Salary surveys show you're underpaid - how do you ask your boss for a pay raise?

Tips on using salary survey data during performance reviews

The best part of writing this newsletter is getting feedback from readers and hearing about their career and training successes as well as their concerns. One recent correspondence I received was from a reader wanting to know how to use data from salary surveys during performance reviews, particularly if the majority of surveys show the individual to be earning below the average. It's questions such as these that I present to my panel of career experts for their advice. But before we get to that, I wanted to point you to a new blog I've set up especially to enable you to ask any career-related question you have and to be answered by my panel of career and training experts, as well as by your peers.

Check out the blog here where I've posted a question from another reader - a newbie who wanted to know whether to go for Microsoft or Cisco certifications. This resource is for you, so if you have any burning career questions, please e-mail me and I will forward it to my panel of career experts and also post it up on my blog so that your peers can share their expertise as well. And for you experienced pros, please share your advice and experiences with us through the blog.

So back to the earlier mentioned question, the reader wrote: "Based on all the Web sites other than payscale.com, I am way underpaid. Looking at payscale.com, I am paid higher than the average. I don't get this. Anyway, can and should I use these compensation surveys (other than payscale.com), to show my boss I am underpaid? If so, how do I approach this and talk about it with my boss in my review? I don't want to be so forthright as to say 'I need more money', or 'I am way underpaid.' I don't feel that's good business etiquette. Am I right on this? I don't want anything to backfire on me. It's a small company where I work, and my reviews in years past were excellent, but I only received 4% raises (which I think the standard is if you're doing well). I appreciate your help, and any advice."

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The best part of writing this newsletter is getting feedback from readers and hearing about their career and training successes as well as their concerns. One recent correspondence I received was from a reader wanting to know how to use data from salary surveys during performance reviews, particularly if the majority of surveys show the individual to be earning below the average. It's questions such as these that I present to my panel of career experts for their advice. But before we get to that, I wanted to point you to a new blog I've set up especially to enable you to ask any career-related question you have and to be answered by my panel of career and training experts, as well as by your peers.

Check out the blog here where I've posted a question from another reader - a newbie who wanted to know whether to go for Microsoft or Cisco certifications. This resource is for you, so if you have any burning career questions, please e-mail me and I will forward it to my panel of career experts and also post it up on my blog so that your peers can share their expertise as well. And for you experienced pros, please share your advice and experiences with us through the blog.

So back to the earlier mentioned question, the reader wrote: "Based on all the Web sites other than payscale.com, I am way underpaid. Looking at payscale.com, I am paid higher than the average. I don't get this. Anyway, can and should I use these compensation surveys (other than payscale.com), to show my boss I am underpaid? If so, how do I approach this and talk about it with my boss in my review? I don't want to be so forthright as to say 'I need more money', or 'I am way underpaid.' I don't feel that's good business etiquette. Am I right on this? I don't want anything to backfire on me. It's a small company where I work, and my reviews in years past were excellent, but I only received 4% raises (which I think the standard is if you're doing well). I appreciate your help, and any advice."

Sandi Henrikson, regional manager at national recruitment firm Sapphire Technologies U.S., responded: "At 4%, the raises you have received in past years are a little above the standard so that's pretty respectable. If you are looking for a higher raise this year, it is good that you have done your homework. You mentioned that you work for a small organization. Some small businesses are not well educated on current salary rates outside their company or industry, so sharing the survey information may be helpful in enlightening them. However, there are couple things to keep in mind.

"Although compensation surveys are a great way to take a general look at your overall salary, they can be somewhat vague and as you found, inconsistent. Though helpful in determining if your current pay might be out of line, they probably won't be the determining factor in you getting an increase. Highlighting what you personally have brought to the table - your experience, skill, and performance over the year - will be more effective. Be sure to bring up your former reviews and your willingness to take on more responsibilities. In asking for a raise, I would recommend leading with your performance and then bringing up the compensation reports for supporting evidence to show that your requested raise is reasonable.