Asking for a raise from your employer can be a difficult conversation in a positive economic environment, let alone during a global pandemic. However, the conversation isn’t necessarily completely off the table – it just may be postponed or require some consideration.
Ask at the right time
Be observant of your company’s financial health. If employees are being made redundant or having their hours cut down, this is certainly not the right time to ask for additional funds. Also consider if your company and your team have been meeting targets and KPI’s that have been set. If your workload has reduced and you’ve not been given the opportunity to prove your worth and value, then it would be more ideal to wait until some normality returns to allow your spotlight moment.
Due to layoffs, you may be working outside your job description to fill in gaps that other employees have left. Make sure to note this so that you can refer to it as a valid reason you deserve a raise when the company is in a better economic position to accommodate.
Nurture your internal relationships
It helps your case immediately when you have others within the company advocating on your behalf. Nurturing your relationships via regular check-ins and progress reports with your manager shows you’re striving for improvement and progress, allowing your effort to shine through.
Conversations surrounding a raise seem to go more smoothly when your boss or manager has been engaged with your workflow and consistent effort along the way. Make sure to discuss your accomplishments and resilient goals that have continued even despite the pandemic.
Learn from the ‘no’
No one likes being turned down, but take your ‘no’ as a learning curve not a roadblock, and instead of being upset ask “What will it take for me to earn a raise?” Once you’re aware of the specific steps and your manager’s expectations, the next time you ask you’ll be able to back your request with successful key performance indicators, provided you’ve hit your goals.
Negotiate
If your request for a raise was rejected, there are other non-monetary ways to reap the benefits of your hard work. You could request flexibility such as a work from home day, a flexible work schedule or a day per week where you start later or leave earlier. Your employer may have alternate, funded rewards that wouldn’t cost as much as an increased salary such as company funded petrol or a company phone that could be on the table when asked.
