​The thought of asking for a salary increase can instantly cause stress and hesitation. You may’ve come to the realisation that you deserve a higher pay, but you’re not sure how to go about it.

• Be prepared

Preparation is key and understanding the value you currently bring to the organisation, your achievements, and how you’ve grown in your role can help you. Including the behavioural element in how you champion the organisations values through your behaviour may help strengthen your case.

• Understand the market

Do some research so you know what similar positions are paying in the market you’re working in. This information will help you make an informed decision on the increase you are asking for.

• Be confident

When approaching the meeting with your manager, be confident in the facts you have gathered and how you communicate these.

• Be professional

Approach the meeting like any other work meeting, remain professional in your communication and stick to the facts to justify your position. Sometimes it’s easy to let our emotions get the better of us when discussing topics such as money, so remember to take some deep breaths.

• Be genuine

Use positive language in the discussion and talk about your genuine commitment to the organisation and ongoing contribution to both its and your success. You don’t want to come across as unhappy with your job and you want to emphasise that you like the work and see longevity in it. 

• Be prepared to negotiate

You may have a particular figure in mind, but there may be a number of reasons why this might not be able to be achieved, so be prepared to negotiate an outcome.

Don't:

• Be unreasonable

Your understanding of what similar positions are paying in the market should assist you in understanding the value of your position. There isn’t a need to be unreasonable or difficult when discussing this.

• Let your emotions get the better of you

Remain professional and stick to the facts. Becoming aggressive or emotional through the discussion will more than likely see an unfavourable outcome.

• Use it as a bargaining tool

If you are intending to use the potential increase to get a higher salary elsewhere, don't. While this may get you an increase in the short term, the longer term impact of all parties remembering your behaviour will be more detrimental.

• Give ultimatums

This is never professional. The behaviour remembered by your manager will outweigh any increase that may result.

With these tips in your back pocket, you should feel confident in having a conversation with your manager about your salary, while knowing that your relationship won’t be left broken, but strengthened.