In 2019, there were 27 million U.S. part-time workers, which is up from 20 million U.S. part-time workers in 1990. That number dropped in 2020, but the trend is clear. Companies want to hire part-time workers, and they’re valuing them more than ever.
This article will show you everything there is to know about asking for a raise when you work a part-time job. While you may feel as if part-time work may not give you the same raise opportunities, after you read this article you’ll see why that’s just a myth.
Now, we’ll be going over quite a bit of information today. We’ll be breaking everything down into easy to read sections for you. Please feel free to skip around at your leisure, but we definitely recommend that you take some time to read each section thoroughly.
The sections we have in store for you today are as follows:
- Doing some research on your part-time job
- Compile your accomplishments
- A sudden change in schedule
- How to ask for a raise (set a meeting)
- Consider going full time
- Recap
Now that you know what we’ll be looking at, let’s dive right in. How should you plan to ask for a raise in a part-time job?
You ready?
Do some research on your part-time job
The first thing that you should do before asking for a raise is this: Do some research on the company. Companies use part-time employees in different ways. When push comes to shove, each part-time job is going to be different. It’s not like you’ll be asking for a salary increase, because you may not even have a salary to start with.
Ask around
This will only apply to you if you feel comfortable with your employees. Often times asking co-workers is the best way to get the answers you need. If you work with several other part-time employees, getting an idea about how much they make can help you greatly when it comes time to ask for a raise. So if you want to do some quick research, be sure to see how much your coworkers are being paid as well. If you find out that they’re being paid more, it might be time to bring that to your supervisor’s attention. If you find out they make about the same amount, it will also help you estimate how much you can ask for.
Consult the company handbook
The company handbook is probably something you have. If you’re like most people, you haven’t looked at since you’ve taken the job. The company handbook may have some pretty good information about company policy. You’ll want to head to the compensation section, and within that section you’ll be able to determine your chances at getting the raise you’re looking for.
Take a look at what others with the same position make
The final bit of homework you can do is some industry research. This should apply to all industries. It’s a great way to point out the fact that you deserve a raise is through direct comparison. If you can find that other people working your job are earning more — in the same or different companies — you’ll have the leverage you need to gain a raise. So before you go marching into your supervisor’s office, make sure you have a good idea about how the industry works. Also take a look at our pay raise calculator.
These are some great tips to get your homework done. While some may work better than others, make sure that you gather some facts before you ask for a raise.
Get a list of your accomplishments ready
When it comes time to ask for a raise, before you even set a meeting with your supervisor, it’s a good idea to have some talking points. This is especially true in part-time work, because companies aren’t going to go around handing out raises for fun. This means that you’ll need to have some solid reasons as to why you deserve a raise.
Has your work contributed to the success of the company?
While it may seem like a part-time job is not something that’s valuable. In many cases a part-time employee can make a huge difference within a company. Therefore, if you notice that the space you work in is doing well thanks to your contributions, it may be time to ask for a raise. This is due to the fact that companies value good employees, and if you truly are bringing value to the table, a raise might not be too far fetched.
Have you been putting in more hours than usual?
Part-time jobs are usually jobs that work under 40 hours per week. This may be flexible, and your hours may vary, but if your workload has suddenly increased it might be time to ask for a raise. This should apply in all industries, but if you’re suddenly working twice as much as usual it might be time to ask for some additional compensation. Plus, if this is the case, it might be a good idea to go full time.
Your record
This is a topic that’s a bit more diverse, but think of your record as your history with the company. If you’re someone who is always on time, always working as hard as possible, and even staying later, it might be time to ask for some additional compensation. If you’ll be using this as an example of your accomplishments, just be sure to have some of this on record.
This is entirely dependent on how well you think you’re doing. Just make sure that you can think of a few solid reasons as to why you deserve a raise.
Companies want to hire part-time workers, and they're valuing them more than ever. Click To TweetA sudden change in schedule
The beauty of working a part-time job is the flexibility, but sometimes this can become a huge issue. If your schedule is abruptly changed, or the shifts you’re working are drastically longer, it might be time to ask for a raise. This is due to the fact that changing schedules can disrupt your life. Every good company knows that.
A great example to look at here is one in which you’re asked to work nights rather than days. This can throw off a lot of things in a person’s life. If you do decide to adapt to these changes, this is a pretty good time to ask for a raise. This is a bit more self explanatory than some of the other sections. It’s definitely something important to consider for those of you who are experiencing a change like this.
