The review
Hopefully, your employee will come prepared for the meeting with a justification as to why they think they deserve a salary increase. If they come without a clear focus, it will be up to you to take control of the meeting. Clarify current salary and the salary they would like to earn.
Do not make any promises at this stage, especially if you have to confer with another party such as the Finance Director or Personnel department. Ask your employee why they think they deserve the raise .If they find this difficult, you can cover the areas you researched before the review, asking them how they believe they have exceeded their original job description or objectives.
Ask them to show evidence of their claims in order to validate the justification. Listen and write down the answers for you to refer to later. Keep the meeting light and positive, it can be daunting for the employee.
Outline the next steps of the procedure – you may want time to consider the claim further, or speak to colleagues. Also, give a commitment, if you can, as to when you should have an answer. Arrange another meeting for this.