On the list of things you’d like to do, asking for a raise is probably up there with getting your teeth pulled and shopping for a new dishwasher. Of course, sometimes it’s a necessary evil. So if you’re looking to boost your pay packet this year, take some advice from some of the world’s leading HR specialists and managers on how to ensure you pocket what you’re worth in 2017.

Don’t Count Down The Days

If raises are usually discussed in your annual review, it can be tempting to avoid an awkward conversation until you’re sat in the meeting room – but by this point, it’s probably too late: “Start talking to your boss about getting a raise three to four months in advance as that’s when they decide the budget,” says Suzanne Lucas, who spent 10 years in corporate human resources before founding the blog Evil HR Lady. If you’ve already laid the groundwork by presenting your case for a raise, your boss won’t be surprised to discuss handing you a bigger share of the pie come the review.

Target Practice

Targets can often be set without measurable results, but in order to make your case you’ll need to show clear evidence that you’ve been hitting them. Dr Danielle Harlan, founder of The Center for Advancing Leadership and Human Potential, suggests asking for recommendations on how you can improve in your current role. “Do this three months in advance of when you would like to ask for the raise (and in the same meeting as your initial raise conversation),” says Harlan. “That way you have time to implement the feedback and demonstrate that you have hit the targets set.”

Working Hard Or Hardly Working?

There’s an old adage that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Well, this is true of your work ethic, too. If you’re looking for a raise or promotion because you’re bored, don’t just sit and wait for something to come along and stretch you. By solving problems and working to the level of your superiors, you’re demonstrating that you’re ready for a promotion – and a raise. Jenna Tanenbaum, the New York-based entrepreneur behind smoothie business Green Blender advises that you understand the core strategy of your organisation, ask lots of hard questions and align your priorities with that of the company: “If you do all of those things, you’ll be running the show in no time.”