How to ask for a raise?

[no-no]

Didn’t want to derail the other job threads and can’t find anything on this.

I took my current job to escape my previous one. My circumstances were different and I didn’t negotiate salary as it was fair for my skills at the time and I really needed to leave a toxic workplace. Due to a staff departure and increased responsibilities/skills and projects underway, my salary is about 30% less than average.

I have an annual review coming up, how can I approach this? The company is benchmarking pay across the org but my role is technical and they don’t understand it so class it as admin (there are even admin roles that pay more - jobs I’ve done for less in the past). I don’t want to leave it down to them.

I really don’t want to leave but can’t afford to stay. I’ve filled out my review form highlighting my achievements and done an analysis on salaries for my job. I know not to make the convo personal (e.g. I’m poor, plz pay me more!). Anyone got any other tips? My boss lowballs contractors so I don’t think he’ll be open to the idea, but what I’ve demonstrated is fair.

 

[Dirtyhorseshoes]

I don't have any personal experience of asking for a raise but there's a 'how to ask for a payrise' guide on www.glassdoor.co.uk

 

[Mogmog]

I did the same thing as you, leaving a toxic company for a nicer one but lower pay. When I got there, I quickly took on more responsibilities than were originally laid out in my job description.

I've been there a year and a half now and had 3 pay rises in that time. I'm now earning 25~% more than when I started (last pay rise was yesterday). I'm still earning a bit less than I want (more than I earnt previously though!) so I'll be asking for another pay review around November-ish.

Can you negotiate any benefits to supplement your salary? My work advanced me a years travel ticket, which I pay monthly from my payslip. This saves me about £200 a year. They also pay for any courses I want to do including driving lessons or personal development courses (saving me about £1k a course). It's win-win because they claim the tax back on the courses so I'm planning to study and become as qualified as much as I can on their dime.

The latest thing I did was to essenti promote myself. I had/have more responsibilities than my colleagues despite having the same job title. I asked if I could be made a supervisor to reflect this and my boss approved it and I got a little pay rise to reflect my new position.

 

[no-no]

I did the same thing as you, leaving a toxic company for a nicer one but lower pay. When I got there, I quickly took on more responsibilities than were originally laid out in my job description.

I've been there a year and a half now and had 3 pay rises in that time. I'm now earning 25~% more than when I started (last pay rise was yesterday). I'm still earning a bit less than I want (more than I earnt previously though!) so I'll be asking for another pay review around November-ish.

Can you negotiate any benefits to supplement your salary? My work advanced me a years travel ticket, which I pay monthly from my payslip. This saves me about £200 a year. They also pay for any courses I want to do including driving lessons or personal development courses (saving me about £1k a course). It's win-win because they claim the tax back on the courses so I'm planning to study and become as qualified as much as I can on their dime.

The latest thing I did was to essenti promote myself. I had/have more responsibilities than my colleagues despite having the same job title. I asked if I could be made a supervisor to reflect this and my boss approved it and I got a little pay rise to reflect my new position.

Well done and congrats on the pay rise! It’s nice to hear you’ve gone from a toxic workplace to one where you’re clearly in command of your worth, hats off to you

I’ll know where I stand once I have my review. I need a job title change and will request that, but not holding my breath about the pay (lofty boss). They offer some benefits you mentioned but I doubt there’ll be further compensation at an individual level. Think I might finally join LinkedIn

 

[JoJo76]

I got my current role by working my way up in the company, and it became well known that we were paid less than someone recruited externally. It got to the stage that I felt my skills and experience far outweighed my pay. I luckily have a boss that's easy to talk to but I was still careful on how I worded my request, as I didn't want it to sound like "Give me a raise, or I'm off".

So during my year end review a few years ago, where I'd luckily just been given an exceeds expectations rating so I knew I was valued I bought it up. I just said that I felt that comparing my salary to other jobs out there for the same level was significantly lower. I told him I love my job, and didn't want to leave (true) but it's hard not to notice that I could be earning more.

He took this on board, escalated it to the relevant level and 5 months later I received a 20% pay increase. I was still below what I could get elsewhere but it was enough for me.

The company I work for were always a bit crap with pay and starting losing staff. Early last year they did a blanket pay review based on level and I got another 15% payrise! I'm more than happy with what I get now, as they also increased annual bonuses.

