Many employers do not volunteer a raise. They respond to a clear, evidenced request, usually from someone whose work they have already noticed. The request itself is a conversation about value, not about need.
Choose the moment
- After a finished piece of work that someone senior has seen.
- Around an appraisal or pay review, when the company already talks about pay.
- Not during a restructuring, a cash crunch or a bad month for the business.
Build the case on one page
Write three to five results from the last year, in numbers where you can. Add any responsibility you have taken on since your last pay review. Then add market evidence: advertised pay for your role, from our salary guide or from the adverts you have seen.
The conversation
“I would like to talk about my salary.”
“Over the last year I have [result]. I have also taken on [new responsibility].”
“Based on that and what the market pays for this role, I am asking for [figure].”
“What would it take to get there, and when can we review it?”
If the answer is no
Ask what would change the answer, in specific terms, and agree a date to revisit. Ask whether a non-cash item is possible in the meantime: training, a job title change, flexible hours, or an allowance.
Confirm any agreement by email the same day, with the new figure and the effective date. Verbal promises are the most common cause of disputes about raises.
Know what the market pays
Before the conversation, check what similar roles pay. Our salary guide explains how to read a range, and the salary pages on GetAJob show what employers have advertised. Use the range to set your number, and aim a little above your target so you have room to settle.
Keep the figures clear. Most employers quote gross pay, and you take home less after PAYE income tax and your pension contribution. Ask for the increase in the same terms the offer used, so you are comparing like with like.
Do not compare yourself to named colleagues, and do not threaten to leave unless you are ready to go. A calm request backed by evidence is far more likely to be taken seriously.