a kick in the butt.

You are 30, 35, maybe even 40 years old. You work for a company for your meager salary and don't understand why your successful friends have already managed to upgrade iPhone 7 to iPhone X. Why is it they, and not you, travel with their families to Cyprus, the Maldives and the UAE. Why have they already paid off their loans for a Honda Accord, VW Passat or even mercedes benz ML350. You see how your colleagues go to the boss with an impudent mug and demand another pay rise, go out with a smile on their face and go to the nearest pub to put down their names.

Why THEM and not YOU?

It was you who studied at school best of all, did tests for them, helped them to pore over the diploma. And what about the guy whom you called to your company from the state of emergency "Horns and Hooves", and now a year later he jumped you? Why, before the next annual report, do they ask you to “cook up a list of outstanding achievements”, although their main success was that they did not lose the achievements of their predecessors?

And you are such a modest guy, the smartest, most efficient and irreplaceable (damn it, why exactly are you always let go on vacation for one week with a creak, while these boobies have a rest for two weeks twice a year, not counting Christmas and May holidays?), and so, you are the very best and you don’t get anything ...

I'll tell you why this happens.

For almost 10 years now I have been working in large corporations, watching hundreds and even thousands of careers - both successful and failed. Five years ago, I was getting 100 a day from guys like you, doing up to 10 interviews and grading, grading, grading. Evaluated to understand who to take to the company and who not. Who can achieve something, and who can not.

So below you will see seven simple ways get a pay raise. Start with the first, follow all the recommendations and move on to the next. No need to jump between tips. Follow the sequence. So let's get started.

No. 1. Ask!

Do you know why you get so little? Because 95% of bosses don't care if your wife blows your mind every time you get paid.

When she did not have enough money for a dress. When you took her to rest in the savage, and not to the resort. Because in order to raise your salary, he needs to talk to his boss, justify why you need to raise your salary, talk about all your successes and achievements (do you think he remembers everything?). It’s much easier to say: Max (your colleague) came up and said that if I didn’t raise his salary, he would go to competitors. Or maybe your boss is saving the department's budget so he can ask for a raise later.

What to do: yours the main task- put in your boss's head the idea that you want to earn more. That you are not satisfied with your level of income. What do you want to know, what should you do to increase your salary.

How to do it: you must prepare a conversation (if you are brave) or a letter (if you have the courage only to write to the boss once a week).

The main message of your conversation (or letter): what should or can I do to earn 30% more?

Exactly. The boss doesn't care what you've done already. He is not interested in how much your colleagues receive or how much they pay in the market. He is only interested in what you can offer in the future in exchange for a pay rise.

Secrets: I will share with you one secret. Any boss appreciates employees who are able to solve the problems of bosses. The boss hates problems the most. Any problems they always try to throw off on subordinates. If the subordinate failed, it is he who is to blame, not the boss. Therefore, think right away what problems of the boss you are ready to solve for raising your salary. Here, of course, we are talking about work - do not think that you will have to be a slave to your boss.

How to build your conversation (letter)

  1. State what you want to talk about right now.
  2. Explain why you want to earn more (the only thing your boss can care about is your life circumstances, so talk about a mortgage and a rising dollar, that you and your wife are planning to have a third child, or that you now need a car, which you will borrow).
  3. Ask under what circumstances and conditions you can earn more.
  4. Suggest options for expanding your responsibilities or improving work efficiency.
  5. Remember past successes as evidence of your ability to work better.
  6. Say the amount you're aiming for.
  7. Ask what you need to do to return to this conversation when you, on your part, fulfill the conditions.

An example of your dialogue (I only quote your phrases, but it is obvious that between them there will be answers from your boss):

Hello Ivan Ivanovich. I want to talk to you about my salary. My wife and I are planning a third child, so the question of my income is very relevant for me now. I want to discuss with you under what circumstances can I earn more? For example, I can take on more clients or be responsible not only for sales, but also for marketing. Remember how successfully I managed to bring a new shampoo to the market when all the marketers were busy with new pads? I'd like to earn $2,000 a month and I'm willing to put in the effort. After I complete all the requirements, how can we return to our conversation?

Be sure to write down all your agreements after the conversation and review them every week.

My experience shows that:

In 50% of cases, just talking with a request for a raise is enough to increase wages.

It really works, especially if you are a really cool and valuable employee.

Bosses are afraid of such conversations. People who say they want to earn more cause them to fear being fired. And no one wants to look for a new employee in your place, mess with him, teach, adapt and risk getting a pig in a poke.

#2. Learn!

You know, there is such a phrase: “If you do the same thing tomorrow as you do today, you will have the same thing that you have today.” If you want different results, do something else. And for that, study.

