Timing is everything. Is the company doing well financially? Assess who you are in the company and be honest. Do you simply come to work each day or do you work over and beyond what is expected of you? If the answer is yes, be prepared to share all of the aspects of what you do and how they have made you an asset to the company.

The actual mechanics of asking for a raise (from my vantage pint) would be CYA (Cover Your Ass) at all times. And in this day and age that means documentation, documentation, documentation. Put the request in writing. Expect to meet in person and then after the meeting document what was said and the outcome.  This should be done primarily as a reference tool (in the event it is denied) so that the next time you ask you can go over the changes your employer wanted to see, and you can explain the changes you have made.

And most importantly as with every area of your life, speak to your employer as you would want to be spoken to. How would you feel if someone was overly nervous, jittery, evasive, calm, collected or confident without being smug?  Keep that in mind when speaking to them, be the person you would want to speak to.

Sadly, I work for a state.  The only way I’ll get a raise is if I leave.  This veers off the topic, but I’m still fuming and undecided about it.

I’m stuck in the "devil you know vs. the devil you don’t."  Last December I took on a third doctor "temporarily" when our department cut back.  My "worst I have ever worked for" manager didn’t even tell me; his phone just started ringing on my set one day.  So I dealt with it as best I could, even though I had pretty much capped out my personal skills and abilities, and then she told me, in an email, that she was hiring another admin for my campus (I’m the only one from our department here) to handle new doctors coming on, but I was going to have my temporary doc permanently.  

I was angry, but figured this was going to be rewarded come review time if I just grin and bear it.  Then, we got an email from the president saying that even though the state legislature gave us a 4% budget increase, no one was going to get raises.  So all the "service with a smile" has been for nothing, and even though equity and market requests would be considered, my "worst I’ve ever worked for" manager would never deign to go to bat for any of us.  Despite the institution being cheap, our department is even more so.  In fact, I know from friends in other departments that we were still supposed to have our performance evaluations, which would at least allow me to get my extra work into my record, but they were due July 1 and so far none of us have had one.

When I started recirculating my resume after the surprise increase in my duties ("I never once told you it would always be only two doctors."), I actually got calls in this economy and found that I’m underpaid.  several weeks ago she sent me an email (she despises actual communication) saying this new doctor "will start November 1st.  I am assigning you to be his administrative assistant…"  FOUR???  I was barely juggling three.  I had mentioned to one of my docs that she better not try to give me the "odd" number that was coming (the other admin handles three, also), and I sent him a text reading, "she just assigned me Dr. C.  I think she’s nuts.  How does 9/30 as my last day work for you?  I’m just not going to argue with stupidity."

Wow!  They love me!  They really love me!  All three of my docs flipped out.  They leapt in front of that train and told me I wasn’t leaving and told her she wasn’t giving me the fourth doctor.  Well, she finally backed down.  I only know because she told one of them to tell me she reverse her decision.  She hasn’t spoken to me since.  It’s been great!

So, here I am.  I know I CAN get a raise if I leave because my resume generates response and the wages are higher out there.  But I have three doctors who really value my work.  What does one do?  

Oh, and she’s slowly slipping the 4th doc onto the new admin.  I know the signs.  She’ll never know what hit her.

When I started in the public sector after 6 years in the private sector, I had to start over, entry level - in 7 years at this town, I upgraded 3 times - this is what I did:

I started doing the job I wanted BEFORE I asked for the promotion and raise, for about 6 months - I was lucky to have a supervisor who was happy to have me take on more important projects (this is key) - and then, when it was time to prepare the next year’s fiscal year budgets, I came in with a written proposal that had my current job description edited (edited and clean version so it was all set to go) and a salary survey of what I should be paid, with the grade pay scale table the town used marked up to show where I would then be - it worked everytime

I only left because I had got myself just below my supervisor, who had helped all the way and was/is my friend, so I hit the ceiling and moved on with a great resume of promotions and increased skill sets

the key is to not go in therewith the attitude of I deserve it so you better give it to me - the key is to do the work for HR and your supervisor - have all the documents ready for them to sign and not promise what you will do when promoted, but list out what you have done already so they are only recognizing what has already been done

of course, this was in the days of sex and candy of the 90’s so the current economy may not allow such monetary recognition

today, I am working with my manager to upgrade my department head position so I am taking the same approach but given I am part of the management team already so I am part of the budget process (and not a bystander) I have to take responsibility that the budget may not allow me (whether fiscally or politically) to give me the raise so I am thinking of other things

for example, this budget year, my employer is paying my cell phone bill, which is 100 bucks a month - they also pay for luncheons with local business people, so technically it’s not a raise, but it’s things I don’t have to pay for anymore out of pocket - so there are other ways to get a raise without it showing up on the ledger

so yes, as others said, be confident and all that - that’s a given - the real deal is to have a plan, have it ready and have Plan B ready to go

In tough economies, such as that in which we are now living and working, be prepared to negotiate not JUST for monetary gain. It may well be that there IS no money for raises, but you can ask for other things that will reflect your excellence to the organization: a job title that better reflects your actual value and contribution to the company; some new technology that would enhance your work (a Skype to enable more outreach to distant clients or colleagues, for example); tuition reimbursement for a course you feel would add new skills to your performance; reimbursement to a professional conference where you can network on behalf of the company; and so on. These are things that will signal that you have made contributions, are interested in building your skills, and when the financial picture brightens, you may well find you are first in line to receive the monetary recognition you deserve.

