No matter how happy you are with your current employer, at the end of the day, most of us work for one primary purpose: making money. Do you consider yourself indispensable within your organization and do you think it is high time for a salary increase? Then you have three options: you do nothing and wait for your performance review, you look for another job or you ask your current boss for a salary increase. This article will help you with the latter option, so that you can enter into salary negotiations with confidence.

Choose the right moment

It is quite standard and easy to do this during the (semi) annual performance review onderhandelen about a higher salary. The only disadvantage is that during this period of performance reviews, your boss is also evaluating other colleagues and using your colleagues' performance as a benchmark. Try not to wait for what's coming performance review and start the conversation when you have achieved a success, been given new responsibilities or have solved a major problem. Once you have chosen the right moment, it is important to check whether the conversation is convenient for your boss. Is the company going through a stressful period and is your boss's agenda overcrowded? Then it is better to wait a while. In addition, never choose Monday as a day and try to schedule the appointment in the morning.

Make performance measurable

Do you consider yourself indispensable and do you think you deserve a salary increase? Then you must be able to prove this. Create a list of at least 5 achievements that contributed to the company's results. For example, think of actions that saved or generated money for the company or moments where your leadership came to the fore. Then develop this document digitally so that your boss can later review it and consult with other executives.

How much are you worth?

Before you come up with numbers, it is important to do research into what you are worth. This can be done quite easily by searching for similar jobs on LinkedIn or job vacancy websites such as Indeed and then making a benchmark of the salary. Don't make the mistake of bringing coworkers' salaries into the conversation. First of all, this is unprofessional and you can never be 100% sure whether your information is correct. Start from yourself and your performance and use that as a guideline for your salary increase.

Basic salary

If there is little wiggle room in the base salary, try to onderhandelen about secondary conditions. For example, have you been on the road a lot lately and don't have a lease car yet? Then make an overview of the number of kilometers you travel. Other secondary employment conditions you can consider are a bonus scheme, more flexible working hours, compensation for a study or a thirteenth month.

No is also an answer 

No matter how convinced or how well prepared you are, you have to keep in mind that your boss can give you a hard NO. Obviously this will be a disappointment, but getting angry will certainly not help you. Ask politely for the reason and try to find out how you can improve your performance and when it will be tested again. If you find your boss's reasoning unfounded and unfair, you should ask yourself whether it is time to look for a new challenge.