Tips to help get a salary increment

IT is the desire of all employees to get a salary that matches their qualifications and experience.

When you feel that you are underpaid, it is not necessary for you to jump to another company. There are certain measures that you can use to help gain a pay rise at your current place of employment.

• Assess your performance

First of all, you need to assess your work performance. The salary you get does not represent much except maybe the importance of your position in the organisation.

Your work performance has a great impact on the pay that you are getting and determines the increment you are going to get.

Hence it is imperative for you to assess your performance before asking for a salary increment.

If your work performance is great and you are always involved in challenging, professional and unique work, then the company will surely appreciate your work.

Hence, if you are able to prove your capabilities and contributions to the company, you will stand a better chance of getting the increment you desire.

• Assess job market value

There are many ways you can find out about your job market value. One is to go to a job search website to get the information.

Another is to make enquiries at job-hunting or recruitment firms. As they are in the recruitment business, they have a better idea of the current job market rate.

You can always apply for the relevant job and when granted the chance for a job interview, you would be able to find out what other companies are willing to offer.

If you happen to get a better offer from another company but still would like to give a chance to your current company, you can always show your HR or superior the job offer. Your company will match this with a salary increment if they want you to stay on with the company.

• Perks offered

Salary is not the only thing to be considered. Rather, the perks or benefits are equally important. Some companies may offer lower salaries but their perks are much better than many companies.

You have to combine the salary and perks offered as an entire remuneration package and not merely look at the salary you get.

If you are moving to a company that does not offer great perks like medical benefits, contractual bonus, incentives or allowances, etc then it might be wiser not to jump ship too quickly. You need to consider if the increase in salary is worthwhile in the long run.

• Present your case

If you have solid proof of your contribution to the company, then present your case to the management in order to gain the salary increment you feel you are entitled to.

For instance, you may list the projects that you have successfully carried out, the increase in sales volumes achieved, cost- cutting measures taken, customer satisfaction which has made them stay on with the company, or the signing on of new customers or business contracts, etc.

When you are able to list down concrete proof of your contributions to the company, the management will be more likely to grant you an increment.

• Be positive

Sometimes the management may not grant you the increment immediately. Do not be disheartened by it. Rather, you can ask management what else you can do to gain the increment. If your bosses are sincere, they will highlight the areas of improvement that you need to work on.

However, if you find that they are acting in a patronising manner, you will know that they have no intention of granting any increment. Then it might be wiser for you to equip yourself with better skills and move on to greener pastures when you are ready.

Priscilla Hiu is a career guidance consultant of Gracia Management and a certified behavioural consultant of DISC Personality Profiling System, Institution of Motivation Living, USA and Extended DISC Personality Profiling System, Extended DISC Northgate.