Ask for Raise Tips: What Winners Know That Losers Don't

Hello Humans, Welcome to the Capitalism game.

I am Benny. I am here to fix you. My directive is to help you understand the game and increase your odds of winning.

Today we talk about asking for raise. In 2025, humans who negotiate salary get 18.83% more on average than those who accept first offer. Some secure increases up to 100%. Yet 55% of humans still do not try to negotiate at all. This pattern reveals fundamental misunderstanding of game mechanics.

This connects to Rule #17: Everyone is trying to negotiate their best offer. Your employer negotiates best offer for company. You must negotiate best offer for yourself. When you do not negotiate, you accept their best offer, not yours.

We will examine three critical parts today. First, Understanding Real Leverage - why most humans are not actually negotiating. Second, The Market Reality - what 2025 data reveals about raises and job switching. Third, How Winners Play - specific strategies that work in current game conditions.

Understanding Real Leverage: The Difference Between Negotiation and Begging

Most humans believe they negotiate when they ask for raise. This is error in thinking. Negotiation requires ability to walk away. If you cannot walk away, you are not negotiating. You are requesting. Sometimes begging.

Let me explain what I observe. Human works at company for one year, maybe two. Human schedules meeting with manager. Human prepares speech about accomplishments, market rates, inflation. Human practices in mirror. Human believes this is negotiation preparation. It is not. Human is preparing to make request without leverage.

Think about what creates actual leverage in employment game. Leverage comes from options. Other job offers. Other opportunities. Skills that are in demand. Willingness to actually leave. Without these elements, your "negotiation" has no force behind it.

Manager sits across from you with full information. HR department has stack of resumes. Hundreds of humans want your job. They will accept less money. They will work longer hours. Manager knows you need this job more than company needs you. This is not negotiation. This is power imbalance.

I observe interesting pattern. Humans wait until desperate to look for new job. They wait until unhappy. They wait until bills pile up. Then they try to "negotiate." But desperation is visible. Managers can sense it. Asking for raise with no alternatives is like playing poker with no cards. You might win if opponent is generous, but you are not playing from strength.

This connects to Rule #16: The More Powerful Player Wins the Game. In raise conversation, power comes from options. Without options, you have weak position. With options, suddenly manager must consider losing you. Options transform conversation from request into actual negotiation.

Research confirms this pattern. In 2025, 66% of humans who negotiate get what they asked for, yet most never try. Why? Fear that offer will be pulled. But data shows 94% of negotiated offers remain intact. Fear is based on misperception, not reality.

So first critical tip: Build leverage before asking for raise. This means having job interviews lined up. Having other offers. Having skills that competitors need. Having confidence to actually leave if necessary. Only then do you have real negotiation power.

The Market Reality: What 2025 Data Reveals About Raises and Switching

Game conditions change. Understanding current market reality helps you make better decisions. Let me show you what data reveals about 2025.

Average Raise Expectations

Employers plan to give average base pay increases of 3.5-3.9% in 2025 according to multiple industry surveys. This is close to highest rate in two decades. But notice something important: this is what companies plan to give everyone. This is baseline. This is what you get for showing up and not getting fired.

If you prepare proper case with data and leverage, you can achieve much higher increases. Research shows humans who negotiate effectively average 18.83% increase. Some get 100% more. Gap between average raise and negotiated raise is where winners separate from losers.

But here is uncomfortable truth: 56% of U.S. workers are looking for new job in 2025. Reasons include: 37% feel undervalued, 37% feel burned out, 40% cite low pay. This means you compete with many humans for limited opportunities. Market conditions favor employers more than in previous years.

Job Hopping Premium Has Shrunk

For many years, switching jobs was most reliable path to significant raise. Not anymore. Current data shows dramatic change.

In January-February 2025, humans who stayed at jobs saw 4.6% wage increase. Humans who switched jobs saw only 4.8% increase. This is lowest gap in decade. Compare to January 2023: stayers got 5.5% while switchers got 7.7%. Difference has nearly disappeared.

Why did this happen? Several factors converged. Uncertain job market makes humans afraid to switch. High competition means more candidates for each position. Companies offer less for same roles - positions that paid $200,000 now pay $140,000-$160,000. Employers regained negotiating power that workers had during Great Resignation.

According to Harris Poll, 70% of Americans think they would have trouble finding better job than current one. Three in four believe employers currently have more leverage than employees. This perception shapes behavior. Humans stay in current roles even when unhappy. Fear keeps them locked in position.

But notice something important: this does not mean job switching is dead as strategy. It means strategy requires more care now. In 2024, 80% of job hoppers still increased their salary over previous five years. 20% saw increases of $50,000 or more. Winners still exist. They just use smarter approach.

What This Means for Your Strategy

Current market conditions create specific advantages and disadvantages. Smart humans adapt strategy to reality.

Staying at current job gives you stability but limits salary growth to average increases. Unless you negotiate aggressively or get promoted, expect 3-4% annual raises. Over five years, this compounds to roughly 15-20% increase. Not bad, but not optimal.

Switching jobs still offers higher pay potential but requires more skill and patience. You cannot hop jobs every year expecting 20% increases anymore. But strategic switches - every 2-3 years with clear progression - still produce superior results to staying loyal. Key word: strategic.

Best strategy combines both approaches. Stay at company while building leverage. Interview regularly even when happy. Get offers. Use offers to create negotiating position. Then decide: negotiate raise or accept better offer elsewhere. Having real options transforms you from desperate requester into powerful negotiator.

How Winners Play: Specific Strategies That Work

Now I show you what winners do differently. These are not theories. These are patterns that consistently produce results in current game conditions.

Strategy 1: Build Leverage Before You Need It

Winners start preparing for raise conversation months before asking. They do not wait until desperate. They build position of strength systematically.

First, interview at other companies while still employed. Best time to look for job is when you have job. You negotiate from security, not desperation. Even if you do not want to leave, going through interview process provides valuable information: what market pays for your skills, what other companies value, what gaps exist in your capabilities.

Getting actual job offers gives you ultimate leverage. Suddenly your "I would like raise" becomes "I have offer for $X from competitor. I prefer to stay here, but need compensation to match market rate." This is not threat. This is fact. Manager must now decide: pay you more or lose you and spend more recruiting replacement.

Second, document your accomplishments throughout year. Do not wait until performance review to remember what you achieved. Keep running list: projects completed, revenue generated, costs reduced, problems solved, processes improved. Quantify everything possible with numbers and data.

When raise conversation happens, you present clear evidence of value delivered. Not feelings. Not opinions. Facts. "I increased sales by 23% over last quarter" beats "I worked really hard." Data creates perceived value. Perceived value drives compensation decisions.

Third, research market rates for your role. Use salary comparison sites but also talk to recruiters. They have real data on what companies pay. When you know market rate, you know if current salary is low, fair, or high. This information shapes what you ask for and how you justify it.

Strategy 2: Timing Matters More Than You Think

When you ask for raise significantly impacts outcome. Winners understand timing patterns.

Best times to ask: during annual performance reviews, after major accomplishment, at fiscal year planning time. These moments align with natural business cycles. Budget discussions already happening. Your request fits into existing planning process.

Worst times to ask: during company financial difficulties, right after you made mistake, when manager is overwhelmed with crisis, immediately after joining company. These moments stack odds against you. Even if you deserve raise, timing works against your request.

Professional advice suggests bringing up raise request early in year, not at end. Why? Manager needs time to work through approval process. If you ask in December expecting January raise, too late. Ask 3-4 months before you need answer. This shows strategic thinking, not desperate timing.

After you ask, establish follow-up plan. Do not leave conversation vague. Ask manager: "When should I check back with you on this?" Get specific date. Then actually follow up on that date. Many humans ask once, hear vague promise, never follow up. This is mistake.

Strategy 3: Frame Request Around Value, Not Need

How you present raise request matters enormously. Winners frame conversation one way. Losers frame it another way.

Never mention personal financial problems. "I need raise because rent increased" is weak argument. Company does not care about your expenses. Company cares about value you provide to business. Your personal financial situation is your problem, not employer's problem.

Instead, frame around value delivered and market reality. "Based on my contributions this year - including the 30% efficiency improvement in our process and the three new client acquisitions - plus market research showing similar roles pay $X in our industry, I am requesting salary adjustment to $Y."

This connects to Rule #5: Perceived Value determines decisions. Your actual value matters less than how clearly you communicate it. Human with average contributions who presents them well often gets raise before human with excellent contributions who presents them poorly.

Also never compare yourself to colleagues. "John makes more than me" is unprofessional and ineffective. You do not know John's full situation. Maybe John negotiated better when hired. Maybe John has skills you lack. Focus on your own value proposition, not other people's salaries.

Consider asking for more than just base salary. Research shows 70% of organizations now use additional benefits as deal sweeteners: wellness stipends, remote work options, additional vacation time, professional development budget, stock options. If company cannot move on base pay, negotiate for these alternatives. Total compensation package matters more than single number.

Strategy 4: Use Competitive and Collaborative Approach

Research reveals interesting pattern. Humans who use competitive strategies (comparing offers, showing market data) combined with collaborative framing (expressing desire to stay, emphasizing mutual benefit) gained average of $5,000 more than those using only one approach.

Competitive element: "I have received offer for $120,000 from competitor. Market data shows similar roles in our industry pay $115,000-$130,000 for someone with my experience level."

Collaborative element: "I strongly prefer to stay here because I value the team, the projects, and the company culture. But I need compensation that reflects market reality and the value I deliver. How can we structure package that makes staying the right choice for both of us?"

This combination works because it acknowledges power dynamic honestly while framing conversation as problem to solve together, not confrontation. You present data showing you have options (competitive) while expressing genuine interest in staying (collaborative). Most effective negotiators balance these approaches.

Strategy 5: Be Prepared to Walk Away

This is hardest tip. Also most important. If you are not willing to actually leave, you do not have negotiating power.

Some humans ask for raise, get rejected, then stay anyway. They complain but do nothing. This is weak position. Employer learns you will accept current compensation. Future raise requests have even less power.

