SmallBizResource Blog -- Women in Business

Wednesday's Woman: Dare You Ask For A Raise During A Recession?

Posted by Gayle Kesten Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008, 02:16 PM ET

Happy to just have a job? We all are. But just because the economy has seen much better days doesn't mean you should talk yourself out of negotiating a salary boost should you feel you deserve one.

Naturally, advice about how to pursue a raise is helpful for both sexes, yet, gender wage gap aside -- increasingly, a less gappier gap -- experts say women aren’t taught to push for pay raises and promotions the way men do, according to researchers at my alma mater. (To my best recollection, UF didn't offer How To Ask For A Raise 101 when I attended, so perhaps it can shoulder some of the blame.)

Regardless, asking for a raise can be uncomfortable, and, right or wrong, more so for women -- particularly when times are tight.

Paradoxically, asking for a raise right now could actually work in your favor. "In rough economic times, high-performing employees are often valued more than ever," according to a Working Mother magazine article, which suggests eight ways you can tackle the conversation. Really, the tips are solid, economic downturn or not. The hotlinked sites within the text are worth scoping out, too:

1. Gather Your Courage: Identify the reasons you’re afraid to ask ahead of time. "Women are especially susceptible to some of the possible responses, such as rejection, or being told they're greedy, unappreciative, not a team player and not as good as they think they are," says Peggy Klaus, executive coach and author of BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It. "Avoid equivocating language such as, 'I'm kind of thinking that $2,000 would be fine,' when you really want $5,000, but are afraid of being turned down."

2. Document Your Performance: Detail your contributions to your company, says Norman Lieberman, MBA, a headhunter and salary expert with Thepayraisecoach.com. "If you're doing exactly the same thing that you were hired to do four years earlier, then you aren't worth more than inflation raises each year."

3. Research Pay Rates: Find out what you're worth in the marketplace so you know whether you are underpaid compared to peers. Payscale.com can help you determine what others in your field at a comparable level are earning.

4. Consider the Timing: "Men often know to strike when the iron is hot, like after a significant achievement at work," says Janet Scarborough Civitelli, PhD, psychologist, career coach and owner of Vocationvillage.com. "More women should do the same." Some companies take a long-term view and continue to reward their best employees as long as they have the financial ability to do so.

5. Be Confident: Women tend to overstate their weaknesses, says syndicated columnist Bob Rosner, MBA, of Workplace911.com. Don't underestimate yourself. You also want to make sure you don't present yourself like a charity case, talking about mortgage payments or your spouse losing a job.

6. Avoid Pitfalls: To keep things on the right track, don't ask for a raise with a negative or defensive attitude in your tone or body language. Experts agree that you should never issue an ultimatum unless you're prepared to lose your boss' goodwill -- and maybe your job. And remember, Civitelli warns, though these negotiations may feel personal, they aren't.

7. Follow Up: If your boss says she'll consider your request, then doesn't get back to you for weeks, always come back and close the loop, says Michael Zwell, PhD, author of Six-Figure Salary Negotiation. "Be friendly in your tone," he says. "For example, you can say, 'Two weeks ago we talked about my getting a raise, and you said you would think about it. When can we set up a time to discuss it?'"

8. Seize the Day: If your boss says no to a raise, it doesn't mean you'll never get one. It means you have a chance to find out what it will take to get one in the future, Rosner points out. Ask for achievable goals. Also know what you're willing to settle for, advises Klaus. And if your inquiry leads you to feel that the possibility of additional compensation is remote, be gracious. "They should never know," says Lieberman, "that you will stealthily begin your search for a better opportunity."

Tips of your own? By all means, share below!

• Julie Watson Smith, The Conscious Character Coach
• Soft Is The New Hard
• Wednesday's Woman: BlogHer Cofounder Jory Des Jardins
• 2009 Working Mother Of The Year Awards Part 1
• Chilly Jilly Founder Jill Boehler
• Archives

The Wednesday's Woman series is written for today's community of hard-working, small-business women, featuring profiles, industry trends, research, work/life balance issues and other topics of interest. Send your ideas to Gayle Kesten.

Women in Business