A very recurring question among workers is whether there is a right time or a more appropriate strategy to ask for a salary increase.
This is a decision that certainly needs to be carefully analyzed. After all, in addition to taking into account the company’s financial moment, it is necessary to consider your professional evolution in the company, in addition to basing your arguments on data that materialize your point of view and help in the pursuit of the desired objective.
Every worker at some point found himself in a scenario where he wanted a higher remuneration, either to achieve greater personal satisfaction and recognition or, mainly, to have better financial conditions in the face of global inflation.
Although this is a common situation in the market, it is necessary to take some points into account before asking for a salary increase, avoiding making this request at inappropriate times in relation to the condition of the business or the professional’s own merit.
For this, the first step to be evaluated is about the quality and assertiveness of the deliveries made within the established expectations, that is, if there is a complete satisfaction of the work done with satisfaction above expectations.
Whether in a specific project, in all the responsibilities for which he was hired or established deliveries, it is important to bring data that prove these achievements and serve as support to show the importance of his work for the company’s growth. The presence of facts that illustrate this justification is very relevant information to be used in favor of salary increases.
It is important to emphasize, however, that it is not smart to ask for an increase in compensation if the company is not in a good financial moment.
Before talking to superiors, it is essential to seek to understand the company’s economic situation, whether it is growing and achieving the stipulated goals and its perspectives for the medium and long term. Otherwise, any request for a raise could generate a negative perception on the part of the employer.
In many companies, there is a well-established salary policy established precisely to avoid any kind of misunderstanding and anguish in the face of the deserving question of a salary increase.
Most of the time, these policies are defined based on the professional’s length of stay at the company or the achievement of desired goals, which contributes to having a better idea of the first point highlighted about the merits of their performance.
According to data released in the 2022 Startup Positions and Salaries Report, as an example, 57.32% of professionals working in these companies follow a structured salary policy.
For them, it is clear the importance of offering this policy to generate transparency and clarity to the teams in relation to their professional path, as well as its influence in the development of close and objective communication between the teams.
As beneficial as this policy is, the delay in delivering this increase for any reason can generate dissatisfaction and insecurity among the teams, making them consider the possibility of looking for other vacancies that do not demonstrate such risks in terms of professional growth and higher remuneration throughout its trajectory.
Asking for a salary increase requires an important dose of self-knowledge along with an analytical reading of the business scenario and the market in general, so that you have all the positive arguments in favor of achieving a higher salary.
When these points are certified, the conversation should be as harmonic and constructive as possible, without any threatening tone that opens space for misinterpretations. The union of coherence and sensitivity will definitely increase the chance of success of this request.
Source: Ricardo Haag/Wide Consultoria & InfoMídia