Salary is always an awkward topic. . I know that feeling very well. As a young teenager looking for his first job I felt embarrassed asking how much I would be paid for my summer cheffing job, I almost felt it would be rude to ask as I felt fortunate enough to get a job in the first place. With age and experience I learnt that there is no harm in asking and that in fact a decent employer should be the first one to address this question.
Another thing I quickly learned is that if you don't ask you don't get. There are very few employers that will raise your salary every year or if you have just started your job, that after a few months will come to you and say "Hey, you have done an amazing job this pat few months, I would like to offer you a pay rise". Remember that any money you leave on the table is literally money you are losing and this over the years can add up to a substantial amount
Not many people feel confident enough to ask for a meeting with their boss to discuss a pay rise.
Asking for a pay rise may be awkward for various reasons:
- You have been with the company for a while and you really like your job. Maybe you feel you get other perks like travelling, all expenses paid to events, competitions or to visit suppliers abroad (think mozzarella, tomatoes, oil etc)
- You feel it would create bad vibes
- You don't know how to approach the subject
Whatever the circumstances you should really know your worth and strive to be paid at least an average market salary for your position.
This conversation should not be uncomfortable, you are absolutely within your rights. A smart employer, especially in this tough period of labour shortage, will be happy to listen to some rational, well presented arguments for a fair pay rise.
The most important facts to establish are:
- Average salary for your position
You can find this information on Glass Door or Pizzaiolo Tribe browsing through the various job listings. If your salary is below market average, getting a pay rise will be a vey easy task as this is easily demonstrable and your employer will be aware of it already.
- How easy is it to for you move elsewhere, and on the other side of the coin how difficult (and costly) it would be for an employer to replace you.
Have you been approached by other companies or head hunters? At the moment, whatever your position, it would be extremely difficult to replace you.
- What your achievements have been in your current role
- What added value you have brought
- What extra money you have generated or what costs have you been able to cut
If you ask for a larger pay rise, especially when the salary you are asking for is a the top of the range for a comparable position (say as a head chef salary ranges from £35k to £45k per year, and you are asking for £45K or more) you need to be able to show that you really command such a high wage. Ask yourself what have I done for this company both in financial terms and in intangible terms. Have you increased average spend by adding some items to the menu? Have you cut costs by using a different supplier or by reducing waste? Have reviews and feedback dramatically improved since you joined? Have you reduced staff turnover as people like working with you? Have you won any awards that shed good light on the company?
Put these thoughts on paper, rehearse your speech and ask for a meeting.
If you need a hand with your proposal or you need any advice, please get in touch with us at ciao@pizzaiolotribe.com, we are always happy to help and in the past year we have already mentored several pizza chefs.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash