Imagine waking up every day to go to a company that pays you less. The level of satisfaction will be low, right? Though you will find yourself going to work, you will often be reluctant because you will be devoid of motivation. Usually, a retail job will give you a minimum wage and commissions, depending on your agreement with your employer. Certainly, this is not enough to sustain you for a long time. You will definitely need a pay raise for you to enjoy your work.
Fulfillment will only come if you feel comfortable with how much you are paid at your retail workplace. Below, you will learn more about pay raise and how to go about it for you to have a rewarding career.
Should You Ask for a Raise?
Believe it or not, your health and happiness are dependent on how much value you derive from your work. Value, in this case, refers to the amount of money you get after working. Maybe you are a cashier or a staff in the logistics department of a retail company. You will need a pay that is commensurate to your input. This will go a long way to increase your level of job fulfillment.
Everybody needs motivation to become better. Without an impetus that drives you to desire to give more and become more, you can never grow. The reason why most retail job employees remain stunted is simply because they lack the inspiration to grow beyond what they have always known. So, what is this inspiration that most retail workplace employees often miss? Simply put, it’s a pay raise! You should ask for a pay raise, however hard it might seem.
You need it to improve your level of satisfaction at work. As a result, you will not be feeling sick in the morning because it’s time to go to work. Instead, you will be happy and looking forward to another day at work.
Another reason why you should ask for a pay raise is because you deserve to improve your income. If the company you are working for has been making a profit, then you have a valid reason to ask for a pay raise.
Your input has enabled your retail company to grow its brand through increased revenues. Why, then, should you not have a pay raise if the retail company you work for has the capacity to pay you more? Therefore, you should take the initiative and ask for increased pay from your employer. Without a doubt, this is a topic that is never easy to talk about with your employer. But, it’s worth taking about it.
The Feeling of Employees and Employers about Pay Raises
Frankly speaking, employees and employers approach the issue of pay raise differently. While you will feel the need to have your pay increased, your employer might not see the need for it. Yes, you have been working at your current retail store for a year now. You feel it’s time for a reward, but your manager thinks you only deserve your current pay as it is. It’s unfortunate that employers don’t adequately address the concern of pay increases for their employees.
While they agree that you should remain at their company because of your talent, they don’t quite recognize the need for a pay raise. For most of them, unfortunately, they focus more on what their companies are producing, and forget about the process of production. It is employees who contribute to the high and quality produce of retail stores; hence, increasing their pay shouldn’t be a problem.
As an employee, you shouldn’t shy off from asking for a pay raise. Instead of shying off, you should let your manager know how you feel concerning a pay increase. However, you should know how to ask for a pay increase so that you boost the prospects of your employer agreeing to your request.
How to Ask for a Raise in Retail
Asking for a pay raise in retail can seem like a tough mountain to climb and an awkward experience for many retail store employees. Talking to your employer about the possibility of having your pay increased is something that you would probably avoid at all costs, but it’s necessary to bring it up.
If you want your career to develop further, you can’t avoid asking for a pay raise. But the million dollar question is how to ask for the pay raise. You need to know how to engage your employer in the most effective way possible to avoid negative feedback and creating an uncomfortable moment.
If you want your career to develop further, you can’t avoid asking for a pay raise. Click To TweetThe first thing you should put into consideration when asking for a pay raise is to know exactly what you want. Your employer will appreciate if you are ambitious, but also make sure that you are reasonable enough. Don’t ask for too much because this will make you seem like you have lost credibility. Yes, it’s you asking for a pay raise, but don’t forget that your employer knows what you do in his retail store, and the limit that you can go when asking for a pay increment. Thus, be reasonable as you ask for a pay raise. This will increase the chances of your employer paying attention to your request.
Also, you should do the asking in person. No matter how tempting it might be or how difficult it might be to face your employer concerning the matter, don’t use another channel. Don’t even think of using an email to reach out to your manager. Present yourself to your employer. Since what you are looking for is important to you, you can’t cover yourself using an email.
