Despite being confident in the toughest sales pitches, or smashing targets every week, asking for a raise is never easy, even for the best employees. But if your extra hard work is going unnoticed or you have found you’re making less than average for your role, it’s time to step up to the plate.
Did you know about 1/3 of McDonalds’ senior managers started as entry-level crew? This includes Patrick Wilson, who continued to climb the ladder until he reached his current position – Managing Director of McDonalds New Zealand.
Whether you’re looking for a new title or simply a pay increase, you need to prepare a solid argument on why you deserve it, so you can show your boss your value and get the raise you deserve.

• Don’t wait. As soon as you realise you’re not being paid enough, start researching and preparing your argument. Don’t wait for your annual performance review, or for your boss to bring it up. The longer you wait the more likely you are to begin feeling resentful, which will never help your work environment, and may begin to affect your performance negatively.
• Do your research and find out the market value for your job. Find out what someone in a similar role with the same level of education and experience is paid on average, and compare it to your salary. You can use sites like https://www.payscale.com/or https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm to get an idea.
• Prepare your evidence. Why should you earn more? Have your sales figures been higher, have you done some extra training, or have you taken on more responsibility? Have specific examples of how you’ve improved sales, saved the company money, or made changes to make the business run more efficiently. Think about what your company needs, not what you need when preparing this, but know what you’ve contributed and sell yourself!
• Ease your boss into it. Start by asking how they’ve found your work ethic. After positive feedback, say something like “I’m glad we both agree I’m doing well, which is why I was surprised to learn that I’m making less than market average for my role. How can we fix this to benefit both of us?” Give your boss some time to digest and consider what you’ve said.
• Remain professional. Avoid justifying your request with reasons like “I always work overtime,” or “You know I’m saving for my wedding,” etc. as they will take away from your credibility. Let your achievements and hard work speak for themselves.
• Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go to plan. It shouldn’t be the end of the world, you’re only in the same place you were before you asked. There could be many reasons they’re unable to offer you a raise at this point in time so try to learn possible reasons (such as lack of budget), what you could do differently, what the potential is for another discussion in the future, or if they’d consider it at your performance review instead. But if they can’t afford to pay you what you deserve or offer a good reason why not, it may be time to look elsewhere. Never threaten to quit, simply thank them for their time and consideration, and know you gave it your best shot.