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AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 With the U.S. experiencing a significant hiring slowdown, it\u2019s a daunting time to be looking for a job. Many workers are staying put instead of changing jobs to secure better pay. Artificial intelligence tools increasingly screen the resumes of applicants. Now may seem like an inappropriate time to request a raise.<\/p>\n
But sticking around doesn\u2019t mean wages and salaries have to stagnate. Career experts say it\u2019s not wrong, even in a shaky economy, to ask to be paid what you\u2019re worth. Raises aren\u2019t even necessarily off the table at organizations that are downsizing, according to some experts.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people think if their company has done layoffs, the likelihood of getting a raise is pretty low,\u201d said Jamie Kohn, a senior director in the human resources practice at business research and advisory firm Gartner. \u201cAnd that might be true, but the the other way to think about it is that this company has already decided to reinvest in you by keeping you on.\u201d<\/p>\n
When should you ask?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve taken on greater responsibilities at work and have received strong performance reviews, or if you\u2019ve learned you\u2019re paid substantially less than colleagues or competitors with similar levels of experience, then it may be the right time to ask for a pay adjustment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know that you\u2019re taking on more work, especially if you\u2019ve had layoffs on your team,\u201d Kohn continued. \u201cAt that point, it is very hard for them to lose an employee that you know they now are relying on much more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another signal that it\u2019s time to ask for an adjustment is if you\u2019re working a second job to make ends meet or your current financial situation is causing angst that impacts job performance, said Rodney Williams, co-founder of SoLo Funds, a community finance platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with saying, \u2018Hey, I need to raise my financial position. I\u2019m willing to do more,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI\u2019m willing to show up earlier, I\u2019m willing to leave later, I\u2019m willing to help out, maybe, and do other things here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some people view asking for more compensation as less risky than switching to a new job. \u201cThere is a sense of not wanting to be \u2018last in, first out\u2019 in a potential layoff situation,\u201d said Kohn.<\/p>\n
Know your worth<\/p>\n
Before starting the compensation conversation, do some research on current salaries. You can find out what people with comparable experience are making in your industry by searching on websites such as Glassdoor, where people self-report salaries, or ZipRecruiter, which gathers pay data from job postings and other sources.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, a lot of people asked for 20% pay increases because of price inflation and high employee turnover coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, Kohn said. Companies no longer are considering such big bumps.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, I think you could say that you are worth 10% more, but you\u2019re unlikely to get a 10% pay increase if you ask for it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Your success also depends on your recent performance reviews. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been given additional responsibilities, if you are operating at a level that would be a promotion, those might be situations where asking for a higher amount might be worth it,\u201d Kohn said.<\/p>\n
Compare notes with colleagues<\/p>\n
Many people view the topic as taboo, but telling coworkers what you make and asking if they earn more may prove instructive. Trusted coworkers with similar roles are potential sources. People who were recently hired or promoted may supply a sense of the market rate, Kohn said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can say, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m trying to make sure I\u2019m being paid equitably. Are you making over or under X dollars?\u2019 That\u2019s one of my favorite phrases to use, and it invites people into a healthy discussion,\u201d Sam DeMase, a career expert with ZipRecruiter, said. \u201cPeople are way more interested in talking about salary than you might think.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can also reach out to people who left the company, who may be more willing to compare paychecks than current colleagues, DeMase said.<\/p>\n
Brag sheet<\/p>\n
Keep track of your accomplishments and positive feedback on your work. Compile it into one document, which human resources professionals call a \u201cbrag sheet,\u201d DeMase said. If you\u2019re making your request in writing, list those accomplishments when you ask for a raise. If the request is made in a conversation, you can use the list as talking points.<\/p>\n
Be sure to list any work or responsibilities that typically would not have been part of your job description. \u201cEmployers are wanting employees to do more with less, so we need to be documenting all of the ways in which we\u2019re working outside of our job scope,\u201d DeMase said.<\/p>\n
Also take stock of the unique skills or traits you bring to the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople tend to overestimate our employers\u2019 alternatives,\u201d said Oakbay Consulting CEO Emily Epstein, who teaches negotiation courses at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. \u201cWe assume they could just hire a long line of people, but it may be that we bring specialized expertise to our roles, something that would be hard to replace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Timing matters<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t seek a raise when your boss is hungry or at the end of a long day because the answer is more likely to be no, advises Epstein, whose company offers training on communication, conflict resolution and other business skills. If they\u2019re well-rested and feeling great, you\u2019re more likely to succeed, she said.<\/p>\n
Getting a raise is probably easier in booming fields, such as cybersecurity, while it could be a tough time to request one if you work in an industry that is shedding positions, Epstein said.<\/p>\n
By the same token, waiting for the perfect time presents the risk of missing out on a chance to advocate for yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could wait your whole life for your boss to be well-rested or to have a lot of resources,\u201d Epstein said. \u201cSo don\u2019t wait forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to \u201cno\u201d<\/p>\n
If your request is denied, having made it can help set the stage for a future negotiation.<\/p>\n
Ask your manager what makes it difficult to say yes, Epstein suggested. \u201cIs it the precedent you\u2019d be establishing for this position that might be hard to live up to? Is it fairness to the other people in my position? Is it, right now the company\u2019s struggling?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ask when you might revisit the conversation and whether you can get that timeframe in writing, DeMase said.<\/p>\n
Laura Kreller, an executive assistant at a university in Louisiana, recently earned a master\u2019s degree and asked for her job description to change to reflect greater responsibilities and hopefully higher pay. Her boss was kind but turned her down, citing funding constraints. Kreller said she has no regrets.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was proud of myself for doing it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s better to know where you stand.\u201d<\/p>\n
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