Why is asking for a promotion so scary? Is it having to prove your worth? Is it fear of rejection? I have no idea but it’s a daunting task. But sometimes you really deserve a promotion, and when the time comes you can’t let fear stop you from getting what you’ve worked for. So then, how the heck do we go about it?
How To Know If You’re Ready
Self-reflection can be a tricky thing to manage, but you’ll want to honestly assess yourself to know that you truly are in a position to ask for a promotion before you present your case. How do you work it out? Tina Monk, Professional Career Coach at Sydney Career Coaching says it’s all about getting it in writing.
“To assess your own skills, start with your job description and give yourself a scaled rating for your level of competence in each area. Be realistic here as this is no time to play the modesty card.“
Next, you’ll want to pull out those handy performance reviews and ask for feedback from other people if you have a hard time seeing it clearly yourself.
“Next look at your recent performance reviews and see what ratings you have given yourself. You can get more objective feedback by looking at the ratings that your direct manager has given you if you respect their feedback.
For more objectivity, you can ask coworkers to assess you, preferably anonymously so that it is truly objective.“
What Do You Need To Prepare?
If never bodes well to go into any business meeting without having everything you need prepared. You’re trying to prove you deserve more responsibility after all. Tina recommends you start with salary expectations.
“Before approaching your manager, you need to do some research into typical salaries in your field. You can get salary information from published resources. Websites like Live Salary or Glassdoor are useful. Remember that because of factors like education and experience, your salary may differ quite a bit from the median published salary for your field.”
But don’t forget that you need to continue to be realistic when you’re comparing yourself to others in your field.
“Consider the number of years you’ve been working in the field, your education and qualifications, and the length of time you’ve worked for your current employer. You should even take the location of your job into account. Jobs in major cities, for instance, usually pay more than ones in small towns.”
If you think your qualifications leave something to be desired, don’t forget you can always upskill by adding a few more short courses to your resume. Finally, Tina says you should compile all the things that make you awesome at your job.
“Make a list of your accomplishments over the past twelve months and any additional responsibilities that you have taken on and give them an actual figure that you have in mind for desired increase. We usually suggest giving them a range to show your willingness to negotiate.”
How Do You Approach Your Boss
Ok, so now you know you’re fine self has worked hard and defs deserves that promotion. You’ve got everything prepared and you’re ready to prove your worth. But how do you actually approach your boss? Tina reckons you need to keep your chill.
“Stay relaxed and confident, speak slowly, have open body language – no crossed arms! – and avoid getting defensive or angry. Cool, confident and convincing should be your mantra, and you should aim to be strong, yet reasonable.
Don’t overstate your case, name your terms, and avoid repeating yourself too much. Listen carefully to their side and be willing to compromise, and you’ll be much more likely to succeed.”
When’s The Best Time To Ask?
I mean, you want to catch your boss in a good mood, right? So is there a better time to ask or is that just a myth? Tina reckons it’s absolutely not.
“Believe it or not, there are actually good and not so good times to talk money in the workplace. Mondays are bad, Fridays are good and mornings are always better.
In terms of timing, it’s good to ask for a raise when you have just finished a challenging project and can point to this and other achievements over the past twelve months. If the company is going through difficult financial times, obviously, this won’t bode well for a successful outcome.”
What If You’re Unsuccessful?
There’s no doubt it’s hard to put yourself out there and be knocked back. But it’s important to remember that a rejection doesn’t mean it’ll never happen. Remain composed and ask for feedback, recommends Tina.
“What you could do is ask your manager for a deadline for when you can discuss the issue again, say in three months time. Ask them for feedback on what you could be doing differently that would lead them to consider a salary increase.”
