Salary Negotiations
The Cavaliers have finally cashed in, the curse is broken, and Cleveland is rejoicing! Many Cleveland businesses are experiencing record profits, and with the Republican National Convention around the corner, the boom is expected to continue.
You’ve been working long hours, picking up the slack, and you’d like to cash in on your efforts. How do you go about asking for a raise?
1. Timing is everything.
• Don’t wait for your next annual performance review (unless it’s just around the corner).
• Do capitalize on the success of a project or period of additional responsibility.
• Don’t ask if the company is making cutbacks or laying people off.
2. Do your homework.
• Research your market value based on position, performance, and education.
• Gather data on the overall job market by talking to a headhunter or an online jobs site.
• Collect information on your performance—sales increases, customer testimonials, growth, etc.
3. Plan your conversation.
• Practice your pitch with a friend who can be tough and push back.
• Talk to your boss about upcoming challenges for the company (preferably prior to the salary negotiation) so you can discuss solutions to these challenges and how you can deliver.
• Schedule a meeting with your boss, letting him or her know that you want to talk about your career growth.
4. Stay calm.
• Don’t allow emotions into the conversation
• Use silence as a tool. Lay out your case and then pause to give your boss time to process.
• Don’t ramble on if there isn’t an immediate response.
• Be clear and specific, but not aggressive.
• Don’t give your boss a sob story of not being able to survive on what you’re making.
5. End positively
• Whatever the boss’ response, be positive. Express thanks for his or her time.
• Ask questions about what you can do in the future to be considered for a raise in the future.
• If possible, rephrase the question. If you realize that your request is not being received favorably, change the word raise to “salary adjustment” which implies market value instead of extra money.
This blog is intended for educational purposes only. It gives general information and not specific legal advice. This advice is not specific to Ohio or Cleveland. For specific legal advice, contact Baron Law at 216.573.3723 or dan@baronlawcleveland.com to speak with an attorney.
