Q & A Table of Contents
Fear of Face-offs in Salary Negotiation
From: Marketing Person, Auckland, New Zealand
Question: I need some negotiation advice in asking for a pay rise. How do I go about requesting a pay rise without having to sound like I am threatening to leave my job if I don't get one?
Response: Thanks for your question. Requesting a pay rise can be
threatening, but does not have to be.
First you need to assess your own situation, your interests both short- and long-term. You should also think about the situation faced by your employer, both the organisation and the individual(s) involved in your salary decisions. Remember that you are making assumptions about 'the other side' and that when one assumes, one runs the risk that the assumption will "make an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'".
When you are asking for a rise are you trying to meet needs that you have outside of work: bills to pay, a nicer place to live, etc.? or are you looking for something to satisfy your on-the-job ego, your ranking in the hierarchy, etc.?
What do you offer your employer? How do they gain because you are on the job? How do you add value to your workplace? How much would it cost them to replace you, both in terms of salary and benefits and the cost of training a replacement?
The most important issue to examine is your attitude. If you're going into discussion of a pay rise with a chip on your shoulder, you are looking for trouble rather than cooperation. If you can consider the process as an opportunity to reward you for value provided and additional value yet to come, if you let the person(s) with whom you meet know that you value your job and are enthusiastic about working with them, but that you have specific interests in more pay, that is being open and honest and most likely to get their favourable attention.
Consider your time in service, the comparative salaries paid to others both within the organisation and outside. If your attitude is both friendly and business-like, reflecting concerns about the benefits your employer derives from having your services, it is not an issue of confrontation, but rather one of sharing information about mutual interests -- and both sides should stand to gain.
I wish you success and self-confidence.
Steve
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