Tips on asking for (and getting) a raise

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Some industries have fairly inflexible payscales (like the public service or union-dominated workplaces), but in others (much of the private sector), if you want an above-CPI raise, you have to ask for one. It's unfair, and it unfairly discriminates against people who are less confident, but that's the world we live in.

I know this is a difficult thing to do for a lot of people, and nigh on impossible for a lot of people with ASD, so here are some of the things I have done in the past that have worked.

The very first thing is that you have to look at getting a raise as a project. You need to plan and prepare for it, follow your plan, and you will have much better results than if you just try and wing it.

Believe that you are worth more. It is very difficult to sell something well if you don't believe in it, and when you're asking for a raise, you are selling yourself. You need to KNOW that you are worth more. Once you have convinced yourself, you then need to put together a case to convince other people.

Find out who to ask, and who makes the decision. This isn't always clear, depending on where you work. Your direct supervisor might be the person to ask about a raise, but they also might not be the person who decides whether you actually get one. If you have a friend at work, take them aside quietly one day and ask them if they know who makes the decisions about who gets paid what. If you do not have any friends that you would trust like that, you will just have to email your supervisor (covered later in this guide).

Find the right time. If your company has regular performance appraisals (like, once every six to twelve months), that is the time to ask for a raise. However, most businesses (especially smaller ones) don't do this sort of thing regularly, so you are just going to have to work it out yourself (this is a sign of a poorly-run organisation, by the way). In Australia, a good time to ask is at the beginning of the financial year (in July/August) or the beginning of the calendar year (February/March). You don't want to ask during a time that is flat-out-busy, but you also don't want to ask during a time when people are in 'holiday mode' (December/January in Australia).

Build a case. You want to go into the meeting with a single sheet of paper with clear dot-points as to why you deserve the raise. It's best if you can find out things that you do better that other people that are valuable to the organisation. They don't have to be obvious. Things you might mention:

Time since your last significant payraise (I don't consider a CPI-raise to be significant)
How productive you are (if you have any standout statistics, mention them here. For example, you filed 20 tax-returns for clients last month alone.)
How punctual you are. If you're always early to work, mention it.
You don't waste time by talking excessively to other employees
Lack of complaints about your work
Lack of conflict with your supervisor
Increased responsibilities, duties or tasks you have taken on since last raise

It can be really difficult to come up with these, so if you have a close friend at work, you can ask them in a private place one day during lunch, perhaps. However, if you don't have any friends, you are just going to have to do it yourself.

Let your direct supervisor know you want a raise. Specifically, let them know you would like a meeting to discuss a raise. I've always done this by email at first, and that's probably the best way. Your supervisor SHOULD get back to you soon either saying when the meeting will be. If they DON'T, they could be ignoring you, hoping you will drop it. DON'T LET THEM. If they haven't replied in a week (and there hasn't been a major disaster in the meantime), go up to them when they are on their own and ask them if they got your email about a meeting. If they say they didn't, send it again. If they say they did, but try to blow you off with a "oh, yeah, I got it. But, you know, now's not a good time", ask them when a good time would be.

Go into the meeting with supporting evidence. If you say that you get good feedback on your work, make sure you have it with you in the room. I once printed out all the thank-you emails I got from customers in the last year and took them to the meeting in a folder. I didn't have to use them at all, but it was good for me to have them there, just in case they asked me more questions about that. If you don't have anything like that, that's ok, don't freak. But if you can, do it. And don't bring in a truckload of stuff. If you need more that one hand to carry it, it's too much.

You should have a single sheet of paper with your notes on top of any of anything else you are carrying.

In the meeting:

This will all depend on the organisation you work for, but usually I've had pay-rise meetings with two other people.

Make sure you firmly shake the hands of all the people in the meeting, (especially the men), and if you can look them in the eye and say "hello".

It's ok to be nervous, and if they ask if you are nervous, it's ok to say that you are. Most people, ASD or NT are very nervous in these situations.

Usually the senior person will talk for a while. Let them. At some point, they might ask you something like "So, you want a raise?"

Here, you need to briefly (in one sentence) say something like "Yes. I am a valuable, productive worker, and I am worth more." You should practise this line, and have it written at the top of your sheet of paper.

Do NOT say "I deserve more". It makes you sound like you are entitled.

Once you have said this wait and see if they want you to continue or not. They might give you a nod or a hand signal to continue, or they might want to say something themselves. You might get lucky and they will agree with you outright, but if they want to hear more from you, work from your sheet.

Don't ramble. Stick to your brief points. If you get flustered, look back to your sheet of paper to find what you meant to say.

Don't go through every point on your list if you don't have to. If they interrupt you at all, let them.

If they ask you how much of a raise you want, say "I think 10-15% would be appropriate". Of course this will depend on the individual situation, and they might end up only offering 7% or so. The main thing you want is something higher than 4%, which is basically only inline with inflation.

When the meeting is over, make sure you thank people for their time, and shake hands and look them in the eye.



Anyway, I hope all this is useful to people. If you have any questions let me know.