How to get a salary increase

Whilst a great way to get a higher salary is by getting a new job, what do you do if you love your current job but want more money?  Here are some tips.  Good luck.

1. Share your long term aspirations and seek support.

Have a conversation with your manager to let them know that, whilst your first priority is to excel in your current role, your long-term goal is to advance and that you want to make sure you’re doing everything that you can to set yourself up for success.  Ask for their recommendations on how you can improve in your current role and what you can do to position yourself well for the next role. Then implement the feedback so when you ask for a salary increase they can see that you have done what was required of you and more.

2. Use your initiative, take on more and proactively communicate wins.

Consistently exceed expectations in terms of your current role and job responsibilities. Deliver more than is expected. Share your accomplishments with your manager, so they know what you have achieved. This way when you ask for a promotion or more money you are viewed as deserving.

3. Focus on why you deserve it (not why you need it).

No one is going to give you a salary increase because you have increased expenses. Before you can convince your manager you deserve an increase, you need to believe that you’ve earned it. Too often, people argue that a raise is important because of very real costs in their lives, like rent increases however, an employer is looking to give increases to people based on performance. Stick to discussing your performance and the value you can and have added.

4. Practice your pitch and anticipate questions.

Conversations in which you are asking for something almost always go better if you’ve rehearsed in advance and have considered the possible responses that you’ll get, and how you’ll address these responses. After role-playing the part of a resistant manager, having the actual conversation will be infinitely easier.  Watch your tone and speed, often when we feel a little anxious we speed up or get more forceful. Practice using your more natural tone.

5. Do your research.

Conduct background research to determine your market value. It’s essential your request is realistic. Some researchers found that people who gave a precise number were more likely to get conciliatory counteroffers. Instead of saying you want $90,000 or $95,000 ask for $94,000. Don’t  suggest a number that is completely unrealistic.

6. Talk about the future.

Show you’re invested in the company. Every manager values loyalty. Start the conversation on a positive note, and explain how much you like working for your manager and the company. Then explain what you want to do in the future, and how you plan to contribute to grow the business. Volunteer for a project or create one by being a proactive problem-solver. When leveraging a project to get a salary increase, explain the new responsibilities you’d like to take on and how it will help the company grow and generate more money.

7. Be prepared to hear no.

Don’t be discouraged if your manager says No. If you don’t get the pay increase or new position you requested, it doesn’t have to be the end of your negotiation. Request an interim performance appraisal with clearly defined goals and salary adjustment before your next annual review. This puts you in line for a possible increase sooner and also communicates how seriously you take your career. If an increase or promotion isn’t going to happen right now, you could consider asking for things beyond salary such as bonus, incentives or professional development opportunities.

If you are confident, perform well in your role and ask for what you want in a positive manner, the worst that can happen is that your manager says no. Even if they do, you have demonstrated that you are thinking about the future!  Never use threats to leave the company and get another job as a salary negotiation, if your company feels your worth it, and they have the budget, they are likely to give you a rise,– good people are hard to find.

If you don’t get the increase you want and you feel you are worth it….. there is always us, Selection Partners we place good people in great jobs in engineering, construction, rail, supply chain and retail.

www.selectionpartners.com.au   Tel: 03 9832 8100

Dealing with Bias and Discrimination

For our blog this week, we thought we would guide you to an information bulletin that one of our directors has written.  Download here.   This information bulletin looks at bias & discrimination, changing demographics and what you can do about it.    We feel it’s an interesting read and we hope you do to.

Wrapping up 2016

‘Tis the silly season again and hasn’t it come quickly. It feels like only yesterday I was getting prepared for the last team Christmas party and wrapping business up for 2015.

For me as Office Manager of a very busy Recruitment and HR Consulting business this is an exciting and busy time of year. We have client lunches/drinks, training sessions, Kris Kringle, team parties, client gifts to purchase, cleaning the office and preparing plans and budgets for 2017.

So how do I keep organised and under control during this time? It’s not easy but here are some tips that I find useful.

1. Don’t over think and worry about the mile-long list – I find making a list of everything that needs to be done is helpful but remember to focus on one task at a time. If you think about how much needs to be done you will spend more time worrying than actually completing the tasks at hand.
2. Ask for input from others – As an example, you have to think about what type of party to organise for the office but can’t think of any new and exciting ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask other team members and brainstorm some ideas. You’re not a Party Planner and no one expects you to be.
3. Take some time for yourself and have a break – No matter how busy you are, you will perform much better if you have some breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate. When you get back to work you will look at things with fresh eyes.
4. Ask for help – There is nothing wrong with asking for help if needed. If you have hit a brick wall or feel time is slipping away from you, communicate your concerns to your boss.
5. Don’t over commit – this goes for both work and personal commitments. You are not a super hero and can’t do everything, so prioritise your commitments and I am sure you will be much more relaxed.

So as I go back to my own mile long list I keep reminding myself that in a few weeks I will have some time off work to spend with the people closest to me and of course some time for myself to get reenergised. Bring on 2017!  

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the team at Selection Partners. 

