Asking for a Raise
Rahul feels he has taken on more responsibility over the past year and believes his salary should reflect it. He prepares his key achievements and schedules a meeting with his manager, Ms. Kapoor, to discuss a salary increase.
Key words and phrases
Useful sentences
- Ask Do you have a few minutes to discuss my salary?
- Answer Sure, let's talk about it right now.
- Ask What have been your biggest contributions this year?
- Answer I led two major projects and improved team efficiency.
- Ask Is your current salary below the market rate?
- Answer Yes, I researched similar roles and found a gap.
- Ask Can you justify the raise with measurable results?
- Answer Yes, I have data showing a 20 percent improvement.
- Ask Have you taken on any additional responsibilities?
- Answer Yes, I now also manage two junior team members.
- Ask Are there any budget constraints this quarter?
- Answer There are some, but I'll check what's possible.
- Ask When is the next appraisal cycle?
- Answer It starts in about a month from now.
- Ask Will you consider a counteroffer if a full raise isn't possible?
- Answer Yes, I'm open to discussing other options too.
- Ask Can we revisit this conversation next week?
- Answer That works well for me, thank you.
- Ask Do you think the raise is well-deserved?
- Answer Based on his track record, yes, absolutely.
Dialogue
RahulMs. Kapoor, do you have a few minutes to discuss my compensation?
Ms. KapoorOf course, Rahul. Go ahead, tell me what's on your mind.
RahulOver the past year, I've taken on additional responsibilities and led two major projects.
Ms. KapoorYes, I've noticed your strong track record this year.
RahulI'd like to request a salary increase that reflects my current contribution and the market rate.
Ms. KapoorThat's a fair point. Do you have any data to justify the request?
RahulYes, I have measurable results from my recent projects, including a 20 percent efficiency gain.
Ms. KapoorThere are some budget constraints this quarter, but let me take this to leadership.
RahulI appreciate that. Can we revisit this before the appraisal cycle ends?
Ms. KapoorAbsolutely, I'll follow up with you by next week.
Common mistakes
- Saying "increase my salary" instead of "discuss a salary increase" when opening the conversation — the latter sounds more professional.
- Saying "give me more money" instead of "request a salary increase" or "discuss compensation" — informal phrasing sounds unprofessional at work.
- Saying "I deserve raise" instead of "I deserve a raise" — the article 'a' is required before a singular countable noun.
- Saying "justify for the raise" instead of "justify the raise" — 'justify' does not take 'for' before its object.
- Saying "my performance was good" instead of citing "measurable results" or a "track record" — vague claims are less convincing than specific evidence.
- Saying "appraisal" and "raise" interchangeably — an appraisal is the review process, while a raise is the salary increase that may result from it.
Quick quiz
1. What does "salary increase" mean?
2. Complete: "His salary is below the ___ for his role."
3. What is a "track record"?
4. What does "justify" mean in this context?
5. A different offer made in response to a raise request is called a ___.
6. What is an "appraisal cycle"?
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