I’m a career coach — here’s five ways women can get a pay raise
A career coach has revealed the five ways women can secure a pay raise — including showing your boss your value to the company and having research to back it up.
Melissa Stone, 44, is a HR professional with over 20 years experience.
Now, Melissa is revealing the secrets of the trade and telling women the five simple steps to get a pay raise.
Melissa said that women should speak to their boss to explain the salary they’re looking for and “reinforce your value” to the company.
She also said that a lot of it has to come down to your mindset and believing that you deserve the pay raise.
Melissa, a HR director and career coach, from County Wexford, Ireland, said: “I have worked with hugely successful people over the years.
“The one thing the most successful people have in common is not the fact they’re the most experienced or qualified.
“The one thing they all have in common is their mindset, they’re so clear on what success means to them and what they want from life — they won’t accept anything less.
“Very often women don’t put themselves out there as they don’t know if they are doing the right thing or if it will impact their reputation.
“By giving women this information they are totally empowered, they know what to do and they will get it done.”
Melissa’s first step to securing a pay raise is to use HR benchmarking tools to show where your salary sits in the “overall picture.”
She said: “These benchmarking reports are often expensive and they don’t expect workers to be across the level of detail they are.
“So unless you share the same knowledge as the HR department by the time you ask for a pay rasie, you could be met with excuses like ‘ee have checked the reports and believe you are paid at an appropriate rate’.
“You need to know exactly what your benchmark rate is so that they can not use this against you.”
One way to overcome bosses saying you are paid the appropriate rate is to look up on jobs boards and understand what you can be learning elsewhere.
Melissa said: “Look at local job ads, international sites, LinkedIn, and sites like Glassdoor to understand what you could be earning elsewhere.
“Sometimes you will find free benchmarking reports online and on social media, including various HR groups.
“Meet them where they are by knowing your benchmark rate.”
Melissa’s second step is to know that your skills, knowledge and experience can be rapidly transferred to another role and remind your bosses of that.
She said: “HR know that your skills, knowledge, exposure and experience can be readily transferred.
“It’s not just your current job title that you could hold — there are countless other roles out there you could lend your professional and personal experience to.
“Your transferable skills have a wider impact on your market worth, but they don’t want to risk losing you, so HR don’t typically share this with you.”
Melissa said that most HR departments are over stretched and under resourced so often don’t have time to revisit a budget.
She said in order to get HR on side you need to convince them of your worthiness.
Melissa said: “Reflect back on the last one to two years at work. Think of all the things you have achieved and write these down.
“Very pragmatically take a view on your value at work, what you bring to the table, and how this positively impacts the organisation.
“Feel confident in your worthiness of asking for a salary hike! Asking for a pay raise is 50 per cent process and 50 per cent self-belief.
“If you don’t believe you are worthy of more money, you’re not going to convince anyone else you are — so get that mindset in check.”
Melissa said the fourth step to get a pay raise is to explain to your boss your market research from looking at jobs boards and other salaries — explain what salary you are looking for.
She said: “In this email, reinforce your value at the business by confidently outlining your achievements at the company and the positive impact you have had in the last one to two years.
“Ask for a meeting to discuss, your boss will likely forward this email to HR in advance of the meeting who now have data, facts, research and reason to consider your request before you even attend the meeting.
“This will prove hugely helpful for you as it gives everyone a chance to properly consider your request.”
The fifth and final secret is that Melissa claims that HR hate it when people resign from companies.
Melissa said: “One, it means they are losing a valuable worker with knowledge, experience and exposure. This is never ideal.
“Two, it means they have to recruit to replace you.
“Three, it means they have to onboard and train your replacement. Again, this takes time and resources.
“If HR feel like they are at risk of leaving you they will do one of four things.
“They will first give you what you’re asking for or they could tell you that they have seen all the research and the salary you have is appropriate.
“The third is they could try to gaslight you, minimise your worth, and make you feel embarrassed for even asking.
“The final option is that they agree you are worth more, and are hugely valuable to the business but they simply don’t have the budget or ability to increase your salary.”