Use a changing schedule as leverage when it comes to asking for a raise. This makes a great excuse for you to grab some one-on-one time with your supervisor. You might be surprised by the outcome.
How to ask for a raise with your supervisor
Once you have everything you need, and have been diligent with doing your homework, it’s time to consider asking for a meeting with your supervisor. All part-time jobs are different. If you have performance reviews at your part-time job this will be a little bit easier. Don’t panic, though, because it’s not impossible to get a meeting even if you don’t have performance reviews.
Bring it up during a performance review
If you’re at the type of part-time job that has performance reviews, this is the perfect time to ask for a raise. This is due to the fact that most performance reviews will be about your performance anyway. If things seem to be going well, it’s the perfect time to ask your supervisor for a raise. You don’t want to be blunt about it. Just bring some of those great accomplishments that we went over to the table.
Ask for a one-on-one meeting with your supervisor
Unfortunately, there is no way around this one. We would like to tell you that this is easy, but this can take some serious guts at times. This is even more true if it’s a bit unexpected, so make sure that you catch your supervisor on a good day -this will only help your chances. You’ll want to come off as confident, but don’t insist if it doesn’t seem to be going well.
If you are granted the meeting, make sure that you bring things up in a way that commands a bit of respect. Plus, if you really want to go the extra mile here, make sure that you have some key points to go over as to why you deserve a raise in the first place.
Whether you’ll be asking your supervisor for a raise in a performance review, or just a standard one-on-one meeting, you’ll want to make sure that you sound confident. While confidence may go a long way, you should also make sure that you have some good facts to back you up as well.
Consider going full time
A part-time job may be flexible, but sometimes the compensation part may be less desirable than you like. If you can’t get yourself a raise, and you’ve exhausted all other options, you might want to ask for a full time position. This depends on how much time you have. Many people working part-time are students. Or, they have family needs at home. But if nothing is holding you back, it can be a great way to get the raise you need.
Determine whether or not there is an opening
If you have the time, and there is an opening, it might be time to consider going full time. You’ll be able to grab some great benefits that come with being full time, and some of these benefits may be more than just financial. This is something you need to consider on a personal level. If you plan on staying with a company for a while it might be beneficial to take a look at what full time could look like for you.
If you plan on just remaining part-time, or if your part-time job is a side job, this might be something that you’ll want to avoid. On the other hand, if you’ll be spending a lot of time with the company, and like the work you do, it might be time to consider a full time position.
Have a backup plan
The final thing we want to talk about is having a backup plan. This is extremely important with a part-time job. You’ll find that there is a lot more opportunity out there. Industries are shifting to prefer part-time employees instead of full-time employees. This is why having a backup plan can be good. It can actually give you the push of confidence you need to ask for a raise in the first place.
Scout out a couple of similar jobs
You don’t want to just quit and be left with nothing right? So make sure that you can find other jobs out there. You should also make sure that you go on a couple of interviews as well. Now, obviously you don’t need to accept right out of the gate. Doing some experimenting can really help you build up some of that confidence.
Show your supervisor what you’ve come up with
Now, for this approach you need to approach this situation quite carefully. This should be done in a one-on-one meeting, and during that meeting you can bring your needs to the table. Go over how other companies do pay more for your services. Mention that you have an offer from of said companies. In this case your supervisor will either have to grant you the raise, or they’ll know that you’re on your way out. This is a bit of a gamble. Just make sure that you have a solid backup plan in place if you do plan on going this route.
You don’t want to do this in a way that has an ultimatum, but if you no that a raise is out of reach, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan laid out.
Recap
Asking for a raise is usually an uncomfortable thing to do. This only gets worse when you work part-time. Now, while you may feel as if it’s hopeless, you’ll never know unless you ask. If you truly feel like you deserve a raise, and have some good accomplishments under your belt, asking for a raise could be a great idea.
We know that we went over a lot of information today. If you ever feel a bit lost or confused, please feel free to refer back to this article as a guide. We know that asking for a raise is hard, but we want to make the process much easier for you.
Hopefully this article on Raise Guide helps to know how to ask for a raise in a part-time job. We hope that we’ve given you the confidence you need to finally get that raise. So now that you know the facts, and a little bit more about how to ask for a raise at your part-time job, when will you ask?