See how it works. Every company has such a thing as a salary fork. People in the same positions can receive salaries that differ by 25–75%. That is, you can receive $1,000, and your colleague - $1,500, performing similar functions (we do not take bonuses into account yet). This happens for many reasons:

  1. You came when everyone received $1,000, and then the market grew, and new employees were already recruited for $1,500.
  2. When you were hired, your knowledge and experience was valued at $1,000, and your colleagues - at $1,500.
  3. Your company has a formal or informal system for evaluating the professionalism of employees, as a result of which wages are reviewed (such a thing is increasingly being introduced in large Western and domestic companies).
  4. Someone rated your colleague's level of professionalism higher and initiated a salary increase (your boss, your boss's boss, the boss of another department, the HR director).

In general, there is a direct relationship between your "coolness" as a specialist and your salary. Accordingly, the steeper you become, the higher your price.

What to do: you don’t need to immediately enroll in all sorts of courses, buy a library of professional literature or enter a mini-MBA (you still have to grow and grow until the full MBA). To begin with, you need to determine what professional and personal knowledge, skills, and qualities (let's call them competencies for convenience) are really in demand in your company and are willing to pay more for their “pumping”. Once you understand this, all that will be required of you is to look for ways to pump these competencies and pump them.

How to do it: here you need allies. Talk to your boss, to a representative of the HR department, to agency recruiters, colleagues in the market, read specialized magazines for you, go to conferences. Once you have identified the eight most in-demand competencies for your position, make a development plan and develop them.

Secrets: there are people who call themselves coaches. Like Buddhist monks, they hold the secret of a powerful coaching tool called balance wheel. But I'll tell you about it.

Take a sheet of A4 paper. Draw a circle. Draw it into eight sectors. It will turn out like this:

Each sector is one competence. Now rate each competency on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is not developed at all, and 10 is developed at the maximum level.

After the assessment, in front of each competence, put a number that is equal to the difference between 10 and your assessment. For example, let’s say you have a negotiation skill that you scored 6 points. You subtract 6 from 10 and you get 4. Then you work with this number.

Now choose three competencies that are more important than all the others. Multiply the points received in them by 3. And three more competencies, which are in second place in importance. Multiply the points by 2.

You will receive six new numbers. Pick the three with the highest score. These are the competencies you need to develop.

If you have done this exercise, then this is already 50% success. The case for small - development.

Do you know why 90% of people do not engage in self-development? They think it's expensive and they don't have time for it. I want to dispel these two myths.

Myth 1. Self-development is expensive

Complete nonsense.

In our modern world there are already so many different ones where you can get valuable information by spending only $100. Do not think or expect that after the first such event you will become a Guru. Don't think that the pros know 10 times more than you. Everything that distinguishes the pros from you is that they went to two or three events, caught the key idea and began to use it in their work.

Be sure to ask your HRs if they are willing to pay for all or part of your training. Find the most the best book on a topic that interests you (ask others for advice on which one is better, read the reviews) and read it.

Myth 2. Learning takes a lot of time.

And you don't even have a job.

Do you know Stephen Covey's book? Here is what he writes:

Imagine that while walking through the forest, you see a man who is sawing a tree with bitterness.

- What are you doing? you ask.

- Don't you see? - follows the answer. - I'm sawing wood.

“You look very tired,” you sympathize. - How long have you been drinking?

“More than five hours,” the man replies. - I can hardly stand on my feet! Hard work.

"So why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen your saw?" - you advise. “Things would have gone a lot faster.

- I don't have time to sharpen the saw! the man says. - I'm too busy.

And don't lie to yourself that you don't even have 20 minutes a day for. Or that you can't find three hours a month to watch a webinar. Or that you can't set aside one day every six months to attend a training. What really isn't? Well, then plan your next vacation so that it starts on the day of the training, and you will rest not for seven days, but for six.

#3: Expand!

So, let's imagine that you have already told the boss that you want to earn more money. You even agreed under what circumstances this is possible, and you began to "sharpen the saw." It's time to take the next step - expand.

The boss once said to me:

Responsibility is not something you are given. Responsibility is something that you take on your own and do not discuss it with anyone.

So, it's time for you to expand your area of ​​responsibility.

What to do: look at what you're agreeing with your boss right now. Which of these he least wants to agree on (remember, you wrote him five letters on the topic of agreeing on new working conditions with a client, but he never answered?). Start small. Take responsibility for making decisions.

How to do: To begin with, say to yourself, "Now I'm starting to take responsibility." Once you've made up your mind, take action. Here are my secrets to help you.

Secrets: I will give you a simple scheme to increase your responsibility. Imagine that you have the same situation that repeats itself every month. Let it be the agreement of working conditions with the client.

Now you write like this:

Dear Gennady Ivanovich, I ask you to agree on the terms of work with the client "Romashka".

Now let's add some responsibility:

« Dear Gennady Ivanovich, for this client I want to agree on such conditions. Do you agree?(See, the pronoun "I" appears.)

A little more a month later:

« Dear Gennady Ivanovich, I am agreeing such conditions to this client. Do you have any objections?”(Here you are no longer expressing a desire, but declaring an action.)

