Nobody wants to live their whole lives on a measly salary. Most people expect to live a life where they earn nicely, spend responsibly, and live happily.
Unfortunately, this is far from reality. Often, we put in long hours of work, forsake our leave days, fail to meet deadlines and fail to secure that raise before the annual review.
According to a recent survey by Payscale, more than 25% of employees say they don not feel comfortable to directly ask for a raise, while more than 30% of employees say they got a raise without asking for it.
In the modern competitive economy, everyone is working hard to get ahead in their career and secure the best salary package available from their employers. Theoretically, it is impossible to act like you do not need a raise and still manage to attain one.
Here are some ways you can get a raise without asking
1. Find ways to bring in new customers
One of the easiest ways to get a raise without asking is by bringing in more value to your employers. Make sure you find ways to increase the company’s sales or find a way to decrease its spending.
Create a strategy and present it to your bosses as a way to increase clients or drastically cut costs. This strategy comes in handy, especially if the company is struggling with its bills or means of revenue.
However, do not forget to do what the company hired you to do. Do not forsake your assigned role in the name of trying to increase the sales or clients of your company.
As a matter of fact, you should ensure you perform your duties exceptionally well and take on any value-adding projects. Everyone, including your bosses, will notice the type and amount of work you do.
The idea is to become exceptionally valuable to your employers because you helped it grow or secured its bottom line.
One of the best ways of bringing out your full potential is with NLP.
2. Ensure your boss looks good at all times
Fortunately, employers are human beings, and they love receiving compliments, meaning they are easily susceptible to this kind of vanity. It is quite likely that they are also looking for a raise, as well.
Once you make sure that he/she looks good to his/her bosses, you can be sure that he/she will be more inclined to help you rise up the ladder and receive the monetary appreciation you deserve in the company.
After all, he/she does not want the gratitude and good work to end.
3. Make it a personal initiative to seek more training
It is crucial to always have a lead on the most current skills, trends, and strategies in your field of work. Whenever anyone comes to ask about something, you should always have an answer at the tip of your tongue.
Often, employees ask their employers or their employers are normally inclined to send their employees to workshops and classes to improve their skillset and overall productivity. Blow your bosses’ minds away by pursuing additional training, even without their assistance.
Pursue the training during your own extra time to show dedication to your job and your willingness to advance your skills. It does not have to be an expensive course or workshop. There are several online courses available for free for different fields in the workplace.
Once you disclose to your employer that you have already completed some particular training course, be sure your initiative will be rewarded. More so, you will expand your skills and save the company money.
4. Practice pro-activity
Anyone can do what they are told. However, in order to get that raise without asking, you need to show your boss that you are proactive. Pro-activity at the workplace means exhibiting self-initiated and anticipatory change-oriented behavior.
If you find there is a problem at work, fix it. If there is something that requires completion, and no one is willing to do it, do it yourself.
You must set yourself apart from the other employees. Put together a how-to guide for new employees, or streamline and document general processes used in the office, anything that shows your boss that you have a vision.
By doing this, you show your employer that you have a long-term vision, and you could be useful to the company for a long time.
Do not forget to tell your boss about all your plans. However, make sure you do not kiss up to the boss, whereby you showcase your completed tasks with the intent to make your co-workers look bad or to manipulate someone or a situation.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with owning up to your ‘own’ accomplishments.
5. Be-friend other departments
All the different departments in a company need each other to perform their tasks effectively. As a result, you can impress your boss by building healthy work relationships with other people in the company, who do not necessarily work in your department.
Individual-to-individual interactions are more personal than department-to-department interactions, allowing more efficient communication and performance.
Building relationships with employees from other departments also shows your boss that you are a team-player with impeccable social skills. Team players can get the job done twice as fast by involving different people with a different set of skills.
Nothing impresses the boss than getting the job done in half the time, allowing you to secure that raise and a possible promotion.
6. Make yourself indispensable
Generally, everyone in the workplace is irreplaceable. By making yourself indispensable, you can get whatever you want from your employers. Perform tasks that make you stand out from the rest of the employees.
Once your bosses realize they cannot hit specific targets or accomplish various company goals without you, they are more likely to do whatever it takes to make you stay onboard.
7. Practice calmness in times of crisis
One of the priceless abilities you can have at the workplace is the ability to weather the storm. The ability to remain calm during high-pressure situations shows your leadership potential, improving your visibility in the eyes of your boss.
Whether it is a severe conflict among employees, or a crisis involving one of the clients, or a critical rule change in the company, stay in control of your emotions and think clearly and calmly about the situation, allowing you to come up with practical solutions to the problem.
8. Bring Mistakes to Light
Accountability is one of the forsaken principles in the workplace.
It is common for employees to try and cover up their mistakes when working on specific projects as they fear the consequences of admitting to the fault.
Everyone makes mistakes, including the star performer of the team. Impress your boss by showing him/her that you are not afraid of owning up to your mistakes.
When you make a mistake, make sure you give your employer a heads-up and provide an easy fix for the error. Even better, tell your boss of the steps you have already taken to mitigate the mistake, showing your proactive nature, and ability to handle any situation.
9. Ask Questions
Always having an answer for the bosses’ questions is an impeccable skill that leaves you feeling good and in control. It also helps if you do not have to shuffle through large amounts of paper or tell him/her that you will get back to him/her with an answer.
Set yourself apart from the other employees by anticipating what your boss wants to know and send him/her regular updates so that they always remain in the know.
You can also create a great impression to your boss by asking a few questions to show your vulnerability. Make sure you are honest when you do not understand something and ask the right questions.
Do not pretend to understand everything as you will be wasting your time and that of others.
10. Find a mentor
Mentorship is an excellent way to elevate your career and your skills. Find a mentor whom you would like to model your career life after.
Before settling on a particular mentor, assess their work ethic, career background, and whether they are willing to take on any additional responsibilities. Mentors help you in solving issues at the workplace and can help you pave a healthy career path.
Conclusion
By following these tips, you will surely get a raise without asking. It requires plenty of time and effort, but it is well worth it.
Whether you get a raise or not also depends on certain factors, like the financial standing of the company, that are well out of your control. However, once you do your part by following these tips, you definitely improve your chances of getting that raise.