As a seasoned employee, you may think you have everything figured out. You’ve learned the ropes, and all the new hires come to you for advice.
While you may be tight with your boss and other employees, don’t forget there are many ways you can grow.
When you get into the everyday groove of working, sometimes you forget to look for ways to progress. But, if you want to move forward in your career, you mustn’t get stagnant.
One thing you can zero in on is by asking your boss questions. Showing your boss you’re eager to learn and are looking for ways to improve will impress them. So, here are some questions you can ask for starters!
1. What Goals Do You Have for Your Career?
Understanding their long-term career goals will provide insight into what comes next for them.
For example, your boss may want to become the Vice-President of the company.
By knowing their goals, the projects you get assigned will make more sense. Plus, you can help both you and your boss grow with the company.
2. How Can I Improve?
Even if your job performance is top-notch, everyone can afford to do better in their line of work.
If you really want to impress your manager, ask them what you can do to perfect your role in the company!
They may let you know that you could help your co-workers out more. Or, they tell you not to be shy about taking on more responsibility. They believe you’re a natural leader!
Finding out how you can get better at your job will result in you shining as an employee! Plus, your boss will be impressed that you took the time to ask how you can work on your skillset!
3. When Can I Expect a Raise?
If your boss promised you a raise every year when you got hired, hold them to it. It may be that the company suffered a setback or is busy bringing on new clients. Even so, if they told you you’d get a rise, you should follow up.
Before asking for a salary increase, you should do some research. One form of research is by checking out recent compensation reports.
For example, if you’re a physician, it’s wise to determine if physicians who share your specialty are getting paid more. It could be that the salary has increased in the past year. You can use this knowledge to your advantage when discussing your raise.
Now, hopefully, you have been working hard, so you deserve that raise. Assuming you have been, ask your boss when you can expect an increase in your salary. Or, at the very least, arrange a time to meet and discuss all the details before getting your raise.
Bonus:
Besides the questions above, there are countless other questions you can ask.
Here are a few to consider asking and a brief explanation of what you should keep in mind.
If You Had Money to Spend at the Company, How Would You Spend It?
It’s very telling how your boss responds to this question. They may want to add more employees to your department. If they want more employees, this signifies they want the company to grow.
Do I Need Additional Training?
Your boss may recommend that you go back to school to receive extra training. They may even offer to pay for it. If this is the case, you should take them up on their offer!
Who Inspires You?
Finding out who your manager’s role models are in life will give you something to strive for. But, of course, you should want to be more like the people who inspire them too! And, it’ll give you a glimpse into the person they are and what type of principles they have.
Conclusion
Asking your boss questions has an endless amount of benefits. For one, you get to delve into the inner workings of your boss’ mind. You may find that you need to focus on assisting with specific tasks more than others. Or, you may realize that it’s time for you to move on to a new job.
Whatever the case may be, asking your boss questions can result in exciting things. Their answers should prompt you to make positive changes.
Strive for greatness, ask lots of questions, and you too will find success!
