How do you negotiate your salary increase?

Like many employees, you feel that you are not paid your fair value. So it’s decided, this year you take your courage in both hands and you’re going to ask for a raise. But to put all the chances of success on your side, you must first prepare for your interview and ask yourself the right questions.

Salary increase: choose the right moment

To hope to see his request for a raise materialize, it is necessary to wait for the right moment in order to be sure that your query be at least studied.

• Are you being offered a job change, a new qualification, a transfer? This is a good opportunity to ask for a salary increase justifying your new responsibilities within the company.
• Another possibility, following a qualifying vocational trainingallowing you to develop new skills.
• During your annual interview: the annual interview is obviously a good time to request a salary increase. You take stock of the year’s work, set your next goals… Nevertheless, you will not be alone in making the same request at the same time. It is therefore preferable to address this specific point a few months before with your manager so as not to focus on this aspect during this important time of the year.
• Make your request in a favorable context: in fact, it makes more sense to make your request for a salary increase when your company is growing or when you have reached or exceeded your objectives. On the other hand, avoid making your request if your company is in financial difficulty, if you have not achieved your objectives or if you are returning from parental leave.

Salary increase: who to ask for it?

To ask for your salary increase, talk to your manager, whether he is a decision maker or not. He will escalate your request to his own manager and may even support you. Indeed, only he really knows what your goals are and sees the work done. Bypassing it is not the right strategy to adopt.

How to justify a request for a salary increase?

The most important thing when asking for a raise is being able to justify your request. For this, you must seriously prepare for your interview.

• To avoid stress during your interview, do not hesitate to rehearse your speech and your arguments at home. Try to anticipate your employer’s responses to your arguments as much as possible and prepare counter-arguments to be able to bounce back without letting yourself be destabilized. This will show your motivation and prove to your employer that you represent a real added value in your company.
• Consult studies on the level of salaries in your sector of activity for the same position as you or on the average salary of employees depending on the same collective agreement. Ask your colleagues about their remuneration in order to have an overview of the salaries practiced within your company, without comparing yourself to them at the time of the interview.
• bring as many arguments as possible in your favour. You have to show your employer that you are sure of yourself and that you deserve your raise. List all your successes, whether it is the achievement of your objectives, the contribution of a new contract, your commitment within the company, the increase in customer satisfaction and provide as much tangible evidence as possible (figures, statistics. ..) to back up your point.

Salary increase: be clear about your salary expectations

After explaining your achievements and successes to your employer, clearly indicate your salary expectations. They should be consistent with your argument and expressed as a range, with a minimum and a maximum, rather than a firm request. This will show that you are open to a possible negotiation and will not antagonize your interlocutor. You must remain calm and professional, taking the time to listen carefully to your employer. The discussion must be constructive so that it can lead to something positive. You should not be in a balance of power but rather in a negotiation process that should lead to new motivations and progress.

Salary increase: how to react at the time of the answer?

You are unlikely to get an immediate response to your request for a raise. Your employer will need time to think things over and may make you a different proposal than what you have formulated. Despite your disappointment, remain open to the offer of counter-proposal. You can also ask to benefit from additional advantages (vocational training, flexible working hours, teleworkbonus…) in order to improve the offer proposed by your employer.

Finally, do not hesitate to ask why your request was refused and what you need to do to obtain it. This will show your motivation and determination to your employer. Take the opportunity to request a new interview for the following year. In any case, you must not enter into a balance of power and put the employer at the foot of the wall. This will be counterproductive and of no interest to you and your employer. And don’t forget the little thank you message to close the result of the negotiation.