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You’ve Earned It: Time to Ask for a Pay Raise

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October 20, 2016

By Beth Wolfe, CAGS, ATC

Asking for a pay raise can be a daunting, intimidating and lonely process. However, with the right tools, advice and support, the pay raise process can be easier than you might think. In her article, Carolyn O’Hara provides several tips to ponder before asking for a pay raise, and below are 3 adapted pieces of advice that can be useful in preparing to ask for a pay raise.1. Do your homework. How much of a raise should you ask for? Are you making the same as your peers in the area? One thing you must also keep in mind is that sometimes pay raises aren’t possible for certain positions due to circumstances beyond your control. Ask your employer if they provide merit based pay raises or if your salary is predetermined by another source such as grant monies or contract agreement via outside provider. If your institution does not provide merit-based raises, you could still ask for a raise based on what others in your area are being paid. However, if your salary is predetermined by an external source it may be difficult to obtain a raise unless the funding source agrees to a higher salary. Utilize a national salary database such as Glassdoor, Indeed or US Department of Labor to see what other people with your same job title are making in your area and across the country.

2. Take a moment to reflect on your value. Why should your boss give you a raise? What is your worth or value as a healthcare provider? Do you offer a special talent or skillset that warrants a pay raise? From these questions gather evidence and formulate a list of facts, contributions and patient care statistics. Statistics could include hours worked, overtime worked, patient feedback and outcomes, and number of patient encounters by day, week and month. Be confident in your list of evidence and be sure to provide examples for each item on your list.

3. Ask for advice from others in your industry. If you are the only employee at your organization, ask a mentor or peer in your area how they navigated asking for a raise. Each organization will handle pay raises differently, but at least you can gain some relevant and real-time advice instead of asking blindly. Additionally, ask this mentor or peer if you could practice your “ask for a raise speech” with them so that they can provide you with constructive feedback. A practice session can help alleviate nervousness, jitters and anxiety you may have going into the discussion.

What happens if you are denied or don’t get a raise? Don’t get discouraged; it is okay! Have a back-up plan in place so you could compromise with your employer. For example, could you have additional flex-time for extra hours worked? Or you could discuss how you could take on more responsibilities that could lead to a future pay raise. Make note of the reasons for why you weren’t offered a raise this time so you can continue to build your case for a raise in the future.

Reference

O’Hara, C. (2015). How to ask for a raise. Harvard Business Review. March 5. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-ask-for-a-raise.

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About the Author

Beth wolfe

Elizabeth “Beth” Wolfe is the Injury Prevention Coordinator and Research Assistant for the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Wolfe completed her undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina and her master’s and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study at Boston University. Currently, Wolfe is pursuing her Doctorate of Health Science in Healthcare Administration and Leadership from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University. Within Massachusetts and the greater Boston area, Wolfe is a collaborator and lead author on numerous injury prevention projects and coalitions that revolve around road safety, fall prevention and brain trauma/concussion prevention. She is an active member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and is the District 1 Young Professionals Committee Representative and the Treasurer for the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts.

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