How can I increase my salary? I asked myself that question ten years ago. We were beginning to make some financial progress but things were still too tight. The budget was solid. Giving was generous. Expenses were trimmed. Yet, my topline (my salary) only increased by about 3% yearly. Progress was painfully slow.
One day I was completing our Monthy Money Mission (budget). Things looked okay but they were not great. Our budget is done in a spreadsheet, not in an app. I bumped up my income in the budget by 10% and everything looked much better! That 10% bump in pay made the budget look totally different!
I could have stopped there and whined that “no one gets 10% raises in my business”, but I didn’t. Instead, and by God’s grace, I asked a simple question. How can I increase my salary by 10%? What must one do to get a double-digit pay raise in a single year? Is it even possible?
How can I increase my salary? is a question that should be asked yearly. I did five things that were key in tripling my salary in ten years. I’ve identified this strategy as the principle of PIECE. The five things are performance, image, exposure, collaboration, and excellence.
Key #1 to Salary Increase — Performance
Employers pay employees to solve problems. Quarterbacks in the NFL earn more than punt returners. Heart surgeons earn more than nurses. The more difficult the problem and the rarer the answer, the higher the salary. On-the-job performance matters when it comes to income.
Most of us could sharpen our work performance. Most workers believe they are exceptional but few are exceptional. In most companies, less than 15% of employees do exceptional work. People show up and do just enough to get fired but expect extraordinary pay raises. Workers and employers are often in a constant state of frustration.
Quiet quitting has become a cultural phenomenon recently. I was torn with the concept. From a Christian perspective, I believe that employers should pay fair wages. Undercutting employees is not savvy stewardship, it’s dishonest. James hammered this truth in the fifth chapter of his epistle. Yet, doing less than is expected and expecting massive wages is insane behavior.
Show Up and Win
What can you learn on the job? Can you become an expert in your field? Most of us can learn a vast amount of information in a short period if we’re willing. Employers give raises to those who solve complicated problems. Find a thorny problem on the job and solve it.
We told our children that if they simply showed up on time and gave an honest effort they would outperform 75% of the other workers. If they would smile it was icing on the cake.
Take an honest review of your work performance. If you owned the company would you promote yourself or fire yourself? Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, “Above all, do not lie to yourself!”
Performance is the foundation of an increased salary. However, performance is just the beginning.
Negotiating a larger salary is important as well. We rarely get what we are worth but what is negotiated.
Key #2 to Salary Increase — Image
What is your on-the-job image? Have you thought about your personal brand? If not, you should.
You’re probably thinking, “People should not judge a book by its cover!” Guess what? They do! To think otherwise is naive. When God called David the shepherd to be king, He had to warn Samuel about judging covers.
I Samuel 16:7 (NIV) But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
How are you known at work? Are you the whiny complainer? Do you go onto social media and blast every perceived injustice? Are you the resident victim? Is your reputation positive or negative? Are you treating coworkers with dignity and respect?
Image is how we are seen and perceived by others. It’s also something that we have more control over than we think.
Appearance Matters
Appearance matters in every job and every career. Some roles require dress clothes and others require steel-toed boots.
Communication is vital. Good listening skills are rare. Communicating thoughts and ideas will get noticed in work and business. Is your personal communication brand one of a listener or an interrupter?
Think through how others see and perceive you. How can you improve your personal brand and image? There’s always room for improvement.
When was the last time you tightened up your LinkedIn profile? How does your professional network perceive you?
Personal brands (images) can be quickly improved. A person can go from work probation to trending north with a few small moves.
Don’t give up!
Key #3 to Salary Increase — Exposure
Getting noticed, for the right reasons, by the right person is a career game-changer. Your performance is solid. The company is doing well because of your daily efforts. You show up each day and solve problems. Your image has improved and your personal brand is noticed. Things are looking up for you.
It’s now time to take some calculated risks.
How can you get noticed by a person or two beyond your immediate circle of influence? If you’re just doing what you’re paid to do getting ahead of the pack will be elusive. There are times when it’s important to do something to stand out from the crowd. Sure moving together like a group of six-year-olds playing soccer is comfortable. Standing out can be a risky move.
You must decide if you want to play it safe or if you want to double or triple your salary.
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for,” — John Shedd
Every business has unique challenges. What can you do to improve efficiencies, generate more sales, trim costs, or increase profits?
Do something beyond the normal expectations and get some positive exposure.
Key #4 to Salary Increase — Collaboration
People love doing business and working with likable people. Those who are constantly taking and never giving have short careers. It might take some time, but the law of reciprocity (aka karma) will eventually equalize.
The DNA of a Christian is infused with a servant’s heart. We should be consistently making positive deposits into the lives of our co-workers. The law of sowing and reaping is legit. Sow into the lives of others and a future harvest is inevitable.
Never take credit for someone else’s work. Always be quick to brag about another person and draw attention to their successes. Petty people position themselves for recognition. Leaders are concerned about the vision, mission, and team.
When people leave from working with you they should be inspired, refreshed, and energized. There is plenty of opportunity in most businesses for this type of positive behavior.
Here’s a great video about sowing and reaping.
Key #5 to Salary Increase — Excellence
Daniel 6:3 (NKJV) Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
Work and business performance must be excellent. As Christians, we should be in the top 10% of all employees in our business. If not, we have some work to do. God has blessed us with His wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and favor. We have a distinct advantage over our non-Christian peers.
Our image (personal brand) should be rock solid and should be saturated with excellence. Present a professional appearance (aligned with your specific business). Learn the etiquette of your business and resist running counter to it. Adjust your image if it requires some TLC.
Learn to work well with others. Competence is vital but if you’re unlikable your shelf-life is short.
3X Your Salary
I used to believe that working hard was all that was needed but I was wrong. It’s important and combined with a great image, timely exposure, and consistent collaboration, with it all immersed in excellence, pay raises, large ones, are inevitable.