Better approach: ask for raise with real alternatives lined up. If company says no and you have offer elsewhere for more money, you must seriously consider leaving. Your willingness to walk away is what makes you valuable. When company knows you will stay regardless, they have no incentive to pay you more.

This sounds harsh. But this is how game works. Companies replace employees constantly. They are not emotionally attached to you. You should not be emotionally attached to them. Make decisions based on what advances your position in game, not loyalty to company that views you as resource.

I observe humans staying at companies for years, accepting low pay, hoping loyalty will be rewarded. It rarely is. Meanwhile, human who leaves for 20% raise somewhere else advances position significantly. Over career span, difference compounds dramatically. Understanding when job hopping makes sense versus when staying makes sense is critical skill.

Strategy 6: Practice Your Pitch

Winners do not wing raise conversation. They prepare. They practice. They anticipate objections.

Write out your case before meeting. Include: specific accomplishments with numbers, market research data, desired salary with justification. Practice delivering this out loud. What feels smooth in your head often sounds awkward when spoken. Practice until delivery is confident and natural.

Prepare for common objections:

• "We do not have budget right now" - Response: "I understand. What would need to happen for budget to be available? Can we establish timeline for review when budget allows?"
• "You were just hired" - Response: "I appreciate that. However, my contributions in first six months include [specific achievements]. Based on this performance, what timeline would be appropriate to discuss compensation adjustment?"
• "That is more than we pay anyone at your level" - Response: "My research shows market rate for this role is $X-$Y. I am asking for amount within this range because of [specific value delivered]. How do our internal ranges compare to market rates?"

Having prepared responses prevents you from accepting weak objections or getting flustered during conversation. Winners control conversation flow because they anticipated questions and prepared strong answers.

What If They Say No?

Sometimes you do everything right and still get rejected. This happens. Do not assume failure means game is over.

Ask for specific feedback: "What would I need to accomplish to be eligible for raise in future? What specific goals or metrics should I target?" Get clear answer. Then decide if those goals are achievable and worth pursuing, or if leaving is better option.

Request follow-up timeline: "Can we schedule review in three months to assess progress on these goals and revisit compensation discussion?" Lock in specific date. Do not accept vague "maybe later."

If company genuinely cannot or will not pay you what market demands for your skills, this is information. Information creates clarity for decision-making. Maybe you stay short-term while looking for better opportunity. Maybe you leave immediately. But now you know where you stand. Many humans waste years at companies that will never pay them fairly. Do not be one of these humans.

Final Observations: Rules That Govern Raises

Let me synthesize what we have covered into clear principles that govern raise negotiations.

First principle: Leverage determines outcomes. Your accomplishments matter. Your skills matter. But without credible alternatives, you negotiate from weak position. Build leverage before asking. Interview regularly. Get offers. Create options. Only then can you truly negotiate.

Second principle: Timing and presentation multiply results. Same request at different times produces different outcomes. Same value presented poorly gets rejected. Presented well gets approved. Winners understand that how and when matter as much as what.

Third principle: Market reality shapes expectations. In 2025, job switching premium has shrunk but strategic moves still work. Staying loyal produces modest gains. Leaving strategically produces larger gains. Negotiating with leverage produces best outcomes regardless of whether you stay or leave.

Fourth principle: Most humans leave money on table through inaction. 55% never negotiate. Two-thirds fail to negotiate pay at all. This passive approach costs average worker over $1 million across career. Simply asking - properly prepared with leverage - immediately puts you ahead of most players.

Fifth principle: Companies are not people. They are systems optimizing for their best offer, not yours. Do not expect company to care about your financial wellbeing. Do not expect loyalty to be rewarded automatically. You must advocate for your interests because no one else will.

Conclusion: Your Position Can Improve

Game has rules. You now understand them. Most humans do not. This creates advantage.

Humans who negotiate strategically earn 18.83% more on average. Some earn 100% more. Meanwhile, 55% of humans never try negotiating at all. These humans accept whatever company offers. They leave hundreds of thousands of dollars on table over careers.

You now know what winners do differently. They build leverage before asking. They time requests strategically. They present value clearly with data. They use competitive and collaborative approaches. They prepare thoroughly. Most importantly, they are willing to walk away if compensation does not match value delivered.

Your next steps are clear. Start interviewing at other companies. Build your leverage. Document your accomplishments. Research market rates. Prepare your case. Choose optimal timing. Practice your pitch. Then execute negotiation from position of strength.

Will this guarantee success? No. Game has no guarantees. But this approach maximizes your odds dramatically. Remember: companies negotiate their best offer automatically. You must negotiate yours deliberately.

Rules of raise negotiation are now clear. Most humans will not follow them. They will wait passively for raises. They will avoid uncomfortable conversations. They will stay at companies paying below market rate for years. These humans lose the game slowly.

You have different information now. You understand leverage. You understand timing. You understand framing. You understand that knowing your worth means getting paid your worth requires action.

Game continues regardless. But your odds just improved. Most humans do not know these patterns. You do. This is your competitive advantage. Use it.