Shauna DeWitty

Constant seeker of knowledge, music and film aficionado, true crime enthusiast & self-crowned Queen of Binge Watching.

Many people are very apprehensive when it comes to talking about money. It’s often thought of as crass when people talk about money in conversation. Speaking openly about money in the context of personal quantity is always considered in bad taste. But the reality is, money is very important to everyone. Those who have large amounts never want to lose it, and those lacking, actual or percieved, are always wanting more. So, why are we trained to never talk about it? That’s a great topic in itself, but we’re not getting into that one right now, here’s the real topic of discussion: why are we so hesitant to speak about money at work and how can we “get over” the uncomfortable feeling when we want, and most times, need, to ask for more?

The strange thing is that it’s not a secret that an employee is getting compensated for the work they provide for their employer. Whether or not that person feels they are being adequately compensated for those hours of work provided is entirely subjective. There are several formulas and factors that go into how the market sets the standard and what is regarded as adequate pay for the type of work someone does. The employer looks at what they can afford and offers what they feel is fair pay for the position they are filling. The employee, or prospect, can decide to agree and accept this offer of salary. If you're feeling that you're ready for a pay increase, ask yourself;

• What criteria has changed that you are now considering to ask for a reevaluation of your position and compensation?
• Have the job responsibilities increased; has the production of your work increased?
• Has the performance of your work improved—meeting every deadline, coming into work every day and on time and getting things done?

If this is you, and you feel it’s time to reevaluate your amount of pay at work, you should do it with confidence and not feel uncomfortable at all. Why would you feel these factors are not enough to initiate, at bare minimum, a conversation about a pay increase? This is where the language of the conversation you present to your employer can really help you, and don’t be afraid to bring “receipts” along with you to show the evidence in your improved performance, such as evaluations and emails praising your work.

The uneasy feeling comes from the fear of rejection. No one likes to be told “no”. But then again, the worst thing that can happen is that your employer says “no”. It may be adding insult to injury when you feel you’ve earned the increase due to performance improvement, but there may be many motives determining your employer’s reason for rejection.

So, here’s a tip, if you will, to get over the fear of rejection or the assumption that you and your employer will disagree about a pay increase: ask why they will not grant the increase.

Chances are, if you’re going above and beyond and kicking butt at work, the denial isn’t performance based, and it may just not be in the budget at this time. See the italicized words? That phrase is very important and can be used to negotiate more openly. The employer isn’t necessarily saying no, but the timing isn’t right. This now gives you the freedom to choose what to do from there. Ask for another meeting in a timeframe you feel will be fair to continue the level of performance you’ve been maintaining and enough time for the company to get in a better position to offer your more money. The latter may be harder for you to gage on your own, but that may be a timeframe that’s agreed between you and your employer.

Whatever feelings you have initiating a conversation about your compensation, make sure you’re being honest and open with yourself, first. It’s ok to feel like your work should be valued at a higher rate if your input is greater than what it was when you first started. Never feel that you are not worthy of the amount you’re asking for; if this feeling comes from entitlement and not true merit, then reconsider your intensions (and possibly your job).