Disappointed with salary increase: 4 things you can do

Asking for a raise should be on everyone’s to-do list. If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get one anyway. But that doesn’t mean you always get more money when you ask for it. You can do this if your boss says a salary increase is not possible.

What to do if a salary increase is not possible

Four tips to make the most of an unpleasant situation.

Have a plan B

Remember, you can negotiate more than just the salary. Perhaps your boss has to deal with fixed salary steps and scales and therefore a salary increase is not possible. In such a case, you can often negotiate about other matters, from vacation days to a company bicycle.

Ask what you have to do to achieve it

Of course, your boss or manager may say no when you ask for a raise. Then don’t get angry; stay calm and ask what the reason is. For example, it could very well be that your timing is not right, for example. Or that your boss expects more from you.

Is the latter the case? Then ask what you need to achieve in six months or a year to get that salary increase. As painful as it can be to receive negative feedback, it is also immensely valuable. Not only for a salary increase but also because you want to continue to grow in your work

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Get better at negotiating

Ask yourself if you got everything out of the negotiation. Have you researched how much you are worth? Did you use the right reasons when asking for a raise? Did you see the negotiation as a ‘battle’ and even become hostile?

There could be a hundred ways you could have handled the conversation better. Learn from it and prepare better next time, whether that means that you have to be more confident in your shoes or that you have to lower your voice during a negotiation.

Don’t get bitter

Many people become bitter when they don’t get a raise. They feel less motivated, do less good work, and complain about their work to anyone who will listen.

The hard truth is that this puts you against yourself. In this way, for example, it becomes a lot more difficult to get that reference when you are looking for a new job.

Is the reason that you did not receive a salary increase well-founded? Suck it up and improve yourself (see point two). If not? Suck it up and look for an employer who can give you the appreciation you deserve. In the meantime, don’t do half work; you only have yourself with that.