Whether you're heading into an annual review or simply feel it's time to have the conversation with your boss, asking for a pay rise is something most professionals find daunting. Here's how to approach it properly, and give yourself the best chance of securing the increase you're looking for.

First, a Word of Caution About Chasing Money

Before anything else, take a balanced view of your career. It shouldn't be about who in the market will pay you the most at your current level. In fact, the organisations paying more than everyone else usually have something to hide.

It could be that they're a poor employer and struggle with retention. Often, high paying organisations have a very flat structure, meaning limited opportunity for progression once you're in: a tier of senior management, and everyone else sitting at the same level below. And if they're paying above the market, you can be certain they'll be sweating the asset and expecting long hours to justify that salary. Don't be naive about why a business pays more than everybody else.

That said, you should absolutely be paid competitively. The ideal scenario is a competitive salary in an organisation where you also have genuine upward trajectory for progression and development.

Do Your Market Research

Before you start the conversation, know where you stand relative to the market. Speak to peers within your current employer, speak to peers across the industry, or speak to a specialist recruiter who can share salary benchmarking data for your discipline. Going in armed with a realistic picture of your market worth puts the discussion on solid ground from the start.

Go In With a Cool Head

Picture this: your colleague Jimmy has just told you he's had a £10k uplift, and you're sitting there thinking he's nowhere near as good as you. You're disappointed, you're angry with your boss, and every instinct says to go flying into their office, bang on the table and demand more than Jimmy got.

Don't. That will not go down well, and it certainly won't portray you in the best light. Pick a moment when you can go in calm, objective, and equipped with the ammunition you need.

Pick Your Timing

There are two types of organisation here. An increasing number have fixed times for pay reviews, typically in December towards the year end, or around March and April towards the financial year end. If that's your employer, you'll simply have to bide your time. Those businesses are not going to change their policy for one individual.

If your organisation is more ad hoc about reviews, timing still matters. Don't try to sit down with your line manager when they're in the middle of a significant bid, stressed, and short on time. Put something in the diary two or three weeks out, when you know both of you will have the time and head space. You want to maximise the chances of your boss being in a favourable mood.

Concentrate on the Facts

Going in with a bunch of emotive thoughts about why you deserve a rise, without any substance behind them, makes it very difficult to argue your case. "I think I've had a good year" means nothing, and your boss can just as easily counter with equally vague words.

Instead, bring evidence. This year I billed this amount. This year I brought in these clients. This year I mentored junior staff. Encourage structure in your reviews generally: understand what your employer's expectations of you are, and what you need to demonstrate over the next twelve months to reach the next level or secure that rise. If both of you come to the table with facts and figures, you can have a sensible discussion rather than a battle of opinions.

Make sure you highlight any duties above and beyond your core role too. Perhaps you've taken on the health and safety representative role in your office, become a first aider (physical or mental health), supported junior staff, or got involved in initiatives to improve the business's processes and systems. All of it counts.

Never Use Another Job Offer as a Negotiating Tool

Please don't do this. If you've reached the point of holding an offer from another company, it should be because you've met them, you believe they're a genuinely better proposition for your career, and you can sit down with your boss with a clear conscience about moving on.

If you're getting a job offer purely to twist your boss's arm, consider two things. First, you're potentially burning bridges with the company that made the offer. Second, it's a card you can only play once. Go in a year later with another offer and you'll have expended your goodwill; the response will likely be a polite gesture towards the door. At the very least, your card will be marked, and it will impact your future progression in that business.

In Summary

Know your market worth, choose your moment, keep a cool head, and build your case on facts rather than feelings. Do that, and even if you don't get everything you ask for, you'll have positioned yourself credibly for the conversation, and for the next one.