How to Prove Your Worth to Your Employer

By Niamh Ollerton Updated Feb 18, 2021

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Introduction
First step: know yourself
Decide your purpose
Catalogue your wins
Set boundaries
Ask for feedback
Research your worth in the market

know your worth at work business success

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While money isn’t everything, knowing you are being paid fairly for the work you do can be vital for your well-being and sense of self-worth. It can sometimes be hard to make your employer recognize the value of your contributions to the workplace, which is why we’ve decided to take a look at things you can do to prove your worth and ensure you’re being adequately rewarded.

First step: know yourself

Pretty much everything in life starts with us as individuals. We have a duty to develop our self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-worth.

Self-awareness is arguably one of the most important factors if you want to rise through the ranks in an organization or grow your own business. Try to fine-tune this skill wherever you can.

Having self-awareness will allow you to accept your weaknesses and celebrate your strengths, which is an important step towards succeeding in business.

Being aware of your weaknesses helps you identify what you need to work on. Think objectively about the aspects of your current job that you enjoy less or try to avoid doing.

Conversely, by acknowledging your strengths you can be clear about the positive qualities you bring to your workplace and the value you have as an individual.

Decide your purpose

Realizing your purpose in work can be much more valuable than hard cash. If you’re in a position that aligns with what you’re good at, or something you love, then you’re more like to have an impact.

How do we know if our worth is aligned with our purpose? Think of the following:

What do I want to be known for?
How do I want to be seen?
How is this connected to my purpose?

These questions will help keep you on track and give you the confidence needed to assert your worth.

Catalogue your wins

Record your successes and positive experiences – this will give you something visual to look back on when you’re feeling low and need a self-esteem boost.

Your record could be a written list you update or a visual board that represents your different career wins - whatever format you choose, the idea is to create something that allows you to easily see where you bring value to a company and help outline your USPs.

Keeping a work diary can be a valuable tool too, as it will provide an overview of the areas you consistently excel in and the work you’ve enjoyed.

Set boundaries

By setting boundaries, you’re assigning value to your skills, time and expertise. You may say yes to extra work for recognition – which is perfectly fine – but ensure you’re doing it for the right reasons and not being taken for granted.

Make mindful choices for the extra work you do, rather than taking on too much and flailing in the process.

Ask for feedback

Make a point of asking for direct, constructive feedback, and acknowledge praise and credit you receive when it’s deserved.

Start small – ask your direct managers, friends, and family. Narrow down which connections have expertise and knowledge in an area you’re interested in and ask them to measure your progress and ideas, and give honest feedback about how you present yourself.

Collecting feedback and using that advice will help you tremendously as a personal development tool. Ask open-ended questions as well as yes/no questions. Listen to the feedback, don’t get defensive, and write notes to refer back to when necessary.

Research your worth in the market

It’s normal to get comfortable within a role, forget about the financial worth of a position, and let your CV gather dust in a bottom drawer.

Keep an eye on LinkedIn and independent recruitment sites advertising jobs in your field; sign up for job site alerts; and keep up-to-date with salaries for equivalent roles in your field.

There’s no harm in staying in touch with key recruitment agents, letting them know you’d be open to a move for the right role (and what that role pays). You could even join networking groups to stay in the loop.

You can even add value to your worth by building a profile that doesn’t depend on your current title or role. Join external committees and boards, putting yourself forward for speaking opportunities wherever possible.

The more connected you are outside of your company, the more confident you’ll be when it’s time to assert your worth at work and in the wider job market.

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Written by

Niamh Ollerton

Niamh was Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.