Recently, I heard a story about a friend's child. After working hard at the company for several years without a raise, they decided to muster the courage to send a carefully crafted email to their boss. It was a long letter detailing their contributions to the company, the projects they managed, and the market rates. However, the response they received was just a short line: "I will consider it." And that was the end of it. There was no follow-up conversation or next steps.

It's worth thinking about why this outcome occurs. An email is something that a boss can easily put off. If something urgent comes up, it naturally gets pushed down the priority list, and there's no psychological burden in delaying a response. On the other hand, when sitting face-to-face, they have to react immediately, which changes the dynamics of the conversation. Every expression, tone, and moment of silence becomes part of the negotiation, but none of that is conveyed in an email.

Data from the U.S. labor market shows that simply requesting a raise can significantly change the outcome. A survey conducted last year by LendingTree of 2,049 U.S. adults found that 82% of full-time employees who requested a raise in the past year actually received one. In contrast, the percentage of employees who received a raise regardless of whether they asked was 66%, indicating that directly asking is definitely advantageous. This suggests that speaking up yields much more than remaining silent.

So, you might be wondering how to bring it up. Experts commonly recommend scheduling a meeting via email and making the actual request in person or through a video call. The email can be simple, such as, "Could you spare a moment to discuss my salary?" Then, in the actual meeting, you can start with something like, "I've reviewed the results of the projects I've managed over the past year and the market rates, and I'd like to discuss this with you." It's crucial to present specific numbers and achievements and clearly state your target raise amount.

Negotiations may not resolve immediately. If that happens, don't back down; consider shifting the conversation to other conditions like paid time off or remote work days. After the discussion, it's also a good idea to send a brief email summarizing what was discussed. This isn't meant to pressure the other party but rather to align memories and keep a record.

When traveling, you often realize that to get what you want in unfamiliar places, you ultimately need to engage and make eye contact. The workplace isn't much different. This topic often comes up in Korean community meetings, where many people regret not speaking up sooner. I believe that getting through each day well is ultimately the result of these small acts of courage. It's not easy to speak up, but without that one word, nothing can begin.