How to give yourself the best chance of getting promoted to a higher salary

Aussie workers are missing out on higher pay because they don’t understand how promotion decisions are made within their company. Here’s how to get clued up – and get paid more.

Aussie workers are sacrificing the chance of higher pay because they don’t know what it takes to be promoted to a more lucrative role.

Clarity around career progression is falling, with just 45 per cent of workers understanding how pay and promotion decisions within their company are made, research from employee experience platform Culture Amp shows.

The confusion often leaves workers stumbling at performance reviews and frustrated when their attempt to secure a promotion or more pay fails, says Culture Amp chief people officer Justin Angsuwat.

It can also lead to workers quitting their jobs, with the research finding dissatisfaction over pay is behind 11 per cent of decisions to resign.

Lost at sea

Employers generally award promotions or pay rises because a worker has demonstrated key achievements in their existing role, or they show strong potential to take on other duties, Angsuwat says.

Critical to success is knowing the specific targets an employer wants met before a promotion will be granted.

“If you’re not clear on your company’s policies or philosophies around promotion, it can be like sailing without a compass – you can be working really hard to make sure the ship sails as fast as it can go, but you’re sailing in the wrong direction,” he says.

“Clarity is key. Ask HR or ask your manager … ‘what are the three or four things that I need to do to be promoted?’

“If you don’t know, all you are doing is going in blind and advocating for yourself about all these things that won’t really make a difference.”

Justin Angsuwat, chief people officer at Culture Amp, recommends asking your manager “what are the three or four things that I need to do to be promoted?’

Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half, urges those planning on asking for a pay rise to come to negotiations well prepared.

Don’t wait until review time

Once workers understand what will win them a promotion, Angsuwat advises they keep a list of their goals and achievements and meet with their manager regularly to discuss them.

He says waiting until the annual performance review to showcase any achievements could result in workers forgetting details of earlier projects.

It also puts workers in competition with other colleagues requesting a promotion.

“You might not get promoted until that annual review time. But by communicating (your achievements) throughout the year, you are building a much broader picture of your impact and trajectory,” Angsuwat says.

“It’s not about specifically giving them your sales pitch and annoying them. Say, ‘These are the three or four things we agreed on (as criteria for promotion). Let me keep you in the loop’.”

Be prepared

Asking employers what is specifically needed to receive a pay rise or promotion is the best way to avoid disappointment, agrees Nicole Gorton, director of recruiter Robert Half.

She says many workers are citing cost-of-living pressures as justification for a pay rise. But that argument doesn’t hold much sway with employers, who are also facing budgetary constraints.

Gorton suggests workers come well prepared for salary negotiations and gather data showing the wages paid to those employed in similar roles elsewhere.

Workers should also be ready to discuss why their performance warrants more pay and be willing to look elsewhere if their request is denied.

“Even if you don’t get the (promotion or pay rise) you want, that doesn’t stop you from looking for a pay rise externally (by looking for another job),” Gorton says.

She says workers should consult a recruiter to learn what salary their skills and experience is worth, noting most reputable recruitment firms will provide the information for free.

Marketing professional Tess Botham-Barnes, 22, recently earned a “double promotion”, two levels higher than her starting role.

‘It’s been transformative’

Sydney-based marketing professional Tess Botham-Barnes started a new job as an outreach co-ordinator less than a year ago, and says her employer clearly explained what would be required to climb the career ladder.

Even so, the 22-year-old was surprised to have recently been promoted to outreach senior executive – effectively a “double promotion”, two levels higher than her starting role.

“It was all very transparent. I knew exactly what I needed to be doing (to be promoted) and for how long, and everything just fell into place,” she says.

“I thought I had been delivering great work but I wasn’t expecting (the double promotion). It was definitely a nice surprise.”

While the pay increase was welcome, Botham-Barnes says the impact the promotion has had on her career has been of even greater significance.

“It’s been very, very transformative from a career growth perspective and a leadership perspective,” she says. “It’s made me feel like I am really valued in my role.”

The top reasons workers request a pay rise

1. They have consistently exceeded their performance goals

2. The cost of living has increased and their salary needs to keep pace

3. They have taken on new projects or a larger workload

4. They have acquired new skills or qualifications that are valuable to the role

5. They seek a promotion to a higher-paying position

6. They have not received a salary increase in a long time

7. They are not being compensated fairly for their work

8. They expect a pay rise every year

The reasons employers agree to a pay rise

1. On merit; employees meet and exceed performance goals

2. All employees are evaluated on similar criteria to determine if a raise is applicable

3. To stay competitive, if salary is not aligned with market or skills in demand

4. Retention, as keeping people is valued over replacing them

5. Employee tenure

Source: Robert Half

Originally published as How to give yourself the best chance of getting promoted to a higher salary