Green on Getting a Raise

Alison Green of Ask a Manager recently wrote a how-to at The Cut for people interested in asking for a raise.

This is NOT one of the steps.

Below is one of her eight points:

Be emotionally intelligent about your timing.

Managers are humans with normal human emotions and stresses, so it makes sense to be thoughtful about when you approach them. You're less likely to get the results you want if you broach the topic when your boss is especially harried, having a bad day, or nervous about impending budget cuts. On the other hand, if you've just saved the day with an important client or garnered rave reviews for a high-profile project, or if your boss has seemed especially pleased with your work lately, now might be a particularly good time to make the request. So pay attention to what's happening with your work, your manager's mood, and the company generally.

The points are grouped sequentially through the phases of knowing when to do this, preparing for the meeting, and the meeting itself -- from First, know that asking for a raise is normal all the way to Know what to say if the answer is "no" or "maybe."

-- CAV