HOW TO TALK YOURSELF INTO A pay rise

An old colleague of mine was absolutely amazing when it came to salary negotiations.

- ANNE FLETCHER

She'd set her stall out, go in all guns blazing, and a few minutes later she'd come out with a few extra thousand in her pay packet. I watched her do it more than once, desperately trying to pick up tips on how to manage the process... It never worked.

But if, like me, and many other women, you would rather go to the dentist for some serious root-canal work than ask for a rise, all is not lost. Here we've spoken to three experts to find out when, how and what to ask for in salary negotiations — so you can feel confident asking for what you deserve.

‘Understanding how to ask for a pay rise is such an important skill,’ says life-direction coach Jessica Silva. ‘As a coach, it is something I often work with my clients on. And having been a senior manager in corporate, I have also been on the receiving end of such requests and seen how some people make it impossible to say no, and others miss the mark completely.’

‘For women in particular, asking for a pay rise often brings up self-doubt,’ says self-development expert Sarah Farmer. It’s true. The latest stats say that a third of women don’t have the confidence to ask for a rise, compared to only a fifth of men. So how do we help ourselves become ‘pay-rise confident’? Before you fire off that meeting request to your manager, there are a few steps you need to follow...

Do your research

‘Find out what people in similar roles are earning, both inside and outside your company,’ says Silva. ‘Sites like Glassdoor or industry-specific salary surveys can be helpful. Understanding your market value gives you confidence going into the conversation, helps set realistic expectations, and arms you with evidence.