We all love being paid well, but not everyone is looking forward to negotiating a salary – no matter if hunting for a new job or trying to get a raise. A good salary does not only help with personal finances, but it’s also a very strong indicator of one’s career growth and worth to an organisation.
Sometimes, however, you’ll need to nudge the company in the right direction. The question is how to do it without coming off as an “entitled millennial”?
Fret not, we’ve got you covered with some tips that’ll make it hard for any company to say no during your salary negotiations.
Do your research
Don’t underestimate the power of research as part of your arsenal during the salary negotiation. And no, we don’t mean asking your friends how much they are earning as a comparison!
There are plenty of published salary guides that can give you an indication into what salaries you should be earning with your education and work experience. Don’t, however, fall into the trap where you expect the highest bracket of that experience. These higher brackets in the salary tiers are usually reserved for people who have niche skills or experience that the most won’t have.
Stay business oriented
If you are already working at a company and are looking at getting a salary raise, avoid talking about yourself at all costs! Your managers don’t want to hear why you deserve a raise. Instead, look at the value you have been bringing to the business.
Make sure you set your KPI’s very clearly with your managers and strive to consistently surpass them. When you are in a salary negotiation, you can instead focus on the value you bring to the company by showing results that have impacted the performance of the business. It’ll be much easier for your managers to justify a raise based on the impact you have.
Look for alternative solutions
Believe it or not, money isn’t everything! Sometimes the reality is that a company simply may not have the resources to provide a very high salary or raise to their staff. This doesn’t mean that they can reward you in other ways!
If money isn’t an option, try looking for alternatives that would make your life better. These options include working from home, flexible work hours, additional annual leave or even funding for courses to upgrade your skills.
