There are multiple factors that can influence your decision to ask for a pay rise in your hospitality role.
After all, the hospitality industry has been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, Brexit, the pandemic, and the war for talent.
These factors don’t just impact businesses - they impact employees, too.
It can be tempting to look for opportunities elsewhere as a means to get a counter-offer from your current employer, but there are a few important reasons why this isn’t advisable that we’ll get into later.
Let’s take a look at how you can constructively ask for a pay rise in your hospitality role, and why you should avoid certain tactics to get a pay rise.
Why shouldn’t you aim for a counter-offer?
We’ve seen an increasing trend of candidates approaching us for opportunities as a way to get a pay rise from their current employer.
This isn’t inherently a bad thing!
However, there are a few important factors to consider before taking this route to secure a better salary.
Firstly, though you may have no genuine intention to leave your current role, telling your employer that you’ve been offered another role to receive a pay rise is likely to make your employer feel as though you do intend to leave in the near future.
Whilst this might not seem harmful, it could impact your ability to receive any promotions or pay rises in the future as your employer might not see you as a loyal employee who intends to stay with the business.
Additionally, you may end up in a position where your employer is not able to provide a pay rise or adequate counter offer, in which case you’d have to accept the other offer or look for a new role if you intend to be firm in your pursuit of a pay rise.
Secondly, this route is a rather extreme option compared to the other steps you can take to secure a pay rise and comes with even greater risks – we’d recommend trying the below steps before even considering this as an option.
Take a look at our blog post on whether you should accept a counter offer in hospitality for even more information.
Note down your skills
Over the course of your career, you’ve likely developed a lot of essential skills, some of which you might not even be currently utilising anymore.
You should consider which skills you have that aren’t being utilised (particularly when these are beneficial and relevant to the business) and how they can make a stronger case for your pay rise.
For example, are you able to speak multiple languages? This is a skill that you might not have used before, but it is very valuable in customer-facing roles.
Have you had experience with leading a team, in which case your management experience could prove useful?
You probably have some transferable skills that make your potential increase considerable, so noting these down to bring up during your meeting for a pay rise is essential because it provides reasoning.
Top tip: Try researching potential skills shortages in your specific role/sector and see if you have any skills that are in high demand, as this can be highly advantageous at such a critical time for skills gaps in the hospitality industry.
Look for opportunities
For skills areas that you’re not as familiar with or advanced in that you think would be valuable, you can seek out in-house training opportunities.
Asking your line manager is the best course of action to see if you can access any training, and the added benefit of this beyond gaining the extra skills is that you’re showing a commitment to growing and learning on the job.
Additionally, you can expand the scope of your role to gain further experience by consulting with a line manager or senior member of staff. (Note that you shouldn’t be going too far above and beyond, as this may set expectations that you are willing to work more for the same salary, rather than work in your favour when seeking a pay rise.)
Instead, look to explore your options for expanding your skill set and experience within a role, where possible.
Do your research
The average monthly wage of a hospitality worker has increased by 6.4% since the beginning of 2022, official figures have shown.
It is worth noting that much of this change has arisen due to hospitality employers accounting for the cost-of-living crisis, with 44% of employers having increased salaries by less than 10%, and 22% of employers considering making a change to account for the crisis.
There has also been a surge in chefs’ wages, with an average pay growth of more than 10% in the past year.
According to CGA and Fourth’s Businesses Leaders’ Survey, 77% of those surveyed offered better pay, increasing their levels by an average of 11%, to attract more talent.
This is significant because it shows that hospitality businesses have an urgent need for skilled talent – it’s much easier for a business to pay current staff more that have the ideal skills, and retain them, than it is to recruit.
Having this knowledge during the negotiation process is important as it sets a benchmark and shows your employer that you have a strong argument and case for a pay rise.
Top tip: Check salary averages for your role and location – you might find that you’re being underpaid, in which case you have a very strong basis for negotiation.
Prepare, prepare, prepare
No matter which steps you’ve taken to put yourself in the ideal position for a pay rise, the most important thing you can do is prepare.
Think about the time you would ideally want to ask for a pay rise.
Do you have a performance review coming up? Or is it close to the end of the year? These would be ideal times as in both cases, a business is assessing results and making forecasts.
If neither of these options is available to you, choose a time to schedule a meeting with your employer that isn’t close to stressful events or periods.
Open the meeting by requesting your pay rise, first covering the skills that you have and the experience you’ve gained.
It’s important to ask for a pay rise that is more than you expect, but not completely unreasonable. A pay rise is about compromise, so it’s important not to jump the gun and threaten to quit if you don’t hear what you want immediately.
Remember… it might not go how you expect
If your request for a pay rise is refused, it’s time to look at your options.
Do you want to discuss what you would have to do to get a pay rise in the future, or an alternative form of recognition (e.g. employee benefits), or will you consider another role elsewhere?
Keep in mind that if you feel as though you can’t discuss or receive a pay rise from your current employer, then it’s far more advantageous to look for a role with the requirements you’re seeking elsewhere.
Get in touch
If you’re looking for your dream hospitality role, Talent Hive can help.
Our team has in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of hospitality, and we’re extremely passionate about helping hospitality candidates find the best hospitality jobs.
Get in touch today to find out more.