 

[no-no]

I got my current role by working my way up in the company, and it became well known that we were paid less than someone recruited externally. It got to the stage that I felt my skills and experience far outweighed my pay. I luckily have a boss that's easy to talk to but I was still careful on how I worded my request, as I didn't want it to sound like "Give me a raise, or I'm off".

So during my year end review a few years ago, where I'd luckily just been given an exceeds expectations rating so I knew I was valued I bought it up. I just said that I felt that comparing my salary to other jobs out there for the same level was significantly lower. I told him I love my job, and didn't want to leave (true) but it's hard not to notice that I could be earning more.


He took this on board, escalated it to the relevant level and 5 months later I received a 20% pay increase. I was still below what I could get elsewhere but it was enough for me.

The company I work for were always a bit crap with pay and starting losing staff. Early last year they did a blanket pay review based on level and I got another 15% payrise! I'm more than happy with what I get now, as they also increased annual bonuses.

That sounds great, well done to you, too How come you had to wait 5 months for the first raise? I can’t wait that long did they backdate it at least?

I really don’t get middle managers who are reluctant to give raises, so you were fortunate there (I say fortunate, but you know what I mean). It’s not exactly coming out of their pocket lol.

Good idea about being coy with the pay me or I’m off, I’ve got lots of future projects on so was worried they’d perceive that as “she’s here to stay anyway, don’t need to pay her more”.

And thank you @Dirtyhorseshoes for the link

 

[JoJo76]

That sounds great, well done to you, too How come you had to wait 5 months for the first raise? I can’t wait that long did they backdate it at least?

I really don’t get middle managers who are reluctant to give raises, so you were fortunate there (I say fortunate, but you know what I mean). It’s not exactly coming out of their pocket lol.

Good idea about being coy with the pay me or I’m off, I’ve got lots of future projects on so was worried they’d perceive that as “she’s here to stay anyway, don’t need to pay her more”.

And thank you @Dirtyhorseshoes for the link

The 5 months was just the levels of management that it needed to go to. I work for a very large company and it’s just the process and levels of bureaucracy it had to go through.

Just be honest and treat it like a chat rather than a holding them to ransom.

 

[no-no]

So after presenting a strong case, I’ve been given “actions” to complete over the next year that would mean I would be working at a job title above the one I’m operating at (this is significantly higher salary) even though I’m not paid fairly for the current role seems fair. Why do companies have to do this.

 

[Sunflower91]

I’m quite fortunate that I work in a place where there’s a regular review system where that’s (usually) the only time pay review takes place. Each time it comes around on top of my own personal review I also build a business case for being paid more- generally though listing occasions where I’ve performed ‘above and beyond’ or had good feedback which then gets sent to the powers that be and they say yay or nay to a pay rise. The business case for it is usually the key thing there.
but I’ve worked at and seen other businesses have some really dodgy pay structures where they basically want to get away paying as little as possible for the skills you have- even when you’re performing to a standard a whole wage bracket above. Unfortunately with places like that it’s difficult to present a case other than demonstrating that you have other offers that will pay you more for the skills you have.

 

[no-no]

I’m quite fortunate that I work in a place where there’s a regular review system where that’s (usually) the only time pay review takes place. Each time it comes around on top of my own personal review I also build a business case for being paid more- generally though listing occasions where I’ve performed ‘above and beyond’ or had good feedback which then gets sent to the powers that be and they say yay or nay to a pay rise. The business case for it is usually the key thing there.
but I’ve worked at and seen other businesses have some really dodgy pay structures where they basically want to get away paying as little as possible for the skills you have- even when you’re performing to a standard a whole wage bracket above. Unfortunately with places like that it’s difficult to present a case other than demonstrating that you have other offers that will pay you more for the skills you have.

Yeah, I’m really gutted this is happening again. I don’t want to hear how valued I am if it doesn’t translate to £££ otherwise you’re just fobbing me off. I’m going to apply for jobs elsewhere this weekend rather than wait to hear back about any potential increase.

 

[JoJo76]

Yeah, I’m really gutted this is happening again. I don’t want to hear how valued I am if it doesn’t translate to £££ otherwise you’re just fobbing me off. I’m going to apply for jobs elsewhere this weekend rather than wait to hear back about any potential increase.

Good for you, sorry it didn't go well. You never know, it might spur them into action if you find somewhere else? Good luck.