Are you tired of feeling like the hardest worker in the room, but not seeing it reflected in your paycheque? Are you tired of waiting for a job offer to magically appear?
The truth is the best opportunities and an increase in that salary do not always fall into your lap. Sometimes, you need to go out there and grab them yourself.
According to Payscale's 2021 State of the Wage report, 44 percent of workers did not receive a raise in the past year while 43 percent did ask for a raise.
Similarly, the Global Salary Survey of 2021 by Robert Walters indicates that 58 percent of professionals worldwide were planning to ask for a raise that year.
While asking for a raise or negotiating a job offer could be a daunting, and even dreadful task, when done right, it's totally worth your while.
Beverly Makokha, a Talent Manager at CERIOPS Environmental Research Organisation shares that salary negotiation is part and parcel of the interview process and should be approached from a collaborative perspective.
The best timing
She however cautions that timing is everything. The best time to broach the subject, she notes, is when you know you are the most preferred candidate.
"If in the job advert there is a fixed amount, you could ask if the quoted figure is flexible for negotiation in, say six months after joining, with all factors being considered," explains Ms Makokha.
Beverly Makokha, Talent Manager at CERIOPS Environmental Research Organisation. FILE PHOTO | POOL
Once settled on the job you also have to bear in mind the general health of the business as it plays a big role in setting the mood during salary negotiations.
"It is not ideal to walk into your manager's office asking for a raise or offer when it’s clear that there are workers being declared redundant, that the company is undergoing restructuring or losses," observes Ms Makokha.
Buliba Hosea, a Human Capital Strategist at Denidel Consortium LLP advises, "As much as you may be badly needing a raise or another job offer, understanding the current dispensation at the market guides you on your next steps."
Buliba Hosea, a Human Capital Strategist at Denidel Consortium. FILE PHOTO | POOL
Practice, practice, practice!
That said, doing your due diligence is at the heart of negotiating a raise and consulting a career coach is the ideal way since they have different quotations of companies on certain roles.
Further, rehearse your tonal variations with your colleague or family members because negotiating is an emotional process and the last thing you want is to be shown the door after an outburst.
Ms Makokha poses, "If the manager says that a certain amount is the lowest they can go, how do you respond? If you need to communicate the lowest minimum you can expect, how do you put it across? If you need to decline the offer, what's the best language to use?"
Though it sounds strategic to disclose how much you were earning to hint that the next employer should raise it, such a move, Ms Makokha says is unwise.
Rule of thumb
The rule of thumb before negotiating a salary increase or offer is knowing your value and what you are bringing to the table.
Mr Hosea notes that when you receive a lower salary offer than your previous employer's, then you should act based on your research.
"For instance, if from your research you know that you have leverage, then act on it and negotiate. Often than not, companies would rather allow negotiation since recruiting a new employee is time-consuming and sometimes hard," he explains.
However, sometimes an employee can forego a higher salary to work in certain organisations at a different level.
Bargaining power
Before negotiating in the same organisation you are working in, you need to show that you went above your deliverables to have some bargaining power.
"Always blow your own trumpet about your achievements and in the same measure, take up more responsibilities. This shows initiative and that you can be relied on," adds Mr Hosea.
Nonetheless, nothing is guaranteed during a salary negotiation. It is prudent to have in mind that there are two likelihoods- of being successful or not.
Knowing what to do when you get the raise or offer and when you do not helps you navigate the responses you get from your employer easily.
Plan B
"Having a plan B when things go south can help you cruise through without spilling what you have. Being very understanding with the reasons given, especially those you or the company cannot control gives you room to comeback when things change," says Mr Hosea.
For the quiet, shy employees who need a salary raise or offer, Mr Hosea says, "overcoming the shyness and taking control of your career is the only way to get started. No one is coming to save you except yourself."
