How the 3-step ‘HOT’ trick can bag you that dream promotion & pay rise… and the jobs traps getting in your way

WANT to know the secret to getting promoted and boosting your salary? It’s not rocket science – just follow the three-step ‘HOT’ trick. That’s according to recruitment pro Lucy Bisset – who has 20 years’ experience of bagging clients their dream jobs. She says ANYONE can follow her hack and fast-track their way to a 10% pay bump. Lucy Bisset is senior director for the North of England at global recruitment firm Robert Walters Credit: Robert Walters Getting a pay rise is getting harder. The average workers’ pay packet rose 3.4% annually, according to official figures for the period between March and May. That’s down from 3.6% the month before. When wage growth slows, it doesn’t mean that your pay is shrinking – it means that pay rises are getting smaller or are happening less frequently. So instead of waiting for a pay rise that might not come, Lucy says now is the time to create one for yourself. Lucy Bisset is senior director for the North of England at global recruitment firm Robert Walters. She has an extensive knowledge of hiring trends across a range of industries and regularly advises businesses on how to attract and retain talented staff. She says the ‘HOT’ trick could help you bag a promotion AND a pay rise. It stands for: H – Highlight your value O – Own your development T – Take calculated risks Lucy says the ‘HOT’ trick could land you with a 10% pay bump. That would mean an extra £2,500 a year for someone earning £25,000, while a worker on £35,000 could bag £3,500 more. Here is how to put the trick into action… ‘H’ – highlight your value The first step is making sure people see the value in what you bring to the business Credit: Getty The first step you need to take is to “highlight your value”, says Lucy. This means making sure the people who decide promotions can see the value you bring to the business. That does not mean constantly bragging or taking credit for work done by your colleagues. Instead, send your manager short and regular updates setting out your latest wins and how they helped the wider company. For example, you could say: “I just wanted to share some highlights from the last week.” Alternatively, try: “I thought you’d like to know that we secured X or achieved Y.” Lucy said: “Keep your messages simple and let your own achievements speak for themselves. “If you worked with others on projects, shout them out too.” Keep a record of targets you have hit, money you have made or saved for the company, projects you have completed and glowing feedback from customers. Save the evidence in a dedicated folder so you can find it easily before an appraisal or pay meeting. ‘O’ – own your development Show your boss that you are ambitious and willing to prepare for a more senior role Credit: Getty The second step is to take charge of learning new skills rather than waiting for your employer to offer training – in other words, to “own your development”. This can show your boss that you are ambitious and willing to prepare for a more senior role. Your options may appear limited if your employer has little or no training budget, but show initiative by signing up to free training courses offered outside the workplace. The Open University’s free OpenLearn platform offers courses including Developing team leader skills and Leadership in the digital world. To get started, create a free OpenLearn account, sign in and click the “Enrol” button on the course page. Once you have worked through the course, you can download a free Statement of Participation from the “Achievements” section of your profile. It can take up to 24 hours to appear. Bear in mind that this shows you took part in the course, but it is not a formal qualification or academic credit. LinkedIn Learning also has courses covering leadership, management and communication. New customers may be offered a one-month free trial, but you will usually have to enter your payment details. Make sure you cancel before the trial ends if you do not want to be charged. It is also worth checking whether your employer, university or local library offers free access to LinkedIn Learning. Tell your manager what you are learning and explain how those skills could help the company. Even if your employer doesn’t offer free training, you could ask to shadow a senior colleague for a few hours, says Lucy. “Ask to have a coffee with one of the senior leaders to get some tips, shadow a senior colleague for a couple of hours each week, or see if there are any internal mentorship programmes within your company you can join,” she said. ‘T’ – take calculated risks Prove you can handle some of the responsibilities required at the next level Credit: Oscar Wong The final step is about putting yourself forward for opportunities that will raise your profile. This could include volunteering for a high-visibility project, solving a complex business problem or presenting work to senior bosses. The aim is to prove that you can already handle some of the responsibilities required at the next level. Before agreeing to take something on, think about what you will learn, who will see the results and whether it strengthens your promotion case. Just make sure the work will genuinely help you towards your goal and that your current manager knows what you are taking on. Lucy said: “You should focus on choosing projects that raise your profile within the company and help build evidence of your widening capabilities. “Volunteer for high-visibility projects, concentrate on solving a complex business problem or volunteer for work that puts you in front of senior leaders.” When should I try the ‘HOT’ trick? Start conversations about progression at least three months before a promotion round The key is to start NOW. Don’t wait until the week before promotions are decided to tell your manager that you want to move up. You need to build up a body of evidence to show that you’re ALREADY doing the job that you want. Speak to your manager about your ambitions – ask what skills, training and experience you will need to be in the running when the next job comes up. Ask your manager to set clear, measurable targets and a date when your progress will be reviewed. Send a short follow-up email confirming what was agreed so there is a written record. Lucy said you may start seeing signs of progress, like more face time with senior figures and a bigger say on key projects, within three to six months, although formal promotion processes can take longer. The ‘HOT’ mistakes to avoid The ‘HOT’ method is a long-term strategy and you will need to be consistent Credit: fizkes One of the biggest mistakes is expecting instant results after sending one or two emails about your achievements. The ‘HOT’ method is a long-term strategy and you will need to be consistent. Lucy said: “You can’t send one or two emails about your latest achievements and expect an instant step up.” Another error is failing to set boundaries and accepting more work than you can realistically manage. If the quality of your work suffers, taking on too much could damage rather than improve your promotion prospects. If you have done everything asked of you, but are still refused a promotion, request specific feedback and a firm date for another review. If the company cannot offer a clear route forward or keeps moving the goalposts, it may be time to look elsewhere. Lucy said external moves can sometimes result in pay rises of 15% or more – potentially adding £3,750 to a £25,000 salary or £7,500 to earnings of £50,000. The job traps to beware of - and how to avoid them DON'T just follow the 'HOT' method. There are plenty of other hacks to try that have gone viral. Have you accidentally got a ‘dry promotion’? This is when you get the new job title, the extra workload and the bigger team to manage, but your pay packet stays exactly the same. All the responsibility, none of the reward. Career coach Pamela Langan says that you should go back and negotiate for a pay rise. “Don’t accept in silence,” Pamela says. “Go back and negotiate. Put a time-frame on it; agree a salary review in three to six months and get it in writing. “If your employer won’t budge, it’s time to start looking for a new role.” Or, you could be a victim of ‘ghost growth’. This is when your role quietly expands: your to-do list gets longer, expectations creep up, but formally nothing has changed. None of your efforts are recorded and there is certainly no extra money as a result. “This can happen slowly so you need to identify what is happening. Point out to your employer exactly what extra work you are doing,” Pamela says. “Book a meeting, document everything your role now includes and have a direct conversation about whether your salary reflects reality. If your employer can’t see it, someone else will.” Make sure you are ‘career cushioning’. This is by making sure you are setting yourself up to jump into another job if you hit a career progression wall. Free courses to build up skills is a great way of doing this – otherwise known as ‘lobster learning’. The idea is that, like a lobster, we never stop growing, we just need to shed our shell when it no longer fits. It’s about committing to learning throughout your career, not just at the start of it. “Don’t be afraid to ask your employer what is available to you, as sometimes firms offer funded qualifications, mentoring or shadowing opportunities,” Pamela says.