Hacking Adulthood
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Hacks
    • Apps
    • Budgeting
    • Friendship
    • Food
    • Fun
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Lifestyle
    • Life Event
    • Mental Health
    • Money
    • Personal Finance
    • Salary
    • Side Hustles
    • Travel
    • Work
  • Contact Us
Top Hacks
Strug Kitchen 1: Pasta Peetamera
My Thoughts on the Free SHS Policy
On Co-Living in Accra
Cons of Working at a Start Up in...
Pros of Working at a Start Up in...
Our Take on Standard Chartered’s New Credit Cards
The Power of Saying No
Want a Better Salary? Here’s How
How to Stop Selling Yourself Short
New Age Entrepreneur: Dedo Azu
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Hacks
    • Apps
    • Budgeting
    • Friendship
    • Food
    • Fun
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Lifestyle
    • Life Event
    • Mental Health
    • Money
    • Personal Finance
    • Salary
    • Side Hustles
    • Travel
    • Work
  • Contact Us

Hacking Adulthood

MoneySurveyWork

How to Get a Raise

written by Anita Asiedu April 11, 2016

A raise is recognition that you are now more valuable than you were—that your skill level has improved, that you’ve accomplished more, and that you’re adding more value.

A couple of years ago, I thought to myself, “am I getting paid what I deserve?” Quite a few things had changed since I had joined my company less than a year before. For one, my direct supervisor had resigned, meaning I had had to learn the ropes on my own as well as supervise myself. I’d also been assigned four additional tasks that I didn’t believe fell under the “any other duty as assigned” clause in my job description. This is because they were regular (daily and weekly) tasks and not occasional ones that anyone else could perform. I definitely felt the salary that I had negotiated upon my appointment needed to be increased to better reflect my current job description and level of job responsibility.  

Before my conversation with my CEO about a salary review (I would have spoken to my direct supervisor first, but I didn’t have one, as my previous supervisor has not been replaced) I did some googles, the results of which I have listed below. A raise is recognition that you are now more valuable than you were—that your skill level has improved, that you’ve accomplished more, and that you’re adding more value; if this description speaks to you, then go ahead and prepare to ask for that raise with these tips below! (Btw, I got the raise that I wanted and deserved!)

  • Have an Idea of Your Company’s Financial Situation: If some of your co-workers have been let go on the low, and you’re now supposed to use the single, creaky, ceiling fan in your office instead the split air conditioners, chances are that your company is not in in its optimum financial state. Even though it’s likely that you have had to take up more responsibilities to make up for the decrease in staff size, it might not be a great idea to ask for a raise at this time as you risk appearing self-serving and out of touch. What can you do instead of asking for an immediate raise? Ask for a meeting with your supervisors to discuss your additional duties, job responsibilities, and plans for the rest of the quarter or year. You can also request some feedback on your performance (if you have just had a performance review) and then ask for your salary to be reviewed in 3, 6, or 12 months when you hope the bottom line will be looking better.
  • Consider timing: Did you already get a raise 3 months ago? Then it might not be a good idea to ask for yet another raise since raises are typically granted once a year. Did you fail to meet your quarterly sales target? Try and meet and even exceed the next quarter’s sales target and then you can think about asking for a raise.
  • Do your research: When you sit down with your supervisor  or CEO to talk about getting a raise, you need to be prepared by knowing how much more you’re asking for. To come up with a realistic request, Google says you should research the average salary for your position in your area. If, understandably, that’s a little difficult to do, try and make your research a little more do-able. For example, try and find out what your co-workers or people on the same level as you are earn (please don’t mention other people’s’ salaries in your raise meeting; it will probably make you look whiny), or even check the salary attached to relevant postings on JobWeb or Jobberman. If that is not possible, then ask for a 3-5% increase in your salary, since this is the general range of merit salary increments.
  • Be prepared to make your case: Try not to focus on reasons like how long you’ve been working at your job and instead focus on what you’ve achieved since you started working there. It’s better to prove yourself than to state your entitlement to a raise. Additionally, since a raise is additional money, focus on how you’re doing more than is required and how this extra effort is benefiting your company’s bottom line.
  • Offer options: Offer a range within which your proposed salary increase with the minimum being the lowest increase you’re willing to accept and the maximum being a reasonable figure. Asking for a 150 to 300 cedi increase will most likely give you better results than if you asked for, say, a 200 cedi increase as your supervisor/CEO is much less likely to counter offer with a figure below 150 cedis than they are to counteroffer with a figure below 200 cedis. Plus offering a range works in your favor because it’s more polite. If your company is not able/willing to pay you an increased salary every month, try requesting a one time performance based bonus.
  • Be willing to listen: It’s a raise “conversation” for a reason. Be open to feedback and be aware of your supervisor’s verbal and nonverbal cues to tailor your message accordingly and to boost your chances of getting your raise.

For Additional Information:

How To Ask For A Raise

How To Ask For A Raise — And Get It

How To Ask For A Raise and Get Paid What You Deserve

Do’s and Don’ts of Requesting a Raise in Salary or Wages

Five Surprising Research Based Facts To Help You Get Your Next Raise

How to ask for a raise: 7 ways to negotiate more money in the new year

 

 

How to Get a Raise was last modified: April 10th, 2016 by Anita Asiedu
0 comment
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Anita Asiedu

Anita’s favorite things include, in no particular order, eating rice in all its wonderful forms, scrolling through photos of pugs, walking out of the airport into the sunlight of a new country, and daytime naps. By day, she's the Communications Manager of a technology startup based in Accra and by night, she is a superhero dedicated to freedom, justice, and the use of good grammar.

previous post
Putting Your Mental Health First
next post
How to Ace That Job Interview

Related Articles

Our Take on Standard Chartered’s New Credit Cards

August 2, 2017

Infographic – Simple Saving Tips

August 17, 2016

Defining Affordable Housing for Ghanaians

May 6, 2016

Quick Tips for Looking Well Put Together

May 12, 2016

How to Get a Raise: What Not to Do

April 15, 2016

Should You Be Friends With Your Coworkers?

May 24, 2016

How to Get Away With a Side Hustle

April 26, 2016

How To Build A House on an Entry Level Salary

April 18, 2016

How Much Do You Make?

May 6, 2016

A Beginner’s Guide to Investing in Ghana

June 14, 2016

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

About Hacking Adulthood

About Hacking Adulthood

Hacking Adulthood is a place to learn about, discuss, complain about, and celebrate everything about being adults in Ghana. Together we will figure out how navigate adulthood and learn more about how to be adults. We’ll cover everything from managing personal finances and how to secure a mortgage to how to make friends as an adult. We can’t wait to start this journey of navigating adulthood with you!

our social media

Facebook Twitter

popular hacks

  • New Age Entrepreneur: Dedo Azu

    January 11, 2017
  • Tracking Your Spending

    March 29, 2016
  • Mow’s Top Five Ghanaian Travel Destinations

    May 5, 2016
  • My Thoughts on the Free SHS Policy

    October 19, 2017
  • How to Stop Selling Yourself Short

    February 9, 2017

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016

© 2016 Hacking Adulthood. All Rights Reserved


Back To Top