Josh Wood
Josh Wood is a recruitment consultant in our FM management team. He recruits Facilities Managers, Account Managers and Contract Managers in Hard FM and Total FM organisations.
Want a pay rise? How can you justify this to your employer? here are our top tips...
The rising cost of living has everyone wanting a pay rise but getting your employer on board can be challenging. Employees may be wary of asking this question due to the possibility of causing an awkward encounter. Simply put, you get paid for your work, so if you think you deserve a raise, don’t be afraid to ask for it.
Perhaps you’ve expanded beyond the scope of your role and outgrown your salary, so you’re just waiting for your pay increase. It may be that you are struggling with inflation and rising living costs, and this is causing a direct impact on your life so a wage increase would benefit you.
Be measured
Make sure you take a step back and consider your situation and why you haven't yet been approached for a raise before feeling frustrated and undervalued. Are there any major changes taking place at the company? When was the last time your KPIs were reviewed?
This won't be on your manager's mind daily if you haven't approached the subject or had a clear career path in place with a route to promotion. When you’re honest and upfront, you are more likely to get a result.
As recruiters, we do salary benchmarking and provide as much advice as we can, but if you’re already working and finding it hard to approach the question, consider these tips:
1. Do your research
Use an independent online salary checker to weigh up your qualifications, skills and experience. You could also look at what your competitors are providing for a similar role to you, to back up your points.
Make sure you look at location as this can have an impact on salaries. What might your pay be at a similar local company? Use this data as leverage to support you ask.
2. Ask for a percentage increase rather than a flat number
Salary increases in the UK are expected to climb by 3% in 2022. The cost of living has risen far more than this, and inflation has already exceeded 10%. Having statistics to support your request for a pay rise can help you decide how much to ask for.
Depending on your situation and what you feel is right you may feel confident enough to request a higher percentage. Your manager will probably be more receptive to a percentage increase rather than talking in pounds as a percentage will feel less tangible.
3. Prepare a script to boost your confidence and clearly communicate your ask
Nothing is worse than being nervous about what to say. Keep your end result in mind by preparing a few points before the meeting. It’s important to communicate exactly what you want in the right way, along with the right stats backing you up. This will help you gain the confidence you need to succeed and get your pay rise.
Remember to begin and end by saying thank you – thank you for taking the meeting and for giving the proposal serious consideration.
4. know your worth
Having confidence that you are good at what you do will shine through to your manager. How do you contribute to the team and what achievements have you made? How much value have you added to the business during 2022? You can gain more respect by being able to say you deserve a raise because you are a valuable employee to the company. It can be even more powerful if you can back up your points with stats! Have these figures in front of you during your conversation so you can refer back to them.
5. Look at your entire package
It may be that a pay increase isn’t the most cost-effective option for you or your employer, once you take into account the tax implications. You may end up in a higher tax band. Instead, it may be that looking to improve your full package may be more lucrative. Increased pension contributions, more paid time off, or financial support for further training could all be more tax-effective options for you.
Alternatively, it might be that your basic pay rate stays the same, but you ask for an increased commission, once again tying your take home back to your performance.
6. Cost of living bonus
You may have to pay an additional £1000 in energy bills this winter, so your pay won’t be as valuable as it was last year. As prices rise and your money doesn’t stretch as far, it may be that a short-term solution could be the best option.
Many employers have begun offering one off cost of living bonuses to their staff to help ease the pressure at a particularly difficult time. Having an open conversation with your manager and asking for a cost of living bonus may be a solution if you find it difficult with the rising costs of living and inflation.
In conclusion
Whatever your reasons for seeking a pay increase, perhaps you feel you’ve outperformed your remuneration package or inflation is having an impact on your life, there are plenty of ways to go about it! The best course of action is to remain honest and positive about the situation and speak confidently.
Understand your worth to the company, and the value you’ve brought into the business with your skills. Business owners often prefer to talk in terms of numbers, so try to be dispassionate. Stick to the facts.
We can help
Ultimately, you may not get what you’ve asked for, but that’s not a reason not to ask in the first place. Once you know where you stand, you can make informed decisions. With a national labour shortage in effect in many sectors, the power is in your hands. You may wish to begin to apply for new positions to see if it’s possible to obtain higher pay somewhere else.
If you think it might be time to consider a new position that offers a clear career path because you’re not getting the results you want in your current role, our team are ready to help you. Drop us a message or give us a call and we’d be happy to talk through your options and the potential remuneration you could expect from a new role.