Sometimes we all feel worth a pay rise. This solely depends on the hard work we put in when it comes to delivering according to the expectations of the organisations or company.

Are you under-appreciated, overworked, and worth your gold weight, yet paid stipends? If so, what are you waiting for instead of knocking on that door to your boss’s office and asking for a pay rise? 

That’s likely to be the best approach, but there are some things you need to know before taking that approach. What do you need to convince your boss to get a pay rise?

Ask yourself why you deserve a rise.

Unless you have some concrete argument to back up your request, you can convince your boss for a pay rise. What you have to do first is to re-read your job description to see you have gone beyond your call of duty. If you can prove your case that you have gone beyond, you stand a better chance of winning over your boss.  

Know your worth

Do some research to establish exactly what you ought to be getting paid. Check job sites on the internet and newspaper ads for comparable pay rates for your position. Trade magazines frequently carry out salary surveys.

A word of warning: if you’re going to compare your wage against someone else at your firm, make sure you check the company policy on pay confidentiality.

Put the pen on paper.

Before meeting with your boss, it might be good to provide a written copy of your case in advance. A written document will give a clear idea of your arguments, which your boss could then use to plead your case with senior management.

Don’t ambush your boss.

“No employer will take kindly to being put on the spot, so make sure your boss has plenty of warning of your intentions,” says Ungless. “Request a performance review and clarify you would like to talk about pay.”

Be realistic

Demanding your salary be doubled is unlikely to get you anywhere other than through the exit door. 

Bear in mind the research you have done into comparable salaries in other organisations, and that your boss does not have to agree to give you any more money. If you want your request to be taken seriously, you need to pitch it right.

Learn the art of negotiation

The key to negotiating is confidence. Be sure of your arguments, present your case clearly and succinctly, and don’t be afraid of failure. 

As long as you are polite and reasonable, you have nothing to fear. “If you handle it gracefully and make your case well, you won’t be left in a weaker position by asking,” says Ungless.

Have a backup plan

Just because your boss has turned down a pay increase doesn’t mean you can’t ask for non-financial benefits as an alternative.

“Think about what you might accept instead,” says Ungless. “Extra holidays, a higher car allowance, or increased training and development.”

Work Harder

It might sound like a no-brainer, but if, after racking your brain, the only good reason you can come up with for why you deserve a pay rise is that you’d like one, you should probably put the idea on hold. 

Instead, it might be time to knuckle down to some old-fashioned graft or take on more responsibility around the workplace. In six months or a year, you can return to your paymaster with a more legitimate case.