3 Steps to Boost Your Salary and Get a Good Raise

Today my daughter got an award for showing integrity at school. Like most teens, she was thoroughly embarrassed at being publicly recognized. As her mom, I know she needs to feel more confident accepting praise and humbly showcasing her accomplishments.

Because today it is about a piece of paper and public recognition.

In 10 years, I know that is how she will get a better raise.

Hear me out.

If you have been following me and my blog, you know that the raise you get is part actual performance (hitting a financial measure) and part perception (how well your boss thinks you did). Companies try to make the process objective, but as long as humans are involved, it will be subjective too.

To make sure you get a good raise, you need to be comfortable being your own advocate. You need your boss to think you are doing a great job. Here's how:

1. Understand the process
2. Make your boss your #1 fan
3. Focus on your job

1. Get to know how your company figures out salary raises

Companies manage salary increases using to a budget. In other words, the company budgets a certain amount of money, say $100, to give in raises each year. Your job is to get as much of that $100 as possible.

Most companies provide raises either on an anniversary date (e.g., date you would hired) or common review date (everyone receives raises on the same day). No matter when increase occurs, it is generally one time a year. So, for each year, employees have 9 – 10 months to achieve performance objectives, before managers start reviewing performance and deciding how much to give people.

You need to figure out your company's process and when managers start thinking about raises.

2. Learn how to "manage up"

Fingers crossed, you have a pretty good people manager - one who establishes goals and performance objectives at the beginning of the performance cycle and constantly talk with you about these goals throughout the year. If not, assume responsibility by creating your own goals and discussing them with your manager.

Make time to chat with your manager, get their feedback and understand how he/she thinks you are doing throughout the year. Your goal is to make sure you manager KNOWS you are meeting your goals.

3. Make your boss your #1 fan

The hardest thing to do is be friends with a boss you hate. But you still have to do it. At the end of the day, that person decides your fate. So you need to be friends - or at least friendly.

How do you make your boss your fan? Simple. By turning the convo around. You need to ask your boss how you can help him/her. Bosses need advocates too – they need to be successful and want support. Once your boss realizes you are a team player and want your boss to be successful too, then your boss will join your fan club - and maybe even be the president.

Just like I am trying to teach my daughter, get comfortable with recognition and praise - make other people aware of what a good job you are doing. You don't have to be egotistic or flaunt it. But you do need to be confident and vocal.
In the real world, those are the people that get better raises.

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