How To Request For Salary Increase (Sample Letter Included)

By Lilian Wamaitha

Are you feeling underpaid? Have you been working for years without a salary increase? Are you working in a company that rarely conducts appraisals to ensure that salaries are increased? If your answer to these questions is yes, you are not alone.

Most professionals in Kenya are ether underpaid, have been working on the same salary for years or have bosses who never conduct year-end appraisals for their staff. Whatever you situation is, you just agree that having that salary talk with your boss is the most dreadful thing you can do.

You need to know how to request for salary increase because let’s face it, salary is a sensitive topic and one wrong move could mean you not getting what you are looking for or worse your boss firing you.

How To Request For Salary Increase

You should always request for salary increase in writing rather than just ranting about how you are underpaid with your colleagues during lunch break.

Just like other requests, making a formal request will go a long way and at the same time avoid putting your boss on the spot. It will also act as evidence in future that you made the request.

How To Request For Salary Increase – 4 Mistakes People Make

1. Making requests during budget cuts

Let’s face it, when the company is cutting down on costs, you will look like a fool approaching your boss for a salary increase.

You need to have empathy, put yourself in your boss’s shoes and think about how you would feel if it was you being approached for salary increase when you are barely managing to remain afloat.

2. Asking for salary increase when your performance is wanting

Common sense dictates that you should be worth what you want from the company.

If you know that you have not been performing at your best, and your supervisor is always complaining about you, underpaid or not, don’t bother asking for an increase.

This might just be the breaking point to you being shown the door.

Instead, improve your performance and then, only then can you request for a salary increase.

The truth is, if your performance is good, unless other circumstances come up, your boss will definitely consider adding something to your pay check.

3. Requesting for salary increase when your boss is on the edge

As humans we have our best and worst moments.

You don’t want to ask for salary increase when your boss has a lot on his/her plate.

Wait until things cool down and then have the talk.

4. Whining or complaining

Complaining about how long it has been since you were given a raise or how hard you work will not get you the raise you are asking for. Don’t make it personal.

Instead, do your research on what other people in your industry are being paid.

Make your argument about what you think you deserve based on your performance and what you have accomplished so far in your capacity.

How To Request For Salary Increase Sample Letter

Like I mentioned, if you are requesting for salary increase, always put it in writing. Here is a sample letter you can use to request for salary increase;

Lilian Wamaitha
P.O Box 90368- 00010 Nairobi
lilianwamaitha@yahoo.com
18th August

Muchangi Peterson
Managing Director
BITS Group of Companies
P.O Box 900057-00010, Nairobi

Dear Mr. Muchangi,

I have greatly enjoyed working at BITS Group of Companies for the past two years. In those years, I have become an integral member of the sales team and have developed innovative ways to contribute to the company.

For example, in the past year alone, I have achieved the following goals:

1. Highest-ranking salesperson in customer satisfaction last quarter
2. Brought two new high-profile clients to the company, increasing total company sales revenue by 10%
3. Voluntarily trained incoming sales staff, totaling 80 hours of voluntary service

I believe I have gone above and beyond the benchmarks we set for my position when I arrived at the company two years ago. I would therefore appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss increasing my salary so that it is commensurate with my current performance. I request a pay raise of six percent, which I believe reflects both my current competencies and industry averages.

Once again, I am grateful to be a member of this organization, and I enjoy taking on assignments that allow me to contribute to the company.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,
Lilian Wamaitha
(Signature.)

It’s your right as an employee to earn what you think you are worth. If you feel underpaid or want your boss to review your salary, now you know how to request for salary increase with a sample letter.

Just make sure that your performance is good and that the company is doing okay before making such a request.

The Writer is a Communications & Digital Marketing Officer at Career Point Kenya. Got any requests or queries? Email them to lilian@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke.