How to Ask for a Raise in Writing
Asking for a raise in your salary is a standard part of advancing in your career. You may have negotiated for a higher salary when you started your current job, but after you have been in your position for at least six months to a year, it may be appropriate and beneficial to ask for a raise.
While you may choose to ask your supervisor for a raise in person during your annual performance review, you may also choose to ask in writing, either instead of or in addition to the in-person request. There are advantages to asking in writing, and it is important to do your research first to make a convincing request and to be prepared to negotiate.
Read this article to learn how to ask for a raise in writing.
How to ask for a raise in writing
Follow these steps to ask for a raise in writing:
1. Understand why a written raise proposal is important
Making a written request gives you the time to do your research in advance and to clearly discuss the reasons you feel you deserve a raise. It also allows your supervisor to consider your points and to check with their budget or human resources departments to get a sense of how much flexibility they have to increase your salary.
Finally, making a raise request in writing provides formal documentation of your request. Submitting a written request leaves a paper trail of exactly how much you asked for and why, in case you need to refer to this information later.
2. Research your potential salary and the job market where you live
Before you ask for a raise, it is helpful to get detailed information about what your skill set and experience are being paid in the job market where you live. Do some research on government and industry sites to find the salaries of people in your field who live in your area. Having this information will give you a better target for how much to reasonably ask for, and it will also help you to make a stronger case to your supervisor. Being able to point to your research will show them that your request is backed by real-world data.
As part of your research, you should also figure out whether there is a particularly good time to ask for a raise. Check your employee handbook to see if your company has a policy of only granting raises during your performance review period, for example. Many companies do not have a set schedule for granting raises, but it is helpful to know in advance if yours does have such a policy.
3. Make a clear case about your reasons for a salary raise
Once you have done your research, begin formulating your argument for why you feel you deserve a raise. Be as specific as possible, and try to quantify everything you have accomplished at work with a list your achievements, such as the revenue your projects earned, costs your work has saved for your company, and new responsibilities you have taken on. Additionally, if your supervisor needs to get approval from HR or from their own manager, it can be helpful to have these accomplishments clearly defined.
Ask for a specific amount and show it as a percentage over your current base salary. You should also cite your research to show how you arrived at the amount you are requesting.
Finally, close your written message with a call to action. This could be simply thanking your manager for considering your request or stating that you look forward to an in-person meeting to follow up.
4. Be prepared to negotiate with your supervisor or employer
Your supervisor may negotiate with you either by email or at an in-person meeting. For example, if you ask for an increase of 5% over your base salary, they may respond by offering you a raise of 3%, or offer you other benefits instead of a raise, such as a higher title or additional vacation days. This is a normal part of the process.
Example of how to ask for a raise in writing
Here is a example letter asking for a raise:
Dear Mr. Ng,
Thank you for the opportunities you have provided me over the past two years I have served as a program manager for Hi-Q Simulations. During this time, I have taken on significant responsibilities and developed my professional skills. For this reason, I would like to request a salary adjustment.
My salary has remained the same since I started at Hi-Q in June 2017. Since then, I have accomplished the following:
- I have taken a leadership role in the bio-simulation and social effects projects, which were completed in December 2018.
- I have mentored and trained three new project assistants and three summer interns.
- I have learned and successfully started using the Hi-Q proprietary software platform.
I would like to request an increase of 5% over my current base salary. This is in line with the industry average for program managers with my experience in Zolo City.
I am happy to work with you to accommodate this request and can provide additional documentation if necessary. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Allison Tull