A hiring expert has shared her top tips for how to get more money from your boss this year – with five simple tips to secure a substantial salary boost.
Sonya Barlow managed to negotiate three significant pay rises in her 20s – taking her annual pre-tax earnings from £30,000 to £50,000 in just five years.
The CEO, who is based in London, is so passionate about helping others progress in their careers that she’s since turned it into a business.
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She estimates to have assisted her clients in getting on average £11,000 more in salary by utilising her advice.
The 32-year-old founder of the Like Minded Females Network, which launched in 2018, has five specific tips for anyone who is tired of not getting what they are worth.
Sonya – who estimates to have helped 20,000 people up-skill over the years through her social enterprise – has also added some bonus tips on a few big no-no’s when it comes to asking for pay rises.
TRACK YOUR SKILLS WITH THE ‘STAR’ METHOD:
“If I were to go back to my 20s and give any kind of advice, it would be to ask myself: ‘What raise do you want, why do you want it, and are you ready to take that extra responsibility that comes with it?’, Sonya told What’s The Jam.
“The first tip that I would say is to go into the job description that you currently have and on an Excel sheet, make a note of all your tasks, skills and responsibilities.
“So, imagine one column where you’ve got task skills aligned with the STARS method – which is Situation, Task, Action and Result and my bonus S, the So What?
“That way you can really start to provide evidence of what you’ve done and kind of check box where you’ve gone over and above.
“Do the exact same thing in a different sheet for the job role that you want; again, that way you can kind of pinpoint what roles, responsibilities, and skills you’ve already been able to conduct.
“But also where your gaps are for learning and opportunity, which is just as important when it comes to the next step.”
FIGURE OUT THE AVERAGE SALARY BEFORE INTERVIEW STAGES:
Step two involves research so that you can align your own expectations, as well as provide evidence of what your skills are worth in the industry or for other roles.
She said: “The second step is to search to understand what the average salary is across your industry and where you currently are, and therefore align your expectations.
“When I was in my junior role, I knew that currently what I was working on was around £30,000 but in the more finance tech consultancy space, you could go to about £50,000 to £60,000 so I knew there was about a £20,000 gap based in the industry that I was in, and so I developed my knowledge and networks to enter that space.
“Have a number in mind.
“That way you can provide evidence of what you’ve done thus far, but also what the industry standards are, especially because it actually costs the company more when they lose you.”
“It costs them [your employer] about 1.5 times your salary to replace you.
“In most cases, it’s easier or better for them to invest in your learning, development and promotion.”
WHAT’S YOUR VISION?
Sonya says it’s important to set out your vision and what you want to achieve, whilst also celebrating the small wins.
Sonya said: “Ultimately, this is like a Venn diagram.
“Your values are your big goal, your mission are those quarterly milestones that you want to hit.
“And your principles that you’re going to say yes to – or focus on everything else you’re going to say, not right now.
“It’s all about focus and alignment, and it’s ensuring that you’re celebrating the smaller successes.”
FIND A MENTOR OUTSIDE OF THE COMPANY:
Sonya’s fourth bit of advice is to get yourself a good mentor
She said: ”One reason why I created the LMF network is that when I was going through all of this, especially in my 20s, I didn’t have the career, the confidence or the knowledge of a network – so I created that network.
“It means that you can help someone else to level up in their career whilst you’re doing it yourself.
“But also it just allows you to expand your knowledge and understand what different people across different industries and companies are looking for.
“This is a safer and more efficient way to build your skills externally and practise your pitch with mentors, who can give you solid advice before going to speak to your manager.
“Mentors also learn a lot like new generational thinking and fresh perspectives, so it’s a win-win.”
TAKE CHARGE AND GET A MEETING:
Sonya said: “Number five, and I think this is one of the most important ones that people don’t realise, is to actually place that one-to-one meeting with your manager, career lead or the decision-maker.
“A lot of the time, especially as women and women of colour, we kind of take a step back.
“No one’s going to notice you, right?
“Go in strong, with an agenda and clear view of what you want, why you deserve it and what the solution looks like.
“The most important thing here is not just to present that meeting but also to have a follow-up and to keep following up.
“You want everything in an email.
“You want to document it and you want to show that you’re proactive and really showing up.”
Sharing a bonus tip, Sonya also recommends that you work backwards.
She said: “Some companies only have maybe one or two promotional cycles in a year.
“Find out when they are and work backwards so that when that time comes, you’re not really having to just go in with loads of evidence and justify it.
“Your decision-makers and line managers have seen the work you’ve done continuously, plus the knowledge that you’re bringing to the table.”
WHAT NOT TO SAY TO GET A PAY RISE:
Sonya said: “ No-no’s include things like saying ‘I deserve it’, without presenting any kind of evidence or receipts or bringing in the length of time of service but not really showing the value that you’ve added.
“Your company and team aren’t trying to just give you a promotion.
“So you have to show up and speak up.
“I also recommend putting your hand up for new projects, which can get you noticed by new teams and build your capabilities.
“Especially when 80% of opportunities come through the network.
“Before I started my own business, I worked in a media and insights company that I really enjoyed.
“I truly gave everything I could to that business because I was a junior and I was hungry – I was ambitious.
“The average person came in 9-to-5 but I would go in at 7am to miss the rush hour traffic and just to do the work and to manage my mental health, which is an important factor when thinking about the next career step.
As a brown woman with ADHD and migraines, I knew that I had a lot of hidden challenges to overcome and so built my confidence to so do.
“I was really doing a more senior role than a junior role quite quickly.
“And, I knew this, because I was documenting my tasks on the Excel sheet, step 1 which I mentioned.
“And I’m really grateful that at some point, my managers started to notice, but also I started going up to them to be like: ‘Hey, I’m doing extra work and these are the results, in line with company goals’.
“Although I got a pay rise, I eventually moved into a new industry – finance, technology and consultancy – as that’s where the money was and the world was heading.
“I was then able to negotiate a £50,000 starting salary by getting an offer on the table from another company – which pushed the one I wanted to give me a higher salary.”
