Negotiating a salary is never going to be an easy conversation to have with your boss or supervisor.
You may feel like they’ll reject you for being cheeky, or that it will upset someone or jeopardise your job. The reality is that there are ways to go about it and ways not to, remember that they employed you for a reason.
It’s important to know what you’re worth as an employee, and many employers will respect you even more for your willingness to stand out and as long as you can make valid points about why you deserve a pay rise, they will respect you even more.
Your salary is an essential part of furthering your career, it’s one of the ways that your company shows they value you and support you as much as you support their business.
Here’s some of our top tips for negotiating your salary in the way that’s likely to give you the best possible outcome.
Keep It Professional
Salary negotiation is about business. The offer will be made based on your skills and the value you bring to the company, not on whether you have student loan debt to pay off or you want to go on holiday in 6 months’ time. Stick to your goals and achievements and let them be the persuasion you need.
Do Your Research
Take a look into the average salaries for you job, with your experience in your area. This is likely to give you a good figure of what you could and should be earning. Whilst on this note, bear in mind a salary range rather than a single figure. This will give you more wiggle room to settle for a salary you’re still happy with if your initial proposal is top of the range and will help you and your company reach a compromise more easily.
Don’t Give Your Number First
Wait for your employer to give their say on your salary first, as you don’t want to unknowingly shoot too low. If you’re asked specifically what amount you’re after, you can say you’re open to a range.
Show Your Value
You’ll need to build a case that proves you’re worth investing that extra in. Print out sales figures, emails where you’ve helped colleagues out and give general examples where you’ve gone above and beyond your current pay level to help your bosses see why you’re worth more than the company currently gives.
Take your time.
It’s perfectly acceptable to ask for 24 or 48 hours to come to a decision about an offer. In fact, this shows that you’re not willing to jump at the chance of any increase and really know what you want and deserve. If anyone needs an answer sooner than this, they’ll make sure to tell you.
Although the prospect of negotiating your salary might be daunting, it’s definitely something that needs to be done if you’re wanting to advance your career.
For more tips on growing your skills as a chef and upping your worth, take a look at this selection of blogs.
