The Executive Suite: Asking for a Raise When Taking on More Work

Monday, December 30, 2013

Asking for a Raise When Taking on More Work

Ideally, additional job duties are accompanied by a commensurate increase in pay. But in the real world, employees often take on new duties without an automatic raise. Before asking for more money, evaluate your job performance honestly. For example, consider whether you put in a full day of work most days or whether you usually leave early. You may be asked to take on more work because your boss doesn't think you're as productive as you should be. On the other hand, if your solid performance is being rewarded with greater responsibilities, research salaries in your field and then ask for an appropriate raise.

Suggestions

Determine the typical salary for your job before you ask for a raise to ensure you're not expecting more than the market value for your position. Use online salary calculators and wage information as well as information from colleagues in your company or industry to find current data on salaries for jobs similar to yours.
Ask for a raise that's close to the market value for your position, and show your employer the salary data you gathered. Tell your employer how much time the additional work he wants you to do will take and how you intend to manage the added workload along with your regular duties.
Don't put your employer on the defensive by threatening to resign if you don't get a raise for dong more work. Instead, give your boss solid business reasons that warrant giving you a raise by citing other things you have done to benefit the company or your co-workers.
Prepare to respond to a counteroffer by determining beforehand whether you will take other benefits your boss may offer, such as additional vacation days, a bonus or a title change. In any case, respond positively even if your boss offers you a smaller raise than you want. Consider that a small raise is more than you had before.
Ask your boss what it would take to get a salary increase if he won't give you a raise right away. Get specific information from him on a time frame for a raise and the tasks you must perform to get the pay increase you want. Work on those tasks and document them as you perform them so that you can ask for a raise again at another time.

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