Thorough preparation is the key to getting a salary increase, writes Mandy Collins
For most people, there comes a time when their salary just doesn’t cover things anymore. The bills seem to be mounting up, and making ends meet becomes an impossibility, while your colleague at the next desk is swanning around in a new car. It’s time for a pay rise and that means negotiating, not begging, grovelling or pleading with your boss.
So what is the key to successful negotiations? Approach it as you would any other important project. Do research, think about strategy.
Be assertive – don’t just sit there efficiently doing your work and expect your boss to notice. Sell yourself, but don’t throw temper tantrums; it might help in the short term, but you’ll alienate your colleagues and probably your superiors.
Irma Fuchs, human resources generalist for Associated Magazines in Cape Town, says the most important thing to remember is that salaries are based on performance and responsibility, and nothing else. “I often hear people motivating for a salary increase because their expenses are too high. That has nothing to do with your employer.”
Mannie Alho, human resources manager for TV at the SABC, agrees. “Business in general is moving away from paying people according to their qualifications. Instead, we look at what significant difference each employee makes.”
His advice to those seeking increases is to start by thinking about what they can contribute to their company. “It’s about going the extra mile. Keep your manager informed about the things you are doing, prove you are doing a good job. It’s all a matter of perception. Some people think they are brilliant at what they do, when in fact they are duds.”
Approach the actual discussion as you would a job interview: be on time, be prepared and look good.
Fuchs advises an unemotional approach. “Arm yourself with the facts and make an appointment with your manager – don’t just accost him in the corridor,” she counsels.
“Tell him or her you would like to discuss your career and where it’s going. Hint that it has to do with your performance and responsibilities. Don’t tell them that you want to discuss an increase, because they will immediately be on the defensive.
“You also have to do your homework,” she cautions. “Before you even make the appointment, ensure that you know you’ve done your job well, and then make sure that you’re not paid well, because if you are being paid well in market terms, you really don’t have a leg to stand on.”
But how do you find out what the market rate is? You could be straightforward and ask your colleagues what they earn. Many people are wary of giving this information, however, and often companies frown on such openness.
An alternative is to call employment agencies. Says Fuchs: “Don’t just give them your job title; tell them what it is you do. And don’t just take your basic salary into account. Add perks like medical aid, pension and car and entertainment allowances.”
Both Fuchs and Alho emphasise the importance of performance appraisals, a system many companies use on a once-yearly basis.
Says Alho:”These systems provide the opportunity for the matter to be discussed. Use them to market yourself; we must learn to point out our own merits. We don’t tend to believe in ourselves, and that makes us weak negotiators.”
Holding an alternative job offer can give you leverage in pay talks, but don’t lever yourself out of a job. Be careful that the alternative offer is one you would be happy to accept if necessary, since your boss may object to what is, after all, a not-so-subtle form of blackmail.
Finally, says Fuchs, if you are earning according to your market worth, but still need extra cash, consider taking on extra projects in exchange for an increase. “The key is to give the company their money’s worth. Tell your manager, without going into the details, that you have personal reasons for wanting an increase, and are prepared to take on extra work for extra remuneration.”