How to Ask for the Raise: Scripts That Work
Preparation, timing and a handful of sentences that will keep the conversation on your side of the table.
Asking for a raise is the single most useful conversation most people avoid. It need not be adversarial. Done well, it is just a clear discussion about value, and the people who handle it best are usually the best prepared.
Prepare. Gather three things: what you have delivered in the last year, what the market pays for the work you do, and what you want. Write them down. Say them out loud to someone you trust.
Time it. The best moment is just after a visible success, or ahead of the budget cycle. Avoid the week of a restructure, a bad quarter or a manager’s holiday.
Say it plainly. “I’d like to talk about my pay. Over the last year I’ve taken on X and delivered Y, and I’d like it to reflect that.” Then stop speaking and let the silence do its work.
Ask what would change the answer. If the response is no, the question “What would need to be true for this to be a yes?” is the most valuable one you can ask, and it turns a refusal into a roadmap.
Written by
Odette Marsh
Contributing writer on work, money and relationships. Formerly a financial journalist; now mostly interested in the conversations people avoid.
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