05 Jun How Not to Ask for a Raise

I received a request for a raise this week for one of my employees. It came in an email.

 

Speaking as a manager, I can tell you that sending an email to ask for a raise is pretty much the worst possible way to do it.

 

The raise request email didn’t come directly from the employee. The employee is a contract employee, so the email came from the agency we work with. Here’s how it read:

 

We actually heard from Employee Name today, and she is interested in a rate increase for her assignment with you. She is looking for a $X/hour bump, bringing it to $Y/hour for her. Are you able to accommodate this increase for her? Let me know if you’d like to hop on a call to discuss.

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How Not to Ask for a Raise

 

The amount of the raise requested was not inconsequential. She was asking for an 18% raise, in an email, no less!

 

When I read the email, my head was spinning with all the ways I took issue with it.

 

There was no mention of why the request for a raise was being made.

 

There was no basis given for why she was deserving of a raise.

 

There was no list of accomplishments, outline of completed projects, calculation of impact to the business or ways in which the employee’s work benefited me, my team or the company.

 

There was also no information on the going rate of the position or evidence that her current rate was not at market value.

 

I was annoyed at the assumption that I would simply “accommodate the increase” without any supporting evidence or showing a positive impact to the company to justify an 18% raise.

 

There was no consideration of timing to the raise request. No discussion that would enable me to work an increase into the annual budget or revise the existing budget to accommodate a rate increase.

 

Everything missing from this email were all the things, in my book, that should be well thought out, prepared, and presented when asking for a raise.

 

Oh, and an in-person meeting to discuss a raise. If an in-person meeting is not possible because of geography, then at a minimum there should always be a phone or video call to discuss the reasons and review the information that supports the raise request.

 

Another aspect of the email that irritated me was the impersonal nature of it.

 

I had actually just spoken to the employee by telephone the day before (she works remotely) to provide her a marketing-team update and review her projects. During our call, there was no mention of the need or desire for a raise. And there wasn’t any discussion of the reasons for her request, which I came to learn, were related to her other client and the amount she was getting paid.

 

I can see how some may argue that if I am using an agency for my contract employees, then discussions of employment, compensation, and termination should go through the agency.

 

However, I would counter that if the employee is feeling the need for a raise because of being in demand by another client but wanting to continue working with me, THAT is a conversation that can be had directly with me. She didn’t even need to mention compensation, just what her availability is and isn’t. She and I already have that conversation every week. Letting me know there are demands on her time yet enjoying working with me and wanting to continue would have at least prepared me for the raise request.

 

If the proper procedure is for an agency to send a compensation request on behalf of an employee, ok, I’m fine with that. However, all the same components of properly asking for a raise should still apply. Who is doing the asking for the raise may change, but how to properly ask for a raise shouldn’t.

 

How to Ask for a Raise

 

I’ve been on both sides of asking for a raise. I understand asking for a raise can often be uncomfortable for both the employee requesting one and the manager reviewing the request. By preparing a solid case for the raise request, having a scheduled time to discuss it and presenting all the reasons a raise is deserved can go a long way in removing a significant part of the uneasiness, for both parties. And is more likely to get the desired outcome of the request.

 

But making the raise request in an email is not going to start the negotiations off on the right track!

 

What has been your experience with asking for a raise? What has worked for you? Or didn’t!

 

I’d love to hear!