Written by Sarah Bennett – Resourcer and Office Manager of Selection Partners 

Boost workplace health and happiness. It’s a far better investment than you might think.

Most of us spend more time at work than almost anywhere else during our adult life so it is vital that we ourselves are happy but employers should do their fair share to ensure employees are happy as well.

Flexibility is fast becoming one of the biggest requests by job hunters these days so if employers want to attract the best person for the job then they need to fulfill these requests to some degree. Luckily, with advancements in technology a lot of these requests can be easily fulfilled, but it is not only flexibility to work from home that is important. There are many roles out there that cannot accommodate this type of flexibility so it is imperative that people in these roles are happy and healthy at the office so they can perform at their absolute maximum potential.

Some things your workplace can do are;

• Offer continuous training and career development
• Organise monthly or quarterly team incentive activities (bowling, a trip to the pub, Go Karting etc.)
• Give prizes for reaching or exceeding KPIs
• Organise monthly in house massages
• Provide comfortable working stations
• Provide Bluetooth headsets
• Provide Fresh fruit

The list is endless, so use your imagination or talk to your team about what they feel would help make them perform at their fullest.

Employers should also be aware of the cost of turnover in the workplace. If employees are not happy and leave, it then takes valuable time and money to hire replacements when some simple and less costly initiatives could have prevented those people from leaving. To get an idea of how much it costs to employ new people please have a look at our Cost of Turnover Calculator. You never know how much you could save if you just invested in your current employees.

Remember, your employees are your biggest investment so invest in their well-being and we can all reap the rewards.

Sarah Bennett is a lover of blogging on topics that can truly make a positive impact on workplace culture. 

The back to work juggle

It’s one of the biggest questions mothers ask themselves after having a child – Do I go back to work or be a stay at home parent?

I am a mother and as a mother, it is our natural instinct to want to do what is best for our family. For some this means spending as much time as possible with the children in their first few years. To others, it means going back to work to help provide financially. Sometimes, and this is becoming more the case these days, families can’t afford to have someone stay home as the cost of living makes it virtually impossible.

If you have made the decision to go back to work, whilst great, can create a whole new set of questions and uncertainties. Can I give 100% to both? How do I provide the discipline, love and attention my children need whilst also giving my career the dedication and attention it deserves? How do I alleviate the feeling of guilt stemmed from not spending time with my children?

I find it comes down to a fine art of juggling, organisation and balance which, as I can admit to, does not come naturally to everyone. Here are some helpful tips to help prepare for the transition back to work:

• Let go of the guilt – think how your career is helping to provide a certain lifestyle for your children and demonstrating women’s careers are important. Working could be saving for their education, providing them with opportunities, travel or carving out a career for yourself.
• Decide how the children will be cared for during the day – from a financial perspective it would be great if the grandparents can be the day time carers but this may not be an option for many. If you decide on childcare services, ensure you think about the location of the centre. Will it be easier to use a centre closer to work or closer to home?
• Make the mornings stress free – organise as much as you can the night before. This could include making lunches, packing school and work bags, laying out clothes, anything to free up time in case of any unforeseen distractions in the mornings – and trust me there will be many!
• Have a good breakfast – always leave enough time for a substantial breakfast to boost your energy levels for the day whilst using this as an opportunity for quality family time. 
• Communicate with your employer – discuss your working hours and the opportunities for flexible working arrangements. You never know what is available unless you ask.

There are plenty of tips to help make the transition back to work easier for you and your family so do some research and take your personal circumstances into consideration as every family unit is different.

Remember, we are only human. There will be good and bad days – that’s unavoidable, but we can control how we overcome them and the more prepared and organised we are, will hopefully make things a little easier.  

Written by Sarah Bennett

Need help securing your next role? We may have exactly what you’re looking for

Looking for a new role can be a daunting task to say the least. Whether you are looking for a new role due to redundancy or you have decided on a career change, having a helping hand along the way can be very beneficial especially if you have been in the same role for many years.

Staying abreast of the market and the way organisations recruit is important, luckily Selection Partners has a job search tool called Careering. Find this at www.careering.com.au. Careering provides you with all the assistance needed to get your job search underway and give you the best possible outcomes.

Developed by an accredited Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) coach, Careering can assist with the following:

• Gaining career clarity – helps determine what path you want to take your career
• Recognising your transferrable skills – helps determine what your transferrable skills are and how you can utilise these in your next role
• Assisting with creating the perfect resume and cover letters –  a number of sample resumes and cover letters are available along with advice on what to include and what not to include in your applications
• Creating a personal brand – helps you create a personal brand online and on paper
• Interview preparation –  provides possible interview questions and how best to answer them
• Tailoring applications – reduces the number of applications whilst increasing interviews

If you have been out of the job search game for a while, you need to be aware of the way Recruiters or Hiring Managers source candidates these days with the introduction of social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and even Twitter. Careering covers this too!

Once you have secured your dream job using all the tips in Careering, you now need to start thinking about how to fit in with your new team, all of this is also covered.

To find out more about Careering visit www.careering.com.au or please call one of our friendly consultants on 03 9832 8100.

Happy job hunting!

Sarah Bennett