Right now, you probably feel pretty lucky just to have a job. And, amid the economic uncertainties and salary cuts, you’re also likely thinking that now is a good time to bite your lip when it comes to talking money with your boss.
Wrong. Whether you’re long overdue for a raise, or if one was tabled post-coronavirus outbreak, or if you are struggling financially and could use a salary boost perhaps because of a salary cut, speaking up right now — if approached strategically — is a great way to show how indispensable you are and get more money or other perks.
Know your worth
Ineke McMahon, director at Path to Promotion, has seen some of her career-development course clients express hesitations about asking for anything right now because “there are a lot of other people who would take my job for less money.” Forget that myth.
“The loss of human capital and knowledge cannot be fixed by replacing existing staff, possessing existing intellectual capital and relationships internally and externally, with new staff,” says McMahon.
“The costs of hiring, training and integrating new people into the workforce, especially when working from home, is far more complicated than keeping the great staff that are already in place.”
To that end, you may find it beneficial to take inventory of all that you bring to the table right now, so you have the facts handy for a talk with your boss.
Taking on new roles and responsibilities in wake of the COVID-19 crisis? Jot it down. Spearheading your company’s crisis communications? Add it to the list.
“Make sure that you are objectively taking note [of all of these things] and sharing that with your manager,” says Fotini Iconomopoulos, negotiation consultant and author of the upcoming book “Say Less, Get More” (HarperCollins, 2021). “For example, if you’re speaking to more clients per day, churning out more business than usual, picking up the slack for being short-staffed and more, bring that up.”
Iconomopoulos recommends framing the chat around the idea that you’ve been contributing more and would like to make sure you are compensated for stepping up. Be confident and consider things from your employer’s perspective.
They’re benefiting from all that you do, and losing you right now would be a particularly trying blow with many new-hire searches on freeze or considering the bandwidth it would take to train a new employee.
Take on more work
Asking to take on additional work for an additional salary adjustment is a solid idea. “Develop a business plan to present to management,” says Jill Tipograph, co-founder of Early Stage Careers. “Phrase it as: ‘If I temporarily take over customer service for the next three months, could you increase my pay by 15 percent?’ — or whatever is reasonable,” she says.
To gauge if your ask seems sensible, ask three friends from diverse backgrounds to assess if your request is fair. But be warned that “once your salary request is presented, you cannot take it back,” says Tipograph.
Ask for a one-time bonus
Some companies have initiated salary freezes right now, and a raise may be out of the question. For these cases, “ask your employer if you can receive a performance-based bonus once the company rebounds,” says Lynda Spiegel, job search coach and founder of Rising Star Resume, who concedes that many employers may be reluctant to commit to this right now.
Nevertheless, substantiate your accomplishments as you would pre-pandemic when negotiating for a raise. If you’re successful, a good strategy would be to “graciously accept a commitment to defer the salary increase until the crisis abates,” says Spiegel.
Already owed a raise? Try this
“If you were due for a raise as the virus issue emerged, it would be good to memorialize any/all discussions that occur — save e-mails, send yourself notes of verbal discussions and dates — because when the time comes to get things back on track, the person(s) you had this discussion with may no longer be with the firm,” says Tipograph.
Remember, salary enhancements are earned and not doled out, so continue to put in the grunt work if you expect to be recognized.
“Early careerists especially, should use this time to go above and beyond at work. They have been hit among the hardest as a generation during this time,” says Tipograph.
Ask for the fun stuff
If a raise or bonus won’t get the green light, there’s still plenty of room to obtain work-life improvements from your company right now, whether it’s additional vacation days, a permanent or part-time work-from-home setup or another benefit.
First, get the obvious things approved. If you’re working from home, you could ask your employer to pay for items like Wi-Fi, phone, additional computer monitors, office chairs, microphones, webcams and other essentials.
“You can make the case for the [items] related to your work as they directly relate to productivity and professionalism,” says Benjamin Ritter, leadership and empowerment coach and founder of Live for Yourself Consulting. As Iconomopoulos notes, these expenses typically come out of a different budget than salaries.
You can also ask for extra vacation days for 2021 or to have a portion of this year’s days carried over, assistance with child-care costs and even workout equipment. (Bet you never thought you’d miss the company’s dingy basement gym.) Given the prominence placed on psychological well-being, you may also want to ask for mental-health days if you feel like you could use some extra time off.
“Think of all of the things that would make your life easier. When your life is easier, you’re a more motivated employee for the long term,” says Iconomopoulos. And during this stressful time, when it’s likely your boss doesn’t even know what day of the week it is, the head honchos want that kind of staffer more than ever.