Next month:

« Dear Gennady Ivanovich, I have agreed such conditions for this client. If you have any comments, please let me know so I can make corrections.". (Here you have already announced the event, but you leave the boss the right to change something.)

If this stage was successful, then you move on to the final version. If not, and the boss told you: “Who gave you the right to negotiate the terms?” - tell him about your willingness to take responsibility for agreeing on the conditions, and behind him the right to be informed in the form of your reports.

So the final step:

« Dear Gennady Ivanovich, I am sending you a report on the agreed terms for clients, I am ready to discuss them if necessary».

Remember: the more responsibility you take on, the greater your value to the company. But I want to warn you: do not fall into the trap when a new responsibility will require more time from you than you are able to give it. In this case, get ready to ask for additional resources (the ability to delegate part of the work to other employees, while retaining responsibility for the result).

No. 4. Perform!

Companies are divided into two types:

  • in some you work for a rate, and you do not and cannot have any bonuses;
  • in others, except for the bet, you have the opportunity to receive a premium.

If you work in a company of the first type, skip this paragraph right away.

And if you are lucky enough to work in a company where there is at least a small chance of a bonus, then you simply have to achieve it.

Prizes there are different types, here are some of them:

  • monthly bonus for the performance of indicators;
  • percentage of sales;
  • fee for the work done;
  • processing premium;
  • Outstanding Achievement Award;
  • quarterly bonus;
  • annual appraisal bonus.

What to do: So, your number 1 task is to understand what types of bonuses are in your company. First, talk to your colleagues and find out what they know. Then ask a question to the boss or an employee of the personnel department.

How to do: listen to what colleagues have to say about salaries and bonuses.

My many years of experience show that employees always talk about their salaries and discuss them among themselves. No matter how strict the rules are in the company, everyone will still recognize each other's salaries and incomes. And if you still don’t know about the income of your colleagues, then you have everything ahead of you. Go to the pub with colleagues, talk heart to heart. Tell me that you really do not have enough money and you are thinking about how to earn more. How to achieve a bonus ... Ask their advice - Pandora's box will open in front of you. If you're lucky, take the boss with you.

Secrets: even if your position does not provide bonuses, your boss always has the opportunity to write a memo to his boss and get you a bonus. Therefore, do not think that there are no bonuses at all. Think about the circumstances under which you could get it.

No. 5. Combine!

Sometimes The best way to earn more is to find an opportunity to combine your main job with something else. And here is a list of possible combinations. Even if you do not find an option for yourself, you will understand in what direction you can and should think.

  1. Combining two positions in one company. I see this quite often. Of course, no one will pay you two full rates, but you can get a 30% surcharge.
  2. Combination of two positions for shift workers. If you have shift work - two after two or three after three, and so on, most likely, your supervisor will give you the opportunity to work extra shifts for a colleague who fell ill or went on vacation.
  3. Network marketing. Although I personally do not share all the joys of the network business, there are many examples when a person makes good money doing Avon, Amway, Oriflame and other businesses. The only thing is that you must have two success factors: the gift to sell and a huge number of friends and acquaintances whom you are able to convince.
  4. Conducting training events. If you are a cool pro, then there are probably people who are willing to pay you for training. I know several people who provide training. But usually they do not sell themselves, but cooperate with companies that find customers for them. Think about whether there are companies in your environment that are ready to sell your trainings. There is also a second category of people: they are fond of some topic, for example, Vedic culture or makeup, and conduct mini-trainings for their friends on this topic.
  5. The second way to make money by developing other people is to get certified as a coach. A coach is a person who, using a certain technique, helps other people achieve their goals. Typically, a coach is a professional in some area they specialize in: finance, career, health, and so on. Successful coaches charge $100 to $200 for their coaching session in 60-90 minutes.
  6. Intermediary services. I know people who earn money by helping to make purchases in foreign stores. This is especially true for children's things. They collect orders from their friends, place an order in a foreign store and deliver to their city.
  7. Deposit. This is probably the most obvious way to earn extra money, but it takes effort to start saving 5-10% of your income. Here you can not do without the help of inspiring books. I recommend reading Bodo Schaefer.
  8. Production of handmade goods. I have friends who bake professional cakes with different figures, there are those who make women's jewelry, beautiful postcards or notepads. Here you have to invest your work, but if it works well, then over time you can earn good money.
  9. Providing services to others. Here, probably, the most popular will be manicure and massage. But there are also less popular ones: assistance in choosing a wardrobe, providing quality services in buying a used car (search for a seller, inspecting cars, checking at a service station, bidding). Think about what you could earn.

What to do: You choose, there are many ways.

How to do: make your own list of ideas on what you could earn. Bring ideas into it - from the quite obvious to the most insane. Make your list as big as possible. Give it a whole week, reviewing it every evening and adding a few new lines. And then choose one or two things and start doing them.

