The 3 important categories in your Ask list

Your Ask is the curated list of items that you will put in play during your pay rise negotiation. There are 3 categories of Ask items to consider when putting your Ask list together and some really good reasons why presenting a package of multiple items positions you favourably with your boss.

Now is a good time to remind you that your value as a person is not what this list is about. You are AWESOME! There is no amount of money that can be put on your value as a human being. What we are trying to achieve with your Ask items, is a package of items that if you would be thrilled to get, and would make you feel proud of your negotiation and happy that you have taken a positive step forward in your career. Give yourself some time away from distractions to do some out of the box thinking about these items. Use the recipe in this article to figure out the best package for you to present to your boss.

Category One: Cash benefits

The cash category is a monetary Ask item that is paid to you. It includes your salary, superannuation and other cash based items like bonuses. Your first decision is to position a salary ask. There is no single rule here to set the amount of cash you should ask for. Of course my personal mission here is to remind you of the pervasive gender wage gap that exists in countries all around the world. In Australia the gap across all industries and sectors is 13% and in New Zealand it is 9%. So start there and adjust your figures to take account of the market value of your role, adjusted for regional and sector trends. 

Category Two: Non-Cash benefits

Non Cash benefits are all those things that when provided by your employer would create value in your life. Non-cash benefits provide your employer with options for providing you with something additional, even when budgets are tight. That's why it's really helpful to have 2 - 3 on your list. It gives your employer option in your negotiation. It also gives you something to pivot to in a situation where you feel you need a break from talking through salary. Over the past year many women have told me that their number one issue to negotiate is flexible working hours. This can be about agreeing a Time Off In Lieu arrangement, or changing the bandwidth of core hours worked in order to regularly fit in a school run. Either way, there is likely no downside to your boss and the upside is a much happier employee and therefore an improved retention rate for your organisation.

Category Three: The career opportunity

The last category which I really urge you to include, is asking to be involved in a project that is outside your usual range of duties. The reason you are asking is to learn new things, stretch yourself and work alongside new colleagues. Here's why you ask: this item gets you noticed. It is an opportunity to not only develop new skills (always good for your CV) but to put yourself in front of other colleagues and if you choose a strategic project - to work alongside your boss. When you ask for this item, you are communicating your ongoing commitment to the organisation (bosses love this) and your willingness to stretch yourself. When you discuss this make sure you also negotiate the time away from other duties to be able to be sustainably involved in your initiative or project. This shouldn't be a 'do it on top of your day job'. Don't be worried about pushing this a little, bosses are frequently looking for ways to grow their organisations, so take advantage of that.

If this feels like it's quite a lot to ask for, remember, the more senior you get the more it will be expected that you get a 'package'. It's time to get into the headspace where you can start to figure out what package will work for you.