Qualifying for a Salary Raise

Remember the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp? The genie
would have never granted his wishes if he had not asked. In life, we ask for
prices, directions, wishes, time, and everything else. However, it is strange we
never ask for a raise or rather hesitate and ponder over it as if we would die
if we did so.

The saying goes, "Only a crying baby gets fed."
However, do we wish to be known as cry babies at the workplace in order to get a
raise? It is easier for a marketing person or a sales executive to ask for a
raise than say an engineer or a software programmer. This is because marketing
people or sales executives can quantify their improvement by saying, "This
is how much we sold last year, and this is how much we have sold this year. As
you can see, we have doubled our sales revenues this year, which increases our
company's profit by 30%. So don't you think we deserve a raise?"
Unfortunately for us techies, this way of quantifying is not possible, as we can't
connect our improvement to the company's profit and loss statement. What would
we say? "I wrote a new program for that project" or "I worked 16
hour days last year and took only three days off."

As a result, many hesitate to ask for a raise, as they are
unable to state clearly the reasons why they should be promoted to a senior
position, which means a bigger pay packet. Therefore, many are job-hopping
instead of negotiating a better salary or a promotion. As Anamika Jayanth, a
computer professional in Bangalore says, "It is easier to find a better
paying job than asking my boss for a higher salary." The result is that
most Indian techies who used to be known for their loyalty to the company are
now considered simply job-hoppers like their western counterparts. The truth is,
many seem to be doing this because they don't know how to negotiate.

Here are five steps to negotiate with your boss for a better
salary, and get it.

"Before you bring up the request for a raise, it is
important to make yourself visually valuable. So start at least six months
before you plan to ask for a raise," says David Lorenzo, a management
consultant and author of Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace
Warriors and Entrepreneurs. Before you make your pitch for a raise, follow
these five steps and prepare a convincing case.

1
Fix It: Identify a system or procedure that is not working well
and try to fix it. Be inventive and go the extra mile. According to Lorenzo,
"If you take initiative and take action, it will be clear that you're
valuable, even if you can't quantify it." All employees face problems and
instead of whining about it in the office cafeteria, see if you can do anything
about it. It could be anything from fixing a bug to working with accounts
department to expedite payment. It could even be helping with an urgent request
from a client that is not part of your job description. This will make both your
boss and co-workers recognize you as a fixer, and this makes you automatically
more valuable in everyone's eyes.

2 Help
Others: Help others who work above you, especially your boss. Find
ways to meet the goals of your boss or people who work directly above you. It
could be helping with a new project presentation, working overtime to help your
boss meet a deadline or finishing your part of the project ahead of time. It can
also mean helping your boss with last minute requests or handling a client while
your boss is sick. This makes your boss look good to her boss. According to
Lorenzo, "Bosses don't have their heads in the sand about this. They will
want to keep you happy." Naturally, your boss would remember you and
naturally, they will want to reward you. This is because you are now visually
reliable and unless you have a bad boss, they will know they can rely on you and
hence would like to retain you.

3 Know
your worth: This is an important step, as it will make you more
confident while negotiating a better salary or while asking for a raise. If you
find yourself dispensable, make yourself indispensable. Improve your market
value by doing value addition to the job, your colleagues, and most importantly
your boss. Know your worth to the company or the role you play in the
organization. Learn to quantify your work by seeing how your role affects the
profit or loss statement.

4 Do
the research: Use websites like www.salary.com
and www.CareerBuilder.com to find out
what people are making doing your job in various geographic locations. Most
companies have a designated time to announce or give a raise or a promotion.
Therefore, when you decide you deserve more money, you probably have to a wait
for your moment. In the mean time, constantly remind your boss about the good
job you are doing, and subtly prepare her with all the supporting material she
will need to justify your raise to her superiors. Also, do research about
salaries in your field. If the raise comes in low, belt out the statistics to
show your value in the market.

5 Be
polite: Ask but never demand. Do not try to use the better offer from
another prospective employer as a bargaining chip. Explain by highlighting your
specific accomplishments on the job and use the research to make a convincing
case as to why you deserve a raise. While doing this, do not brag, but ask for
the raise politely.

Of course, you may already have done one or more of the above.
In that case, don't be shy about reminding your boss of what you have
contributed. Make a convincing case by listing out improvements and
contributions you have made that year. Then, sit down with your boss and explain
why you believe you are worth more.

Recipe for an Effective Negotiation

1 cup of politeness

2 cups of customer satisfaction

3 cups of sweet and balanced temperament

2 cups of presentation skills

1 cup of reliability

1 cup of courage

1 cup of reminder

2 cups of determination

Take the above and stir them into a smooth paste. Apply the
paste on your boss and wallah! You will get your raise. Remember, if you don't
ask, you won't get it. The worst your boss can say is "NO." Even if
that happens, you would have at least made the case, you will be on record with
your boss or employers that you are currently being underpaid and this will be
noticed. It will most probably help you make the shortlist for a salary hike
when times get better, if your company is not doing well currently.

Stop complaining about being underpaid. Cheer up and get to work
on the pitch that will get you the raise.

Deepa Kandaswamy

The author is the founder-moderator of the IndianWISE e-group

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in

The views expressed here are personal

© Deepa Kandaswamy.

© First Indian Serial Rights, CyberMedia 2007. 

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Deepa Kandaswamy and Dataquest.

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