Negotiation
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Negotiate salary increases by leveraging competing offers from other companies.
Employees typically have no leverage without another offer.
- Lying about an offer risks the company choosing someone else.
- Starting a bidding war might yield an easy 20% raise.
3 people, independently
Set up a dedicated folder in your work inbox to store positive feedback from peers and clients for use during annual evaluations.
Employers are often reluctant to grant raises, so presenting proof of strong performance helps make the case. It is difficult to recall all achievements from the past year.
3 people, independently
Calculate the net financial impact of a raise considering potential loss of subsidies or increased costs like childcare.
A pay raise can result in a net loss if it pushes you over thresholds for financial assistance.
one person who lived it
Switch jobs to gain salary increases of 15-30%, as staying in one role costs money.
one person who lived it
When something positive happens at work, take about two minutes to record it.
Scrolling through these wins on frustrating days reminds you that you are competent.
one person who lived it
raise, salary, role, requests33
Be wary of promotions that offer disproportionately small pay raises compared to standard increases for others.
Do not include projected end-of-year bonuses in your salary calculations.
You are assuming you will receive the top bonus.
one person who lived it
Do not burn bridges when resigning, as it may allow you to return if the new role fails.
One person returned to their old job after hating their new position's commute and colleagues.
one person who lived it
Keep a record of your growth and value-added tasks, especially those you did not previously perform, to justify requests for a share of the money you bring in or save.
Having evidence makes it easier to ask for a raise.
one person who lived it
Calculate the equivalent percentage reduction in hours for a given pay rise, double it, and counter-offer that hour reduction.
Employers may not cover inflation unless fought for.
one person who lived it
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Demonstrate competence at the next level by performing tasks associated with that higher role before seeking promotion.
People get promoted because they are already doing the job, not because they promise they might.
one person who lived it
When countering a lower salary proposal, apply the requested rate to all existing contracts, not just the new one.
This spreads the total compensation value across all contracts rather than isolating it to one.
one person who lived it
Reduce effort in your current role to the minimum required while actively searching for a new job.
It frees up time and energy to pursue personal goals.
one person who lived it
Negotiate any part of the offer before you accept it.
Offers are designed to be flexible.
one person who lived it
Use calibrated questions, such as 'How?' or 'What?', to decline requests without explicitly saying 'no'.
This technique allows you to say no without using the word.
one person who lived it
Be honest about your reasons for leaving so your company knows you are not just shaking them down for money.
Honesty can help preserve optionality.
one person who lived it
View employment as a mutual business agreement focused on best interests rather than a friendship based on loyalty.
Loyalty does not pay anymore; companies look out for themselves.
one person who lived it
Avoid threatening to quit during raise negotiations.
It can damage your standing, cause you to lose ground immediately, and potentially result in termination.
- If you get a raise after threatening to quit, it may be the last one for a long time.
one person who lived it
Send compliments to clients and coworkers when they assist you to improve service levels and focus on your requests.
Service levels increase and coworkers move your requests up their to-do lists.
one person who lived it
Frame raise requests around your value to the company and business metrics, not personal financial need.
Bringing up personal need makes the request seem like charity and creates a slippery slope.
one person who lived it
If you work in an environment where promotions reward loyalty to unethical behavior rather than merit, seek a new job instead of trying to fix the situation.
Attempting to fix the issue may be viewed as burning bridges and could make it difficult to secure future employment.
one person who lived it
Advocate for yourself directly instead of expecting bosses or coworkers to notice your contributions and act on them.
Bosses rarely notice and act on their own.
one person who lived it
Frame payment requests as questions about the client's business structure rather than personal demands.
This approach removes you from the equation and makes it easier for them to answer honestly about their budget.
one person who lived it
Recognize that office politics and interpersonal likability often outweigh pure work performance in promotion decisions.
Leaders focus on who they want to work with.
one person who lived it
View promotions as compensation for advanced knowledge or risk, not just more work.
one person who lived it
Read or listen to 'Never Split The Difference' by Chris Voss to learn negotiation techniques applicable to salary discussions.
It teaches lessons learned by former FBI hostage negotiators.
one person who lived it
When negotiating a rate increase with a service provider you wish to retain, ask for their input on a reasonable price rather than issuing a demand.
to preserve the relationship and avoid cancellation
one person who lived it
Frame weaknesses in self-evaluations as aspirations for more responsibilities to avoid lazy managers using them negatively.
Lazy managers may use stated weaknesses against you in evaluations.
one person who lived it
Demonstrate effectiveness with tangible records rather than relying on anecdotal testimony to secure raises and separate yourself from peers.
It makes contributions more tangible and separates you from peers who rely on anecdotal testimony.
one person who lived it
Demand your desired pay upfront rather than accepting ambiguous milestones for future raises.
