Getting a raise is a process that you work on throughout the year.  A raise is not only based on doing your job well, but being a genuine asset to the company.  By becoming a genuine asset, documenting it, then letting management know, you can be better set to receive a salary increase.  There are several steps you need to consider when trying to get a raise:

 

1.  Get a list of expectations from your manager.  Go to your manager, and see exactly what is expected out of you and your coworkers.  Write a list of what is expected, and confirm the list with your boss that you have it right.  Quotas and numbers are especially good information, as you now have a standard to which you can compare yourself to.

 

2.  Exceed expectations.  Once you know what is needed from you to keep up with your coworkers, you can exceed your bosses expectations.  Set a reasonable standard that sounds good to you, and make that your new minimum.  If everyone else sells 125 of something a month, you try to sell at least 150 a month.  Figure out how your company's mission statement can be incorporated into your activities. 

 

3.  Be a genuinely great employee.  Be a cheerleader for your department, as well as for your company.  Take some in-house, online courses for your company, to show that you are trying to develop yourself.  Finally, be sure to be punctual for meetings and deadlines.  While you may not think it is a big deal, everyone will notice if you are late to meetings all of the time.

 

4.  Use the IDP, or any other company self evaluation system to your benefit.  An IDP is a Individual Development Program that is issued by many companies.  Quite literally, you and your boss sit down, discuss your goals for the year, then write them into the IDP.  Throughout the year, you accomplish your listed goals, and notate your accomplishments into the IDP report.  It is a self-evaluation that you give to your boss at the end of the year.  I've seen so many co-workers put off working on their IDP's until the last minute, can't remember any real accomplishments throughout the year, and then do a crummy job on the report.  This is a major path to a raise!  Not only do you know what is expected of you, you can continue to add to it throughout the year, and show you're an exceptional worker. 

 

What can really stun a manager is for you to learn the IDP system really well, and then even offer to demonstrate to your co-workers on how to do one.  Coming up with that idea shows leadership and initiative, and yes, something else to add to your own IDP.

 

5.  Document your work.  Buy yourself a dedicated notebook for your job activities.  Every time you exceed expectations, write it down.   Make sure to put a date next to any activity so that you can prove it to your boss later.

 

6.  When someone appreciates you, ask for honorable mentions.  A lot of companies have internal awards and honorable mentions that employees can bestow on each other.  The next time you do something right, and someone tells you that they REALLY appreciate it, tell them that you would appreciate it if they would present an honorable mention to you, so your boss also knows you are doing well.  Tell them that your boss would file it in your employee folder.  I know it sound cheesy, but it works.  I know a lady who had a 3 ring binder full of the awards that she got for the year, while everyone else in her department have less than 1/2 a dozen of them.  She constantly received the highest raise year after year, although she didn't work much harder than the average employee.  Dropping a pile of honorable mentions and rewards on your managers desk in time for your yearly review will do you wonders in getting a raise.

 

7.  Help your boss; make your boss look good.  Another way to help with a raise is to help your boss.  I'm not saying to be a suck-up, which no-one likes anyway, you should see what you can do to make your boss shine.  One thing I found in several work places was the use of people called Subject Matter Experts also called SME's.  SME's take something that a manager may be over, learn it to become an expert, then assist the manager with implementation.  These people work on side projects for managers in a department.  Find out if your manager has any open projects, and see if you can apply with your boss for a position.  It often doesn't pay a dime more for the position itself, but your boss tends to lighten your workload in other areas, so that you can work on their pet project.  Let your boss share the praise for the work that you've done.  It helps your boss on what they deem important, and when they execute a project well and in the allotted time frame, it lets your boss shine to his boss.  It is also something great to bring up to your boss around review time.

 

8.  Ask a stellar co-worker how to shine.  It's simple enough, finding someone who is great who can mentor you can be mutually beneficial.  Not only do you learn in's and out's to your company, the mentor also has something to report to his boss to show how he shines throughout the year.

 

9. Show that you are not being paid enough, compared to coworkers.  You need to demonstrate you are not paid enough compared to your coworkers to show you really need a raise.  While you may be making the same wage, your stellar performance should nudge you further.  You may even include an income report from Salary.com for people in your field with your skill-set and years of experience.

 

10.  Dress sharp.  After everything that has been mentioned, you have to dress sharp to make your high performance believable.  See what some of the nicer dressed co-workers are dressed in, and look at your company dress code before going out and buying new clothes.  If you dress well, you will typically be looked upon better, and will make people think that you are more of a producer than someone who doesn't dress well.  If you are are one of those who think "I don't care what people think about my wardrobe", than your actions also indicate that you don't care about what people think about your performance either, as well as your raise.  They go hand and hand, and you simply cannot divide the two. 

 

11.  Market it all, the presentation.  Now that your a great worker who's documented all of his work, received honorable mentions, helped your boss, and showed your not paid enough, you need to package all of this up to present your boss.  The trick here is to warm up your boss to the idea that you're an exceptional worker first, before you ask for a raise.  If your boss has monthly reviews with you to "see how things are going", have a folder ready to go with all of your accomplishments that you've achieved since your last meeting.  Be casual about it, don't act overly excited about the presentation.  Here is also a good chance to find out where you are needed in your department, regarding projects that your boss may want to give.  Month after month, give several of these informal presentations to your boss, and notice how your boss' attitude may have changed toward you between meetings.  Finally, set an appointment with your boss a week away to talk about a raise.  Before the meeting day, give your boss the information that you've gathered regarding accomplishments.  Plan your words ahead of time, then march in for your meeting. 

 

12.  Have a backup plan ready if your boss counter offers low, or says "no".  What happens really depends on what you want to accomplish.  Do you give up and head back to work?  Do you start applying for another job, inside the company or out?  Do you make plans to ask again at a later date?  Do you make your own counter offer?

 

Whatever you do, at least ask your boss so you have a reason for not getting the raise.   Find out exactly why you didn't get a raise, and ask your boss if you accomplish the changes suggested, if a raise would go back on the table.  If you find the whole situation at an impasse and that you will look for another job, consider getting a reference from you manager before you start sending off your resume.  After all, you have shown yourself to be a stellar employee.

 

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