How to ensure you get a raise even during a downturn

Although economic activity has been gradually picking up, many businesses are still reluctant to raise the salaries of their employees even during the yearly salary review process (let alone via raises throughout the year). However, there are ways you can increase your chances of getting a raise and here are some of them.

1. Make sure your outputs are of superior quality and have a direct positive impact on the bottom line. Companies measure success in terms of revenue brought in and/or costs saved. And here is when you have a chance to shine: bring new customers on board, renew and upgrade existing accounts, negotiate a deal with a new supplier that is better than your company’s current one. And most importantly, make your achievements known to the main decision-makers. So many times I have come across top performers who did an excellent job that their managers were unaware of. So instead, their line managers got the promotions and raises and the actual performers ended up unrecognised.
2. Develop a good working relationship with your immediate supervisor. This will help in a number of ways, one of them being that he or she will liaise on your behalf with senior management and flag up your achievements. It is always best when senior management hears about you from several different sources (yourself and your manager being the two main ones).
3. Take up a leading role organising activities within your organisation. It can be managing preparations for the office Christmas party or end of month team drinks and bowling for instance. Something outside your direct line of work that will get you noticed and reinforce your status as an excellent team player. I once knew a lady who was relatively new to the company and she volunteered to organise the company Christmas party for staff and their children. This led to her getting noticed by the CEO of the company and being promoted when a relevant position opened.
4. Be prepared to take on more challenging work with demanding hours. Volunteering to take on additional projects will showcase your ambition to the management and if you complete them successfully, this will boost your chances of a raise and promotion.

The central lesson is that while genuine knowledge and experience do play a big part in salary raises and promotions, they are not the only relevant factors. Another more subtle and sometimes more important factor is your status in the organisation, by which I mean how well-known you are to the management, how often you are seen taking on challenging tasks and whether you take up and lead team or company activities not directly related to your line of work.

I would love to hear about your experiences of securing pay rises and promotions. Please feel free to post in the comments box below. And if you have any further questions, please email on dasha@careercoachingventures.com