The Great Resignation is giving workers the chance to ask for what they want—or, in the case of inflation, what they need. FlexJobs’ latest Work Insight survey finds that with more job openings than unemployed individuals in the U.S., employees are asking for raises and getting them.
In the survey of 1,248 currently employed people, FlexJobs found that nearly half of workers (47%) reported feeling empowered to negotiate their salary and were successful in getting a raise. A slightly higher percentage of workers (52%) said that even though they felt confident asking, they weren’t able to successfully negotiate an increase.
A higher salary is the No. 1 priority for employees, the FlexJobs survey found. Although benefits and flexible schedules were enticing, 83% of respondents said that compensation mattered most to them. Following pay, remote work options were the second most important factor (at 77%).
Increased pay transparency might also be driving workers to ask for more money. About 42% of those surveyed say that they’ve talked about their salaries with a coworker. For the most part, any discussions about pay have been among colleagues, as 35% of polled workers report that their employer is not transparent about salary.
FlexJobs offers some tips on how to ask for a raise, and suggests assertive but flexible phrases like “I could consider” or “I would be more comfortable with” when presenting a salary request. The job-search site argues that due to the state of the job market, “there’s never been a better time to be a job seeker” and urges workers to take advantage of their newfound bargaining power.
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