Secrets: If you're not sure which option you came up with is better, try rating each option against the following criteria on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score:

  • this may, in the perspective of five years, bring an income commensurate with my wages;
  • this occupation gives me pleasure;
  • it uses my talents.

Evaluate each option according to three criteria, add up the points and choose the option that scored the most points.

No. 6. Grow!

This is one of the most difficult, but also the most effective way to earn more.

My experience is that the difference between the lowest paid and highest paid position in the average company is 100! This means that if the cleaning lady gets $200 a month, then the CEO gets $20,000 (no bonuses).

In addition, there are about 13 job levels in the average company. That is, from a cleaner to a director, there are about 13 positions.

It is believed that career growth in a person can occur on average once every three years.

On average, an employee's salary increases by 40% upon promotion (usually 20% immediately upon promotion and another 20% after 6–12 months).

Thus, in 20 years professional career even from the lowest position and a salary of $200, it is possible to rise to a salary of $2,000 (assuming the increase was 40% every three years, for a total of seven increases).

And if you start with $1,000, then up to $10,000. Not bad, right? But there are people who grow faster than others. For example, if you receive career growth every two years, then income growth will no longer be 10 times higher, as in the example, but 29 times!

It is believed to be very easy. In 20 years you will have 10 promotions. Each by 40%. So, you need to calculate 1.4 to the power of 10.

Feel the difference:

Job growth every * years Total growth in position (20 divided by the number in the first column) Growth of income for 20 years * times Income in 20 years if you start with $500
2 10 29 14 500
3 7 11 5 500
4 5 5 2 500
5 4 4 2 000

»
Do you now realize the importance of your career growth?

Great, start growing!

What to do: I give step by step instructions.

Step 1. First, figure out what you love to do most in life. If you seriously decided to think about a career for the next 20 years, then you need to choose something worthwhile, because you will devote a very large part of your life to this business.

Step 2 Draw your career ladder for 20 years. We decided that ideally you should have up to 10 promotions. Don't be petty, aim for the position of CEO. Believe me, in 20 years any person who is purposefully engaged in his development is able to become CEO. So, you need to draw your path from the current position to the general one.

Here is an example of a telecom company with over 5,000 employees:

  1. Sales Specialist ↓
  2. Senior Sales Specialist ↓
  3. Lead Sales Specialist ↓
  4. Sales manager ↓
  5. Sales team leader ↓
  6. Head of Sales Department ↓
  7. Head of Sales Department ↓
  8. Head of Sales Department ↓
  9. Commercial Director ↓
  10. CEO ★

Step 3 Now forget about your career ladder and focus exclusively on the next position (in my example, Senior Sales). Ask yourself, and then your boss, the question: what do you need to know, do, be able to get promoted? Focus on this question, find the answer, and take action over the next two years.

Step 4 Repeat the third step each time after the next increase.

Step 5 Hire a coach to help you grow to ensure your success.

How to do: remember, your career growth has several criteria for success:

  • Goal setting - every time you must set a clear goal for yourself, for example, become a senior sales specialist by 01/01/2017.
  • Education - no need to indulge yourself with illusions. Without training, you will not have constant growth. Therefore, plan your training (how exactly - I already wrote above).
  • Expanding your responsibility is the only way you will grow. No one will come to you and give you a little more responsibility (and career growth is, in fact, an increase in responsibility). It will always be looked at whether you take on a little more responsibility than others or not. How to take more responsibility, you already know.
  • High level of performance - you have to work a little more efficiently than the rest, these are the people who are promoted.
  • Good relationship with management - I'm not talking about the need to be a sucker, no. Here we are talking about the fact that you should be able to communicate well with your leader and the head of other departments. No one wants to promote people who are incapable of building relationships with colleagues. And your leaders today are your colleagues tomorrow.

Secrets: go to the zoo, look at the wolves. I'm serious! Watch them and you will notice one feature that no one else has. This feature is that wolves are always on the move! Really always. They never stand or sit, they are constantly moving. Hence the saying:

Feet feed the wolf.

Wolves know that they must move in order to survive. In winter and summer, in rain and heat ... You must become the same wolf.

You must always move. To move means to act, to take the initiative, to develop, to communicate a lot with colleagues and other employees of the company, to generate ideas at meetings, to speak publicly. You always have to do more than all your colleagues. That's the only way you'll get ahead of them.

No. 7. Go away!

So, let's imagine that you followed all my recommendations from the text above for two or three years and did not get any result.

Let's just not lie to ourselves. When I write "performed", it means that you have done even more than I wrote.

Even so, here's the test you have to pass:

Count how many times you answered "yes"? If you haven't scored 16 points, it's too early for you to think about leaving. You know, people are used to blaming others. If your salary is not growing, it is always easier to blame the manager for this. But if you have not done all 16 actions to increase it, then the problem is only with you.

