How to Ask for What You’re Worth
Do you deserve to make more money? Welcome to the club. According to a recent Gartner survey, 68% of employees are not happy with their compensation.
Why aren’t you getting paid what you deserve? For a lot of people, the reason is simple: You haven’t asked for it. Consider this scenario: You are unhappy with your compensation, but you continue to do exemplary work, putting on a brave and professional face. Does this sound like you?
If so, what your employer sees is someone doing great work, and who appears to be willing to do that work for less than they’d have to pay someone else. They hit the jackpot, and there is no motivation for them to change anything about the situation.
If you want more, you’re going to have to ask for more.
Further, if you’re a woman in a male-dominated industry, where the expectation is that people will ask for what they want, working your tail off and not asking for what you deserve actually diminishes you. The longer you wait to ask, the harder it will be to get what you ask for. In this environment, asking for what you want, regardless of the outcome, earns you respect.
When you’re ready to make the ask, keep the following in mind:
Prepare Your Best Case: Quantify your impact on the company’s bottom line AND articulate your unique value to the firm. (You’re not the only one in the world who can do your job, but you’re the only one who does it like you.) Have your efforts motivated teams to higher levels of performance, led to the acquisition or retention of clients, or positively affected the company culture?
Be True to Yourself: Ask for what you really want: Identify a salary number that reflects the real value you deliver, is in line with the market, and motivates you.
Stand Your Ground: When you are having the salary conversation, don’t get sidetracked. You might be met with deflections of your ask, or even criticisms designed to make you doubt yourself. It’s important to demonstrate that you know your own value by not caving.
Embrace the Outcome, No Matter What: One of the most important effects of making a big ask at work is that it lets you know exactly where you stand with your employer. You might be pleasantly surprised by how quickly your employer agrees to your ask—or you might learn that they don’t see your value the way you do. That’s vitally important information.
If you are at a crossroads like this, and need some guidance, I can help. Schedule a Breakthrough session with me here: https://www.juliezuraw.com/breakthrough