In fact, it’s a show of respect to your employer if you choose to present yourself physically to discuss about your pay raise. Again, you will show your manager that you value yourself and the topic that you want to discuss, if you will talk to him face to face. Therefore, if you want to boost your chances of having your pay increased, you should face your employer in person.
When to Ask For a Pay Raise?
The truth is that timing is extremely important when asking for a pay raise. You can’t wake up one morning and decide to go and ask for a pay raise. You have to be strategic enough for you to compel your employer to add you some money from your salary. The good thing is that you have an in-depth understanding of the retail company that you work for. Therefore, it’s certain that you identify with its financial performance very well.
One of the best times to ask for a pay raise is after a good financial year. Positive financial outcomes are an indication that your company is performing well. Take advantage of this to engage your employer in a conversation aimed at increasing your salary.
Given that there is a positive financial performance from the retail store that you work for, your employer will have a reason to listen to you. On the other hand, if you go to ask for a pay when the company is not doing well, it will be difficult for you to get the result you expect. You can’t have your pay increased when there is no enough money to pay you. Therefore, it’s of great significance for you to wait after a positive financial outcome for you to engage your employer for an increase in pay.
One of the best times to ask for a pay raise is after a good financial year. Click To TweetMoreover, you can take advantage of certain circumstances for you to request for an increment in your pay. For example, if you have been given more responsibilities or you are working on a heavier task, this is a good opportunity to ask for a better compensation. Since you are working more than you have been working before and taking care of more responsibilities in your retail workplace, you are justified to ask your employer to pay you more.
Don’t shy off from asking your manager to consider the new tasks assigned to you. More work occasionally means your worth more. This is especially true if other coworkers are not asked to do the same. For example, if you have been working as a sales person in an electronics retail store and you are also doing some accounting functions, it’s best if you ask your employer to consider increasing your pay. Indeed, this is a strategic moment for you to request for increased pay since your manager is aware that you are doing extra work.
How Much To Ask For?
It’s also important for you to consider how much to ask for when requesting for an increase in pay. The question of how much to ask for when engaging your employer in this discussion is often a dilemma to many people. There are few essential points to consider when deciding on the amount you would want to have increased on top of your minimum wage.
One of the things to put in mind is your market value. If you know how much you are worth to your retail workplace, you will definitely know how much you should be paid. It will be unfortunate if you don’t know your worth to the retail store you work for. You will have to settle for anything that your employer gives you. However, you can do a bit of research to establish how other personnel from other companies are paid.
You can compare the salaries so as to ascertain how much you should propose to your employer as the viable increment. Again, it’s valuable to reiterate the imperative nature of your input to your work. You should be paid an amount that is commensurate to the degree of input that you give to your retail workplace. Use this as a standard of determining how much you should ask for when requesting for a pay increase.
Additionally, put into consideration the amount of time that you have been working in your current workplace. If you have been working for a long time and you have never had your salary or wages increased, it’s only fair that you ask for a pay increment. In the same vein, you can use this as a way of establishing how much you should be paid for your service.
You have the justification to present yourself to your employer and request for a particular amount of pay raise to reward you for having been loyal employee for a long time. In this respect, you can compare yourself with other employees who have been working in the same retail store for you to have an idea of how much you should ask for.
Also, you can evaluate the performance of the retail business you work for to determine how much you should request for as a pay raise. If the business has been doing well over a period of time, then you can propose the amount that you would want to be added on top of your normal pay. Of course, you will have to discuss with your employer on the amount for a final determination to be set.
Getting the Raise You Deserve
Pay raise is a major requirement for a fulfilling retail job. You can only experience growth and satisfaction if you get value for your input. The services you put in to meet the objectives and goals of your employer deserve a good pay. That is why it’s highly valuable for you to ask for a pay raise.
As you think of asking for a pay raise, you should consider planning well for you to boost the chances of you having your request accepted by your employer. Get to know how to ask and when to ask for a pay raise.
If you don’t get it right in this, you might end up putting your retail job at risk. For this reason, be deliberate, strategic, and confident as you approach your employer for a discussion about increasing your pay.