But if you diligently completed all 16 points and your salary has not changed - run. Run from these rascals who!

But, as my career coaches and consultants like to say, finding a job is . Therefore, a little more about this.

What to do: There are several things you must do in order to find a job. This is a checklist that you must complete 100% ↓

How to do: job search is a creative process that requires a lot of energy and Have a good mood. I advise you to combine it with something especially pleasant for you. Start going to the gym while looking for work or go fishing every weekend. Or maybe take a driving course. Do you drive? Then on to extreme driving. For English and speed reading courses.

Buy yourself good vitamins and drink every day, improve your nutrition, sleep. Your life should be like a bride's before the wedding. You need to marry or marry a good employer, and he must definitely like you.

Secrets: I will share with you the last secret of a careerist, and you will understand why ordinary people work in bad jobs.

I'll start with a small statistics from the life of a recruiter.

In order to choose a good place to work, we need to get at least three real offers.

For each of these offers, we will need to complete a minimum of five interviews. That is 15 interviews for three offers.

Before the interview, the recruiter will conduct a short telephone interview with us. Usually recruiters call more candidates than they want to invite for an interview. We will assume that only one out of three calls will end for us with a real interview. So, for 15 interviews, we need 45 phone interviews.

But they don't always call. In reality, only one out of 10 or even 30 submitted resumes results in a phone call. Let's take an average of 20 sent resumes for one call. And for 45 calls of such resumes, you need to send as many as 900.

Now let's think: if we want to find a job in three months (90 days), then how many resumes should be sent per day. Exactly - 10 resumes per day!

How does it usually happen? One to five resumes per week. Well, even if five a week - for 900 resumes it will take 180 weeks ...

Now you understand why people usually don't find normal work? They barely find at least one real job offer (and often they receive this offer after they have greatly lowered their bar after a series of failures).

Conclusion

Submit 10 to 50 resumes per week.

And it doesn't matter if there are so many suitable vacancies. Just understand that your goal is to find out of all the vacancies from 10 to 50 those that are most interesting on all available sites, and send your resume there.

Uninteresting vacancies will give you the experience of passing interviews (and in 30% of them you can actually be offered a more interesting position in the end), and interesting ones will give you a potential job offer.

Well, that's the end of my job search story. This is just a small part of what I would like to convey, and someday I will write a book about careers and job search, but for now I suggest that you keep in touch through my

If the range of your duties seems to you disproportionate to the level of salary, it's time to correct the situation and talk with your manager about increasing your pay.

How do you know when it's time to talk to your boss about a raise?

Our needs increase as our income levels rise. However, there are cases when an employee performs his duties honestly and in good faith, but the salary does not increase.

First of all, you need to understand that not a single boss intends to raise your salary with enviable regularity. Any boss is primarily interested in making a profit. Raising salaries will introduce the company into additional expenses and thereby reduce the income of the head.

However, in some cases, you have every right to make it clear to the manager that your services are worth more than he currently evaluates them. Cases in which such a request is appropriate:

  • You have been working for a long time in the same position. During your work, you have not made a single mistake that would lead to the loss of money by the company.
  • You have repeatedly contributed to the increase in the company's profits (concluded big deal exceeded the sales target).
  • You successfully train new employees (although this is not your main job).
  • You successfully cope with duties that are not spelled out in your employment contract.
  • You have repeatedly improved your skills. (This argument should not be used in a conversation. Upgrading and improving is your job, while an employee who has completed courses will bring more profit to the company).

Settling in new company for a probationary period, you work under different conditions from other employees. The employer offers you a salary lower than the rest of the employees, because the company spends energy on your training and correcting possible mistakes.


After successfully passing probationary period You have the right to talk to your boss about a pay rise. According to statistics, companies increase salaries by 10-17%.

The size of the salary increase depends on the employer, on average, an increase of 10-15% should be expected. The question remains, after how many months you can again ask for an increase in salary.

IMPORTANT! Talking with management about a salary increase should be no more than once a year.

How to achieve a higher position with the management?

An increase in salary can be directly related to the transition to a new position. If you see potential in yourself that will help you cope with other responsibilities, be sure to tell your superiors about it.

This should be done only when you are ready to demonstrate your abilities by example and when you know that there are vacancies in the company. If the staff is staffed, most likely the conversation will not give the desired result.


Different companies have their own criteria for promotion candidates. Clarify all requirements details and analyze your labor activity for compliance with them. By the way, they will help appease the boss.

ATTENTION! Prepare arguments for a conversation with your superiors, prove that you are the best candidate for a vacant position.

Choosing a good day and time to talk with the director

It is preferable to apply for a promotion after you have completed a difficult task or achieved excellent results and performance.

Before you start talking about a pay rise, prepare thoroughly for it. Write on a piece of paper all the arguments that you are going to use so as not to forget anything at the time of the conversation.

