How to ask for a pay rise without a speech

Most pay conversations fail before the number. People explain how hard they work, how long they have been there, and how much they need it. None of those are arguments a manager can take to a budget holder. The argument is what changed because you were there.

Three things that changed a number

Revenue, cost, time, risk, or retention. If you cannot tie your work to one of those, you are asking for a reward, not making a case. Not every job has a number, and in that case use time saved or errors prevented.

• I took over the reporting and it now takes two hours instead of a day.
• Two clients renewed after the thing I ran in March.
• The onboarding guide cut the same three questions from every new starter.
• I covered the team while the lead was out for six weeks.

Know your number before you walk in

A range, with a floor you will actually say out loud. If you are asked what you expect and you say 'whatever is fair', you have handed the decision to the other side. One number and one range, both written down before the meeting.

Ask for the meeting, not the money in the corridor

Send a short message: I would like fifteen minutes this week to talk about my pay and the work I have taken on. That gives them time to prepare and stops the conversation happening at the lift, where nobody agrees to anything.

Say the number, then stop

State the number and stop talking. The silence after it feels enormous and it is doing the work. Most people fill it with a discount: I know that might be a lot, I would take less. If it is too quiet, wait longer.

Take no for an answer, once

If the answer is no, ask two questions: what would need to be true for it to be yes, and can we agree a date to review it. A no with a date is a plan. A no with nothing is information, and you should act on it.