Getting That Pay Raise
Everyone starts at the bottom of the pay scale when they start a new job. This scale is commensurate with your skills and experience and allows room for you to advance. In most cases where the pay scale is negotiated, you receive a raise at a certain time of the year as you gain experience and as you gain more qualifications. The schedule of raises is usually set out in the contract with most employees reaching the top of the scale after a period of ten or eleven years.
When you do start a job with an hourly wage and there is no negotiated contract, you may have to ask your employer for a raise once you believe that you have gained the appropriate experience and you are performing well in the position. You do have to remember that all employees are looking for raises, so it is not something that you should just bring up in a casual conversation. When you have completed a big project for which you receive praise from your employer, this is the perfect time to bring up the subject or a raise in pay.
Think about the mission of the company and how you fit into this mission. Make sure that you are doing what is expected of you. If you wish, you can even develop a checklist for yourself or keep a journal of all the tasks you have performed. Then when you approach your boss about the possibility of obtaining a raise, you have the information you need to back up your request.
Without coming out and actually asking, you can discretely find out what others performing the same job as you are earning. Then you can compare your skills and experience to theirs and determine if they are getting more pay for the same work and qualifications. If so, then you should schedule a meeting with the boss and draw this fact to his/her attention. You should not take on a confrontational attitude, but make it a friendly question about why you are not receiving the same pay as your coworkers.
The timing of your request for a raise is also important. Most companies do like to make sure of their financial status before they will approve any pay raises. This usually occurs near their fiscal year when they have all their financial statements and tax preparation completed. This may be a better time to look for a raise than at the beginning of the year.
You should also consider the situation that the boss is in. During a particularly stressful time at work would not be the best time to ask for an increase in your wages. It is best to wait until the boss has less stress and is in a good mood before you approach him/her with your request.