Negotiating a Raise After a Promotion
Negotiating a raise after a promotion is generally more difficult than doing so during the promotion process.
Typically, many managers and employers will look to handle salary negotiations and increases in designated timeframes throughout the year.
However, if you’ve taken a recent promotion and find that your new salary doesn’t adequately reflect the new title, you may look to negotiate a raise after a promotion.
The difficulty in negotiating a raise after a promotion is that most employers will consider the topic and discussion completed.
Reintroducing salary negotiations may be difficult, but if you come in armed with data and evidence, you may be able to make the process smoother for yourself and your employer.
There is obviously no guarantee that attempting to negotiate a raise after a promotion will work.
In fact, it could backfire and create a level of mistrust and resentment between both parties.
Be sure to conduct your due diligence beforehand and be ready to negotiate from the get-go.
Time Your Request
If you feel that your new salary does not adequately reflect your new responsibilities, you want to give sufficient time for yourself to realize that.
Approaching your manager or your employer immediately after a promotion requesting additional negotiations may look unprofessional.
Rather, give yourself time for the dust to settle and to fully understand the needs of the new role.
You may find that your compensation is, in-fact, in line with expectations and industry standard.
However, if you’ve been in a new role over three months and find yourself with many additional responsibilities, then it may be worthwhile to bring up to your manager.
Arm Yourself Appropriately
Salary negotiations are always a difficult topic.
You will want to arm yourself with information on both internal and external salary levels of those on your title or paygrade.
Understanding what the market pay is will help you to make a more compelling case for an increase.
Information is king here.
When negotiating, you want to have as much information which provides more concrete evidence to your claim and request.
By having salary information of both internal and external colleagues, you can make a claim that your full worth is being denied.
Bring Achievements and Workload
In addition to arming yourself with salary information, you will also want to make a case on why you deserve a salary increase.
This can be done by bringing and showcasing the amount of work you are being tasked with.
If you are an indispensable member of the team and handle a large portion of the overall workload, your manager may be more willing to discuss salary negotiations.
However, don’t only bring in your full workload.
Also look to bring in what you’ve accomplished since you received the promotion.
Being able to show how you handled certain tasks will help you make a better and more holistic case for your request.
Come With a Backup Plan
Although your ultimate goal may be a higher salary, try to be flexible and understanding.
Many managers are limited to when they can provide salary increases, no matter the situation.
If your manager cannot provide a salary increase, perhaps they can provide you with a more flexible working situation.
Similarly, by being patient, you give your manager the time and resources to try to meet your requests.
They will be able to discuss with their manager and will be able to keep your request ready for when salary negotiations and raises are discussed again.
Practice Your Pitch
Practice definitely makes perfect.
Discuss and practice your pitch in private.
Look to discuss quantifiable metrics and leave emotion out of the equation.
You want to have your pitch ready and be ready to discuss why you deserve the increase.
Emotion should never be part of the equation.
You don’t want to discuss why you need the increase.
But rather, you want to discuss why you deserve it.
Deserving the increase should come from the work and output you do and nothing else.
It should be quantifiable and easily calculated.
Get Backup
While you don’t want to discuss your salary negotiations with colleagues and coworkers, you should try to get your colleagues to vouch for your work and your work-ethic.
By showing your manager that you are an indispensable part of the team and that your work is highly valued, you’ll be able to make a better case for the salary negotiation.
Conclusion
Negotiating a raise is never easy, negotiating a raise after a promotion is even more difficult.
In order to do so correctly, you need to show your manager and your employer that you deserve one due to the work output you are completing.
This should not be an emotional discussion and should rely on facts and quantifiable information.
You should come in prepared and have a pitch ready to discuss with your manager.
If you also have recommendations from colleagues and coworkers, this will help your case and the negotiation process.
