Career experts say asking for a raise isn’t off the table in a tough job market

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press NEW YORK AP With the U S experiencing a key hiring slowdown it s a daunting time to be looking for a job Numerous workers are staying put instead of changing jobs to secure better pay Artificial intelligence tools increasingly screen the resumes of applicants Now may seem like an inappropriate time to request a raise But sticking around doesn t mean wages and salaries have to stagnate Career experts say it s not wrong even in a shaky business sector to ask to be paid what you re worth Raises aren t even necessarily off the table at organizations that are downsizing according to various experts A lot of people think if their company has done layoffs the likelihood of getting a raise is pretty low reported Jamie Kohn a senior director in the human support practice at business research and advisory firm Gartner And that might be true but the the other way to think about it is that this company has already decided to reinvest in you by keeping you on Related Articles How to identify quiet cracking at work Editorial Governing body debt is a global difficulty How cable and satellite TV are trying to win back cord-cutters Column Look out Uber The future looks a lot more like Waymo Is a continuing care retirement locality right for you When should you ask If you ve taken on greater responsibilities at work and have received strong performance reviews or if you ve learned you re paid substantially less than colleagues or competitors with similar levels of experience then it may be the right time to ask for a pay adjustment They know that you re taking on more work especially if you ve had layoffs on your group Kohn continued At that point it is very hard for them to lose an employee that you know they now are relying on much more Another signal that it s time to ask for an adjustment is if you re working a second job to make ends meet or your current financial situation is causing angst that impacts job performance revealed Rodney Williams co-founder of SoLo Funds a society finance platform There s nothing wrong with saying Hey I need to raise my financial position I m willing to do more Williams announced I m willing to show up earlier I m willing to leave later I m willing to help out maybe and do other things here Chosen people view asking for more compensation as less risky than switching to a new job There is a sense of not wanting to be last in first out in a anticipated layoff situation commented Kohn Know your worth Before starting the compensation conversation do certain research on current salaries You can find out what people with comparable experience are making in your industry by searching on websites such as Glassdoor where people self-report salaries or ZipRecruiter which gathers pay records from job postings and other sources Three years ago a lot of people petitioned for pay increases because of price inflation and high employee turnover coming out of the coronavirus pandemic Kohn noted Companies no longer are considering such big bumps Right now I think you could say that you are worth more but you re unlikely to get a pay increase if you ask for it she announced Your success also depends on your fresh performance reviews If you ve been given additional responsibilities if you are operating at a level that would be a promotion those might be situations where asking for a higher amount might be worth it Kohn declared Compare notes with colleagues A large number of people view the topic as taboo but telling coworkers what you make and asking if they earn more may prove instructive Trusted coworkers with similar roles are prospective sources People who were in recent weeks hired or promoted may supply a sense of the area rate Kohn explained You can say Hey I m trying to make sure I m being paid equitably Are you making over or under X dollars That s one of my favorite phrases to use and it invites people into a healthy discussion Sam DeMase a career expert with ZipRecruiter declared People are way more interested in talking about salary than you might think You can also reach out to people who left the company who may be more willing to compare paychecks than current colleagues DeMase revealed Brag sheet Keep track of your accomplishments and positive feedback on your work Compile it into one document which human support professionals call a brag sheet DeMase announced If you re making your request in writing list those accomplishments when you ask for a raise If the request is made in a conversation you can use the list as talking points Be sure to list any work or responsibilities that typically would not have been part of your job description Employers are wanting employees to do more with less so we need to be documenting all of the solutions in which we re working outside of our job scope DeMase noted Also take stock of the unique skills or traits you bring to the organization People tend to overestimate our employers alternatives announced Oakbay Consulting CEO Emily Epstein who teaches negotiation courses at Harvard University and the University of California Berkeley We assume they could just hire a long line of people but it may be that we bring specialized expertise to our roles something that would be hard to replace Timing matters Don t seek a raise when your boss is hungry or at the end of a long day because the answer is more likely to be no advises Epstein whose company offers training on communication conflict resolution and other business skills If they re well-rested and feeling great you re more likely to succeed she stated Getting a raise is maybe easier in booming fields such as cybersecurity while it could be a tough time to request one if you work in an industry that is shedding positions Epstein reported By the same token waiting for the perfect time presents the vulnerability of missing out on a chance to advocate for yourself You could wait your whole life for your boss to be well-rested or to have a lot of information Epstein disclosed So don t wait forever Responding to no If your request is denied having made it can help set the stage for a future negotiation Ask your manager what makes it demanding to say yes Epstein suggested Is it the precedent you d be establishing for this position that might be hard to live up to Is it fairness to the other people in my position Is it right now the company s struggling she disclosed Ask when you might revisit the conversation and whether you can get that timeframe in writing DeMase declared Laura Kreller an executive assistant at a university in Louisiana in recent months earned a master s degree and requested for her job description to change to reflect greater responsibilities and hopefully higher pay Her boss was kind but turned her down citing funding constraints Kreller revealed she has no regrets I was proud of myself for doing it she commented It s better to know where you stand Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz ap org Follow AP s Be Well coverage focusing on wellness fitness diet and mental wellness at https apnews com hub be-well