Find out who in your company is responsible for the pay increase. It is possible that your immediate supervisor does not have such authority, and your request will be passed on.

IMPORTANT! Choose a good time when the company is not experiencing any financial difficulties, do not start a conversation on payday.

It is important to choose the right day and hour. Monday morning or Friday evening is not the best time for such conversations. However, all this is individual.

Follow the behavior of the boss for some time, note on which days of the week he is in the most favorable mood.

The optimal time for a conversation is usually after lunch, as a well-fed director is more willing to engage in dialogue.

Pick the right place to talk. No need to approach with such a question in the corridor or at the door of the office.


How to argue correctly?

Use appropriate arguments that will help you convince the leader that you are right.

  1. Increase in responsibilities. Show by example that you are currently doing additional work in addition to your main duties. Explain that you are successfully coping with the increased number of tasks, and the employer saves by paying you a little more, instead of opening a new position.
  2. You bring profit to the company. Your actions somehow help the company earn more, show it to the director. Prepare in advance and show in numbers how much more the company's income has become thanks to your efforts.
  3. You can work more. If over time in the company you have learned to perform your main duties much faster, while not skimping on quality, ask the director to give you additional responsibilities, while increasing your salary. An argument like this works if you don't have any major failures in your core functions.

Failed Arguments

Arguments that are in no way suitable when discussing a salary increase:

  1. Inflation in the country. The director of your company is not in a position to influence financial position in the country, so the company cannot afford to raise the wages of all employees with every price increase.
  2. Link to salaries of other employees. Never compare yourself to other employees. You do not know how much work each employee does, and the director may regard the phrase “And Petrov is paid more for the same work” as gossip.
  3. A story about loans, mortgages, children. Your personal life does not concern anyone, the director may have much bigger financial problems, but he does not cut your salary to solve them. You never need to put pressure on pity and say something like “our eldest is going to school, the third will be born soon ..” If circumstances are unfavorable for you, you can only ask for a loan at a low interest rate or any other loan on favorable terms.
  4. Blackmail. Asking for a raise while holding a letter of resignation in the other hand is not best idea. It will not be difficult for a manager to find a person for your place and your salary. But finding a decent job can be much more difficult for you. The phrase “Other companies pay more for the same job” will only make the director want to refer you to any of these other companies.
  5. Sounding a specific amount. You should not start a conversation with a specific amount, as you may underestimate your capabilities if an increase was planned in the future, or vice versa, your request will be considered too impudent.

In case of refusal, you do not need to be offended by the leader. Talking about a pay raise should be viewed as a negotiation that may not always end in your favor.


An example of a dialogue with superiors

Be sure to work out the objections and justify your requirements, a dialogue with the employer may look something like this:

— Good afternoon, Ivan Ivanovich. I would like to talk about my salary. I really enjoy working for the company and I am grateful for your help and support at the initial stages. During my work, I did not make any mistakes, the company's profit increased by 5%. How can I earn more? I am ready to engage not only in sales, but also in training new employees. The people I helped settle in are already exceeding their sales targets.

— Petr Petrovich, at the moment the company's budget cannot afford to allocate more money for salaries to employees.

— I understand, but, as I said, I can help the company earn more by performing several functions at once. Thus, the company will be able to spend more money for the salaries of other employees as well.

I need to consider your offer.

- Do you think I can find out your decision already this Friday?

“Yes, I’ll meet you in my office on Friday afternoon.

— Thank you for your time!

If your boss is a woman, it would be appropriate to give a few graceful and unobtrusive compliments about appearance director . Dress yourself modestly and discreetly.

Despite the fact that you are talking to a woman, you should not dump personal problems on her. You are required to be professional and knowledgeable.

If you have a more trusting relationship with management, you can casually mention personal difficulties, but in no case use them as a decisive argument.

Appeal in writing - when is it appropriate?

It happens that a request for an increase in salary has to be sent in writing. This is appropriate when your manager does not resolve such issues and you need to contact higher authorities.

You can also send a letter to your immediate supervisor if you are sure that you will not be able to withstand a conversation about wages in person.

An example of such a letter.

Good afternoon, Ivan Ivanovich.

Thank you for such a long and fruitful cooperation. Working under your guidance, I learned a lot and, applying knowledge in practice, I was able to achieve certain results. Sales increased by 5% as shown in the graph. The graphs will also show an increase in sales for new employees who have been trained by me.

Based on this, I ask you to review the amount of my salary and increase it.

I am ready to take on additional responsibilities and develop professionally with the company.

Sincerely,

Petr Petrovich

Asking for a raise shouldn't look like you're begging for money from management. It is necessary to soberly and sensibly evaluate yourself and your contribution to the company.

Useful video

Watch the video where the specialist recruitment agency will give you advice:

Really valuable and irreplaceable employees are encouraged by management without any requests, therefore, before handling such a conversation, carefully analyze your labor successes. If you really deserve a pay rise and negotiate competently, the employer will not refuse you.

