So you’ve been doing well, getting great reviews and now you think you deserve a raise. Well, the age old saying, “You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate,” always rings true, even today. If you want to take the next step to get an upgrade in salary, try this strategy:
1. Learn about your employer’s strategy.
Every employer should have some kind of plan that outlines their high-level priorities and goals for the year. Knowing the details of that strategy will allow you to position yourself as someone who is helping the business reach its goals.
2. Find out what your boss expects.
Have a nice little sit-down with your boss to understand exactly what she expects of you in the year ahead. Learn about the baseline performance you need to show in order to keep your current job and salary, and set goals related to this performance.
3. Ask what would raise the bar.
You need to know what your boss wants to see in order to give you that raise you’re looking for. If you can agree on certain “stretch†goals that challenge you and push you outside of your job description, you’ll know exactly what you have to accomplish to earn the extra cash.