What if your work quality is consistently up in a down economy? Can you still ask for a raise? I don’t know, can you? — BadWitch
Readers Are Spellbound & Perplexed…
Dear GW/BW — This might be a weird question in this economy. But how do I ask my boss for a raise? I make her look good in every way, her small company is actually doing well even now, and she treats me nicely and respectfully but no money honey. How do I get the cheap ass to pay me what I’m worth? — Has Expenses
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Dear Has Expenses,
My original and GoodWitch’s advice were so redundant, I re-focused on your expectations and the theme of worth. Read both posts if you don’t normally.
I want to call you Has Value. Your worth as a topnotch employee is not constrained by the economy, so neither should recognition of that fact be — but your small business employer’s finances certainly may be. Finding balance is key here to your raise request. Then so-called “secondly,” I want you to think about what you will do and feel like if she says ‘no’. This is not to stop you from asking, but to help you manage your own expectations and understand the situation fully before asking. Simply pretend you asked reasonably and for a reasonable (to your tenure, performance and market rate) amount, and she comes back with ‘no’ — will you be hurt, understand or furious? What about your options? Will you stay and work harder, less hard, or look for a new job? Just being informed about yourself before walking in there, can halve your stress of asking for a deserved raise. Don’t let this bit stop you from asking; be a fully informed adult here.
Now for your boss. “Small business” refers to number of employees, as much as it does annual sales generated against industry. It isn’t synonymous with “struggling” but neither do the guidelines of large corporation rule a successful and highly profitable small business’ operations or requirements (like giving raises), either.
Here’s where I had you write down your case (read GW below) then read it out loud. Then do yourself a solid by editing out the crap that even you don’t believe (but needed to write down somewhere), and add anything you’d missed the first time. By the way, alternately instead of a raise, you can ask for “bonuses” against benchmarks using this same general method (see GW below), which might make it easier for a smaller business owner to work with. Now calendar this appointment with her firmly and don’t mumble or scream your agenda while doing so.
Remember you have earned versus deserve this (BW’s Employee Mistake Pet Peeve: far too many employees suffer with entitlement mentality. This is not Don’t-get-too-big-for-your-britches. This is stepping over the self-delusion line. Don’t do it.), Raise Seeker. You’re helping your own case by keeping any attitude out of your request (it is her option as the employer; check your Employment contract or handbook, if you have questions), you’re just meeting here. Keep in mind this first presentation may be for her consideration only – if a follow-up meeting is required, agree and schedule it on both your calendars together before closing the meeting.
Go get it, earner!
BW
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Dear Has Expenses,
Establishing your value to your boss in this economy is a few step process. The first, lies with you. Create a list of outstanding, spectacular benefits you have brought to the firm. This is the list of rock star performances you’ve done within your basic job requirements and those which have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
This, however, still leaves you at the beck and call of your boss. Remember, although her company may be doing well, payroll and expenses may not leave a lot of disposable income for her. In other words, the company could have money, while your boss is in actuality just getting by. This will not endear her to the idea of paying you more money for the same job—after all, she’s probably putting in a lot more hours and not seeing the extra in her personal bank account. This is common. She makes more and gets taxed WAY more, plus carries the cost of running the business.
So, how do you convince her to pay you more when she’s (most likely) seeing less? Tie your proposed pay raise to revenue producing activities. If you can figure out additional duties you can include in your day, which may include sales, social network marketing, blogging or any number of other duties that you can connect directly to increased public awareness and revenue, you’ve got the necessary stuff to negotiate a raise. Bottom line, if you are helping her bottom line, she can balance ways to pay you more.
So, do your homework and then ask for what you want. Realize it is not your boss’ responsibility to give you a raise, though the company may seem to be doing well. If you want more and you know you deserve more, you have to be willing to do more. Frankly, if you can tie your income to revenue producing activity, maybe with a percentage on top of your base salary, you can see some serious bank, not just a few percentage points of a raise. So, go on, work it. The more you make for her business can easily be the more you make for yourself.
Good luck,
GoodWitch
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