Do you want to know how to ask your boss for a pay rise so that he can't refuse you? Then read on.

No matter how good your manager is, he does not think day and night about raising your salary. For him, this is an extra expense, so your task is to make him think that you are worth the money you ask for. In fact, you need to sell yourself to the company a second time, and this is not easy. Let's talk about how to properly ask for a salary increase from the boss.

Not the best option would be when you, counting on inspiration and catching the boss in the corridor, stun him with this great idea. Most likely, he will refuse you. Let's take a scientific approach.

Argumentation

In addition to your personal and professional qualities The most compelling arguments in a conversation can be two: expansion official duties and the amount of work exceeding the standard load.

What arguments should be avoided?

  1. Your salary is below the average. You can take a chance and hint to your boss that other companies will pay you more, but then be prepared for the boss to suggest that you look for such a company. You can use this argument only in one case: if you have been working in a company for many years and you have never received a salary increase, while the salaries of your colleagues have increased noticeably in the market.
  2. Training. Yes, the development of professional skills is a good thing, but we must not forget that it is part of your job. The manager cares about quality and timing, not the way you achieve results. Therefore, if you use the acquired skills to perform the same work as before, then the point on advanced training is more suitable for a resume than for a confidential conversation with superiors.
  3. Great experience. If you have been working in the same company for years, and there are not enough stars from the sky, the conclusion suggests itself that your position in the labor market is low. This means that your loyalty may be a plus for the recruiter, but not for your manager.
  4. An invitation to a competing company. It is extremely unreasonable to bring to the attention of the manager that a competitor has made an offer to you. Firstly, the manager will understand that you have “sharpened your skis”, and secondly, he may perceive this information as blackmail. Guess who gets laid off first?

Wrong motives

In an effort to explain your motives to the leader, it is undesirable to use the following arguments:

1. "Sidorov has the same position, but the salary is higher."

If the employee you are referring to is loaded more, the boss may have a question, but is he overpaying you?

2. "I took a mortgage, but there is nothing to pay."

Firstly, you did not consult with your boss when you took out a loan. Secondly, he may advise you to live within your means.

3. Refer to inflation and rising prices.

How to build a conversation?

The main thing to understand for yourself is that asking for a raise is a negotiation with a person whose interests do not coincide with yours, therefore, the question of how to ask for a raise from the boss is quite serious. And you need to prepare for the conversation no less responsibly than for negotiations with a major client.

The first thing you should do is gather information. Try to find out how the salary increase works in your company, namely, whether annual indexation is practiced or, perhaps, salaries increase depending on the length of service and the like. Talk to colleagues about how to ask for a raise from your boss, examples from their personal experience may be useful to you.

In addition, you need to find out who influences the increase in your salary, your immediate supervisor or his supervisor. In this case, you will have to enlist the support of your boss and rely on his skill as a negotiator.

Everything has its place and time

Now about how to ask for a salary increase from the boss on time. Be serious about choosing the time and place for the conversation. It is believed that it is best to raise such issues on Friday, after lunch break. At this time, the level of complacency of the authorities usually rolls over.

This is, of course, a joke. Well, seriously, probe how things are going in the company. If the results of the last quarter leave much to be desired, or your department did not meet the plan, asking for a raise at such a moment is the height of imprudence.

The mood of the chef is also important. If in the morning there were three separations and two dismissals, it is better to wait out, otherwise you risk running into rudeness.

Development of a conversation script

Write a conversation script. It is clear that it is impossible to predict all the scenarios for the development of events, but it is necessary to think over the main ones. Write down all the possible objections that your boss will try to turn the tide of negotiations and prepare counterarguments for them.

Most likely, you can guess that in response to your proposal, the boss will not throw himself on your chest with an enthusiastic cry: “How did I not guess it myself ?!”.

Most likely, this will be an evasive answer, the purpose of which is to delay time. Perhaps your boss is the type of person who likes to think things through before making a decision. Perhaps the decision depends not only on him and he cannot solve the problem on his own. In any case, you need specifics, “yes” or “no”, so specify when you can come to him for an answer.

What's next?

Suppose, after thinking everything over, the manager refused you. Think about how you will act in this case: will you try to return to the conversation later, leave everything as it is, or look for happiness elsewhere?

Typical situations

Let's consider the situation on concrete examples.

First example. How to ask for a raise from your boss if you do not affect the results of the company.

An ordinary employee who performs normal routine work. An experienced professional, and a very good one. The specifics of his work is such that a special influence on financial indicators he does not carry out the activities of the organization. How to ask for a salary increase from the boss in this case and what arguments should be given?

Each specialist has tasks that characterize the success of his work. These can be personal results or the results of the work of the entire department. Use this information to your advantage as an argument in negotiations.

If you haven't had a pay raise in a few years, you have every right to demand a raise.

Second example. How to ask for a pay raise from the boss if the responsibilities are blurred.

