It is well established that not too many employees get a raise at work.

You know why? 

They barely ask!

According to a recent survey of over 160,000 workers conducted by career site PayScale, it was established that almost two-thirds of people have never asked for a raise. And quite rightly, their employers have never deemed it necessary to give them raises too. 

But of the few who took the bull by the horn and asked for more money, about 70% reported receiving some type of increase.

What am I driving at here, you may wonder? You cannot wait around and expect your employer to offer you a raise. You need to take the plunge and ask for it. However, before you do, you need to be certain that the advantage is on your side. 


Up your skillset

When you took your current job, you were most likely happy with the pay you were offered because it commensurated with your skillset at the time. So if you suddenly feel like you deserve a raise, then you need to be sure that you aren't the same guy they employed. That is, your skillset and technical abilities need to have improved. 

Even if you’re doing excellently at the job, you can still look for ways to improve your current skills so as to become a better professional. Take professional courses, become a certified expert in the industry, network with top players in your industry, find ways to contribute to the happenings in the industry, and become relevant outside of your workplace. 

Not only will this give you an edge over your colleagues – many of whom are likely happy to remain in their comfort zones – but it will also be your bargaining chip when you approach your boss for a raise. 

Become indispensable 

Although it is said that “no one is outright indispensable,” no organization wants to lose their brightest minds. So even if they have to offer more money to keep them, they’ll be happy to do so. But first, you have to portray yourself as one of the best guys in the firm. 

To that end, you may need to complete tasks in ways that exceed expectations, offer solutions that align with the values of the organization, present actionable ideas at meetings, automate your own tasks to free up time to help out your colleagues and be the guy that everybody wants be like.

To achieve all that, you may need to change your approach to work and even go as far as automating some of your actions at work. Thankfully, there are some workplace apps that can help you achieve total automation at work. Some of them can be found on Calendly’s list of the best productivity apps.

Record your accomplishments 

Not to brag about what you’re bringing to the table, but when you want to enter into a discussion with your boss or the HR about why you think you deserve a raise, you need to have some valid points to back your claim. This is where your accomplishments come into the picture.

You can point out your hyper-productivity, greater efficiency at completing tasks, project executions, and those contributions you’ve made that have directly impacted the organization’s success. Your boss will be more likely to consider your request if you have some facts and numbers to back your claims up.

Conduct industry research

Sometimes an employer may not know that they’re underpaying their employees. But when you bring the numbers to them, it may help them better understand what their competitors are doing. So from your end, you need to research the salary ranges for your position in the industry so that you can ask for a realistic figure.  

Ask at the right time

The most important piece of information you will take away from this post is “timing.” Your timing just has to be perfect if you want to walk out of that HR door smiling. For example, if you ask for a raise when the organization is operating in the red, you may be perceived as inconsiderate and selfish, and your request may be turned down.

Usually, your annual performance review time is still the best time to request a raise. But be sure the organization is in a good and stable state before raising the topic. 

Alternatively, you can bring up the topic when you notice that your boss is in a bright mood, or the organization has just recorded a huge win, and everyone is in a celebratory mood. Your chances are even better if you've contributed significantly to the latest achievement.