I recently saw a document lying on the copy machine that listed the salaries for everyone in the office, and noticed that most of my direct colleagues make considerably more money than me. This is really bothering me, but I haven't mentioned it to anyone. I'd like to ask for a raise to bring my salary in line with theirs, but I'm not sure how to use this knowledge as leverage. Where's the line?
Dig out your old cassette tapes, find the "Top Gun" soundtrack, and put on "Danger Zone." You are over foreign waters with no wing man, and there are bogies everywhere. This is treacherous territory.
The first thing you need to realize is that compensation is structured differently for each person. Your colleagues may have a higher level of education or had more experience before coming to the company. Or they may be sleeping with a boss. Who knows?
Regardless, you're not going to immediately get a raise, simply because you know that others are making more money. "You can really screw yourself by just going to your boss and complaining," according to Julie DeForge, who oversees 40 employees in the Boston branch of Euro RSCG 4D, a marketing communications agency.
So, don't do that.
At the same time, there's power in this knowledge; it all depends on how you use it. Most of that power is going to come from the fact that your superiors know that you know. So you simply go to human resources and report what you saw, and mention that you did not share that information with anyone else. You can bet the news will trickle it's way to the top in a hurry.
And then… well, you sit on it. The best way to get a raise is to earn it. Put in extra effort immediately, the way professional athletes always play better when their contract is about to expire. Then, when your evaluation roles around, use that knowledge in a subtle way.
"I would suggest you simply raise it as a question," said DeForge. "Say something like, 'Can I assume I'm being compensated like other people here?'"
Voila. Your power is on the table. You didn't abuse it. You didn't turn it into office drama. Your bosses know that you wake up every morning to make money, and they also know that you're feeling a bit of injustice. If you've been doing your job well, they'll want to keep you happy.
If they don't see it that way, it may be time to hit the ejector seat and bail out. If you felt slighted before, you're going to be furious now. You'll never be able to work for a company if you feel they're working against you.