In terms of asking for a monetary raise, do your homework ahead of time. In fact, do a "mock interview" with yourself to prepare. Anticipate ALL the possible objections that might be raised, and meet them with facts, evidence and solid, logical responses. Prepare a portfolio of your work that you can bring with you to the meeting so that you can show evidence of your ideas and contributions. And be prepared to spend some time really listening to the person you are meeting with. If you are so focused on presenting only your OWN needs, you can easily miss important information being communicated to you. If you don’t get the raise, be sure you fully understand why before you leave the room, and plan accordingly so that you can work toward fulfilling the goals and needs that were communicated to you. And try to stay positive. Asking for a raise when you are feeling stressed out, under-appreciated and angry is a guarantee that you are going to have an even bigger problem after the interview! Wait until you are feeling upbeat and energized about yourself before "storming the castle"!

I suggest writing a note afterward in which you thank the boss (or whomever interviewed you) and reiterate the plans you will be putting in place to improve your performance and increase your value to the company in the coming months. And state that you look forward to another productive meeting down the line - hint, hint!

I also think it is a good idea to regularly review your job description. Frankly, very few people find that they are actually doing the job that was described to them when they were first hired. As you spend time on the job, both the job and you yourself change in subtle ways, by small increments, or even in dramatic and sudden ways as the organizational needs change. Keeping a log of everything that you do for a full month (hours worked; calls made; clients assisted; projects; planning sessions; problems solved; problems unsolved, and so on) can give you a really accurate picture of how you are actually spending your time. You can see patterns that may reveal a great deal about your work. Say you were hired to do training for other employees as your main responsibility, but your log reveals that you are regularly asked to help the boss trouble-shoot solutions that will help his clients. Here you are often using the same skill set, but now it is applied to something very different than the HR job description. This is valuable information. If you were hired to do events planning, and you discover from your log that you are spending 60% of your work time writing reports and PR material, this is something that you can build on.

The main piece of advice I would give? Be proud of your accomplishments, whether you receive a raise or not. Knowing your worth as a person is an end in itself, and in tough economic times, it is a powerful force to keep you motivated and alive as a professional.

Above all, be a professional when asking…you have to work up to it.  Prior to asking, get to be known as a person of expertise.  Excell at everything. 

Always do your tasks with ease and efficiency. Don’t always take the road with the least amount of resistance, but be firm in your convictions.    Once this professionalism is accomplished you will be ready to ask for a raise or a promotion like a professional.

The answer may be no, but the boss might be impressed with your ability to overcome the typical fear of asking.  And before long you might not have to ask…it will just come for you.

My boss is a tightwad narcissist concerned mainly with his own financial health. When I want a raise, the only way to obtain it is to threaten. I’ve worked for people who’ve offered raises out of respect for my work and dedication. But when you work for a control freak whose main focus is not his employees’ satisfaction, you must threaten, and be prepared to follow through.

If you work for someone decent, compile your accomplishments, how you’ve saved or earned the company money, and be specific about your expectations. Do NOT mention anything about your personal finances, because it’s irrelevant. It’s about approrpriate compensation in exchange for your responsibilities. After all, having a job isn’t philanthropy; it’s a defined arrangement where you work and you are paid. If they think they can do alright without you and they may be right, then you probably don’t deserve more money. If you are valuable, carry that with you always and you’ll get what you deserve. If you don’t, polish your resume.

This is not the time for anyone to be asking for a raise. If you must, just tell your boss that he/she should start to redistribute the wealth, as this is what the government wants.

What kind of raise are we talking about? If you want to go from 600 a wk, to a 1000, forget it. Unless you’re young, good looking and work for Worldwide Pants.

Good advice all the way around so far - like Chrome Toe said, be sure you deserve it.  and then like others have said, just walk in and calmly and with confidence, state facts and qualifications. 

I’m a "hard-knocks" learner so I know that Andy C.’s comment is dead-on.  Your employer doesn’t care that  you need that raise so don’t mention it!  Many years ago, I was young and in need of a change in income.  I had been "lured" away from a more lucrative position at another company, but had been told that my salary would be increased within six months of my hire if I were to come on board.  I made the change and patiently waited.  Seven, then eight months later, still no raise.  I needed that money - my husband was in school and funds were tight.  I went into the CEO’s office (the CEO had negotiated my hire) and I asked about the raise - he feigned ignorance, but we had discussed it on more than one occasion and I had asked  him to repeat it.  Instead of remaining calm and explaining that I came to his company at his request because I had more experience than everyone else in my department and that my professionalism, efficiency, and accuracy remained unparalleled, I let my emotions take over and I simply told him that I deserved and needed that raise.  Needless to say, I didn’t get it.  He reneged - he told me that he had a company to run and though he empathized with his employees, it wasn’t his responsibility to handle their personal finances. 

I learned a few things that day.  1. Always get it in writing.  2. Take emotions out of all negotiations.  If you know you are worth it, you have to make them know it too - sell it - make them believe that a benefit to you is a benefit for the company!  3.  Always get it in writing (did I already say that?)  Ok, then just be careful who you trust in business.  Sounds cynical, but it’s better than the alternative. 

Part II of the story - Off the subject, but I can’t resist.  Before I left my other job, the CEO made a promise to me - a raise after 6 months.  He reneged and it left us in a financial  hole.  We managed - I cashed in my 401K from a former job and took heavy penalties and I cashed bonds I had saved for that rainy day that had arrived - we survived.  Come Christmas, our doorbell rang and when I looked out, a car was driving away - it was the CEO and his family and they had left a basket of food on our doorstep. I suppose they were feeling generous and I was supposed to feel grateful and full of Christmas spirit - I did not.  I was embarrassed, I was angry, and I did not want his charity.  I wanted what he had promised, not charity from his family - I suppose it made him feel good though.  Once again, one of us got it, the other did not… But that was many years ago and again, I digress…