Milestones can be changed or redefined by employers.
one person who lived it
Negotiate terms, expectations, and remuneration before accepting or declining a promotion.
If terms cannot be agreed upon, you can decline the role while appearing confident and professional, avoiding offense.
one person who lived it
Ask for additional compensation immediately when given more responsibilities or risks, rather than hoping for future recognition.
Employers may be trying to save costs by having you take on roles intended for external candidates, or they may already be looking for someone cheaper than you.
one person who lived it
Secure another job before using a denied raise as leverage to reduce hours or quit.
Having a secured alternative allows you to walk away if the current employer terminates your position.
one person who lived it
View documentation as succession planning; recognize that if you are not replaceable, you are unpromotable because companies prefer to keep you in place rather than hire multiple replacements.
one person who lived it
Be wary of promotions that offer disproportionately small pay raises compared to standard increases for others.
2 people, independently
Consider establishing a personal rule to stay in a position for a minimum amount of time before moving elsewhere.
One person found this helped ensure confidence in current responsibilities and resisted pressure to accept premature promotions.
one person who lived it
Do not tell anyone you are resigning until management has formally acknowledged and accepted your notice.
Telling coworkers prematurely causes you to lose negotiation leverage.
one person who lived it
Recognize that accepting a counteroffer begins the process of training your replacement.
one person who lived it
Secure leverage before stating you need a raise, such as by refusing additional responsibilities or obtaining an outside offer.
one person who lived it
record, work, recall, proof19
Keep a continuous record of your professional successes throughout the year to reference during performance assessments.
Create a folder to record helpful or impressive work actions so you have a year's worth of accomplishments for reviews.
You will have a year's worth of impressive accomplishments when review time comes around.
one person who lived it
Write a 'primer' or 'How-to' document detailing your procedures when starting a new job or changing teams.
It shows your progress and that you are proactive.
- Some older employees may discourage this due to insecurity about being laid off or wanting to keep secret knowledge.
one person who lived it
Retain samples of work you are proud of or received praise for, with company permission and sensitive information redacted, to demonstrate skills in interviews.
It can help you prove your skills on paper and get the job.
- Get the company's permission.
one person who lived it
Write down everything you do, adhering to the rule that if you did not write it down, it did not happen.
Writing things down helped in military and federal jobs; nothing is mightier than a pen.
one person who lived it
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Submit weekly status updates to record daily tasks that accumulate but are easily forgotten by review time.
Daily work stacks up and is often forgotten because you move on to other things.
one person who lived it
Create a dedicated email folder for 'thanks for your help' emails and send yourself extra updates there to centralize proof of contributions.
To put everything in one place and have proof beyond just saying it.
one person who lived it
Email non-email-traceable accomplishments to a personal address to capture date stamps and centralize records.
It adds date stamps that are often forgotten and keeps everything in one place.
one person who lived it
Keep a daily written diary or log of your work activities, counting numbers and accomplishments, to create a record for future summaries.
Having a written list makes it easier to recall accomplishments on the spot, which may be needed years later in job interviews.
2 people, independently
Pull data from support queues or ticketing systems to show performance metrics during specific periods.
It allows you to demonstrate workload management, such as handling increased volume with reduced staff.
one person who lived it
Keep a continuous record of your professional successes throughout the year to reference during performance assessments.
It yields benefits and simplifies end-of-year reviews by preventing you from having to try to recall your impact.
3 people, independently
Focus on convenience and seamlessness in your note-taking method by starting with what is easy to fit into your daily life.
Doing what is easiest makes the practice more manageable.
one person who lived it
Save messages or remarks where bosses, peers, or customers expressed appreciation or praise in your log of achievements.
Documented compliments, particularly from leadership or clients, serve as useful proof during evaluations.
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Copy and paste emails to serve as proof of what you were told to do and what you did, which can save you during audits or conflicts.
one person who lived it
Provide self-feedback to managers before appraisals begin, as they may not remember specific accomplishments despite trying to track performance.
Managers managing many employees often do not recall specific achievements.
one person who lived it
Spend 15 minutes compiling a weekly status report to discuss in 5 minutes on Monday management calls.
to show how you're putting in the effort
one person who lived it
Track professional development activities like classes, training, and key volunteer roles throughout the year.
It helps demonstrate how much you are investing in yourself.
one person who lived it
Document everything and let results speak for themselves when dealing with political teams or favoritism.
Arguing can make you look 'difficult'.
one person who lived it
Note the specific benefit or outcome of each achievement in your log.
It makes the achievements more impactful.
one person who lived it
Review your sent mail periodically to identify and extract your wins.
It is easier than other methods, searchable, and contains wins especially those sent to senior management.
2 people, independently