Asking for a raise is generally a pretty stressful proposition. But after you have been with a company for a while, you may feel you deserve one. However, the number of years you have been at a company is not by itself a basis for a raise. It won’t carry much water with your supervisor. You need to show him or her how you have added value to the company. So, when go into your supervisor’s office, make sure you are equipped with facts, figures and evidence to back up your request. Here are a few tips on preparing:

1. Show why you deserve a raise.
As mentioned, you need to make the case that your contributions merit a raise. What have you done for the company? Have you increased sales by 20 percent? Have you landed some significant new clients? Have you improved any processes and procedures that saved the company money? You need to show what you did and back up your pitch with facts and figures.

2. Know how much your job is worth.
How much does your job pay at other companies? You can use sites like Glassdoor to find what other companies are paying people in your position. You can also use social media to ask around what others are making.

If your salary is below that of your company’s competitors, you can use that as one of your arguments when you ask for your raise. Companies know that they need to be competitive with their salaries, otherwise, they will lose people to their competitors, and won’t attract the best people.

3. When you ask is also important.
You may deserve a raise, but can the company afford it? Is the company expected to meet its financial goals for the year? If not, it may not be the best time to ask for a raise. The same is true if you see that the company is laying people off and consolidating its departments. You may have to wait until the firm is on more solid financial ground.

4. Know what to do if you are turned down.
Even if you go in well prepared and at the right time, your supervisor may still tell you that he cannot give you a raise. In this case, you need to do follow up. Find out why. There might be some factors at play that you are unaware of. Maybe there is a timetable for salary increases that you don’t know about or other things that need to happen before the company will give pay hikes.

Also, get some feedback on your performance to see if you are going in the right direction. Find out when you can bring the raise issue up again.

Winston Resources is one of the premier recruiting firms in New York City, with the resources, staff, and networks to help you find a job that fits your talents and experience. Give Winston Resources a call today.