A lot of other people's duties were put on the employee, he, as they say, “drags”, but, thanks to his skills, experience and intelligence, he manages to do all this during the working day. What arguments to use, even if the length of the working day has not changed.

Unfortunately, the situation is typical. An employee loaded with someone else's, moreover, not officially formalized functionality, in fact, has no rights, because. there is no such additional work.

In this situation, it would be ideal to think about how to ask the boss for a salary increase at the stage of distribution of duties, but if the moment is missed, you need to try to secure the support of the management, especially since most often the boss knows perfectly well how busy a person is and appreciates it .

Now imagine that you do not have the opportunity to talk to the head face to face. For example, as is often the case, you are in different cities or you do not feel confident when meeting with him and are afraid that timidity will not allow you to argue your position with arguments.

Third example. How to ask for a raise if there is no way to meet in person.

Let's talk about how to ask for a salary increase from the boss in a letter. This option has both undeniable advantages and serious disadvantages.

The main disadvantages are the lack of eye contact, the ability to see the reaction of the interlocutor and influence it during the conversation.

However, if you take the matter seriously, all these disadvantages are offset by undeniable advantages. And the first of them is the opportunity to think over the argument and use it to the fullest without the risk of being obscured, forgetting or confusing something. In addition, there is no danger of coming at the wrong time, because no one reads the mail if they are overwhelmed with business.

Moreover, you will save your nerves, because after the letter is sent, nothing will depend on you and you will just have to wait for an answer. Needless to say, how important preparation is in this case.

Start with gratitude. But only sincerely, you probably have something to thank for the person who hired you and, perhaps, spent a lot of time and effort on your training or adaptation.
You can move on to the main thing - the reasons why you should increase your salary. List all your achievements and be sure to write how it affected the work of the department or the company as a whole.

You can do this in the form of tables or graphs. The main thing is that the manager sees that thanks to you, the business success indicators have really increased. Keep in mind that all the taboos in the argument that were mentioned above also apply to letters.

In conclusion, it would be useful to mention your desire for professional growth and the opportunity to develop in the company. This will create a favorable impression for the boss and he will not think that you only care about money.

Now a few words about how to ask for a salary increase from the boss by phone. The same rules apply here as in personal negotiations. Write a conversation script, in this case you can put it in front of you and peek into it as needed. And don't forget to make an appointment ahead of time.

And now a little information about what bosses are like, perhaps it will entertain you and help you in preparation.

Fake Democrat

As a rule, he tries not to interfere with the work of subordinates, giving them complete freedom of action, which makes him very similar to a true democrat. But, do not relax, such a boss, as a rule, does not explain what he really wants, and no matter what you do, it will turn out in the end that he did not want this at all.

If a subordinate is suspicious and unsure of himself, such a boss can become a real punishment for him, and work will turn into a source of constant stress.

How to behave? The first and easiest option is to change your boss and find new job. However, in this case there is a risk that next leader will be even worse than the previous one.

The second, more complex, but also the most reliable - strengthen nervous system, increase your self-esteem, work on yourself.

Man of moods

Yesterday he was the standard of an ideal boss, and today he throws lightning, reprimands, swears dirty and is looking for something to complain about. But, the storm will pass and he will meet tomorrow morning in a state of melancholic calm.

Such antics of the authorities do not contribute to the establishment of a favorable psychological environment in the team. Yes, and this only harms the work process, since it evaluates the work of subordinates not by their abilities and results, but depending on their mood.

How to behave? A person of mood is not the worst version of a leader, and all that can be done is to abstract in moments of outbreaks, do not start, do not argue, but calmly listen, take into account and forgive.

Energetic vampire

In ordinary life, this is an erudite, witty intellectual. He opens a conversation with a subordinate in a quiet voice, gradually increasing the pace and volume of speech, then gets a taste and begins to scold the employee, preventing him from inserting a word.

After a conversation with such a boss, subordinates usually experience a breakdown and emptiness. But the chef is transformed, his mood rises, his cheeks turn pink, a sparkle appears in his eyes.

How to behave? The first and most important rule is not to succumb to provocation. In no case do not reciprocate the vampire, do not start and do not scream. That is what he expects from you. Your weapon is calm and poise. As a result, he will break his teeth about you and fall behind, such people do not like hard food.

A few simple tricks will help make things easier. “Close”, just lock your fingers together, this will help save your energy potential. And at the most tense moment, just lightly bite the tip of your tongue seven times. No doubt it helps.

Ideal Boss

If you get lucky you are lucky. This leadership style distinguishes smart, tactful, fair and competent people with a good sense of humor. It is a pleasure to work under the wing of such a person, he helps each employee to reach their potential and provides everyone with a decent reward.

How to behave? Work, improve and appreciate what you have.

It remains to be hoped that you understand how to properly ask for a raise from the boss. We wish you personal and career growth!