Asking for a raise can be nerve-wracking at the best of times. The fear, stress and anxiety of proving to the boss that you deserve more money may be heightened amid the pandemic when you haven’t been in the same room for months, or maybe years.
Ms. Reinhardt, a consultant who helps organizations build their salary structures, says the competition for talent is also creating greater salary inequities. Often, she says new employees are getting paid more than existing colleagues in similar roles. The war on talent has evolved from ‘The Great Resignation’ to ‘The Great Renegotiation’ as employees seek better compensation at their current companies, says salary negotiation expert Fotini Iconomopoulos, author of the book, Say Less, Get More: Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want.
Then, when booking a meeting with your manager, choose a time when they aren’t going through a high-stress situation or the most stressful part of the day, month or year. If you’re working remotely, avoid asking for a raise in an e-mail, she says. Instead, request a video chat or phone conversation with your manager to make it more personable.
Also, hearing a ‘no’ now doesn’t necessarily mean ‘no’ forever, which is why Ms. Iconomopoulos suggests framing the request as a discussion, not a demand.