If money is all you want, get in line

"A lot of companies are in the process of putting their budgets together," said John A Challenger, chief executive of the Challenger, Gray & Christmas outplacement firm in Chicago.

"It won’t hurt to get your name in there now."

But Challenger and other experts warn that appeals that might have worked in the past won’t do anymore.

You can’t walk into your boss’s office and argue that you need more pay because you’ve just gotten married or had a child, or because you’ve worked for the company for five years, or because the prices of everything are going up.

Increasingly, you’ve got to try to prove that you’re worth more money because you’re making a significant contribution to the company’s performance.

"It’s less about you and more about what you’re doing for the organisation," Challenger said.

He suggests that the best time to approach the boss is after you’ve successfully completed a major project or done something that’s drawn attention or praise.

"That way you can point to the impact you’re making on the department or on the company’s bottom line," he said.

This assumes, of course, that you have a good working relationship with your boss, he added.

Develop your case

Gross suggests that to qualify for any or all of those options, a worker needs to develop his or her case over the course of a year.

"Sit down in the spring with your manager and have a conversation around, ‘What are your expectations for my job?’ and ‘What would exceed those expectations?’" he advises. "You want to make sure you agree on measures of success."

That way, an employee doesn’t walk into his boss’ office and say, "I think I did a great job and I deserve a raise," and get a blank stare from the boss who believes the worker’s performance has been mediocre, Gross said.

Once performance criteria are agreed on, "it’s easier to document what you’ve done" and convince your employer you’re worth more money, he said.

If money isn’t available, a good worker can sometimes negotiate better working conditions, Gross said. Perks could include more flexible work schedules, more vacation or company-paid training programmes.