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iQuestions Faculty, Ron Price 
 
 
Question: 
 
What's the best, or most effective, way to ask for a raise? 
 
Answer: 
 
There are many times we would like to ask for a raise, but we’re 
concerned it may be a minefield and that we may actually create a 
negative result with our supervisor or the company if we ask for a 
raise. 
 
Here are some ideas for how you can set the stage for getting the 
raise that you’re looking for.  
 
The first thing is, don’t focus on how much money you need or that 
you’d like to make. Focus on increasing the contribution that you make 
in your company.  
 
You don’t get paid according to your needs. So don’t go to your boss 
and say, “My rent went up,” or “I’m buying a new house and I’m going 
to have a mortgage payment.” They’re not interested in that, I’m 
sorry. They’re interested in what contribution you will make to the 
company. So begin by asking, “How can I increase the contribution 
that I’m making?” 
 
When they understand that you want to increase your value to the 
company, then you can broach the subject by asking the question, 
“How do you determine pay? How do you determine when it’s the 
appropriate time for someone to get a raise?”  
 
 
 
They’ll understand what’s going on, and if you set the stage with “How 
do I increase my contribution?” and you’ve been demonstrating 
increased value, often they’re very open to having this discussion 
about a raise.  
 
If they go through how raises are given and how they’re evaluated, 
then the next question is, “What could I do for you that would make 
you feel like it would be a great thing for the company to give me a 
raise? What are the steps that I can take, what are the results that I 
can create, and what kind of a timeline can we put on those?”  
 
If you have a supervisor who really wants to help you excel in what 
you’re doing, they’ll help you lay out a plan with dates, with specific 
results that will set you up so that it will be very natural, rather than 
forced, in order to get a raise. 
 
If you have to go to your boss and say, “Either I get a raise or I’m 
leaving,” it’s not a good situation.  
 
Let’s go back and start about, “How do I increase my value?” “How do 
you give raises?” and “What would make you want to give me a 
raise?” By far, that’s the most positive way to not only ask for, but to 
get the raise that you think you deserve. 
Price -2- 
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