If you’re anything like me, you have trouble asking for a raise. I don’t know what it is about asking someone to pay me adequately for my skills that freaks me out, but it does, even when I know I absolutely deserve it. I recently did a little bit of research on what you should do when thinking about asking for a raise, and I found a Dentistry IQ article titled “The Homework Behind Asking for a Raise.” After reading the first paragraph, it’s clear writer Lisa Newburger shares my sentiments. “You work hard, you want to be compensated for it, and you don’t want to jeopardize your job by speaking up,” Newburger writes. “What can you do? The simple answer is — do your homework. You need to prepare before you have that conversation.”
Newburger goes on to recommend taking five important steps before going forward with your request.
- Do your research. Newburger suggests not relying on only one website. “If you’re serious about receiving a raise, you have to do some work on this,” she writes. Find out what comparable dental practices are paying their assistants. It’s imperative, she relays, that you compare apples to apples by comparing practices of similar sizes that offer similar benefits. Look at local salaries, not national ones. Be sure to ask your friends in your field what they are making, but because most people don’t like to share that information, start by telling them your salary to make them feel comfortable. Newburger recommends accessing DANB’s Salary Survey, which compiles average salaries for DANB certified and non-DANB certified dental assistants in each state.
- Evaluate if you are getting along with your coworkers. If you are not, Newburger says to find a way to develop good working relationships with them. “You don’t have to like everyone and make everyone your Facebook buddy,” she writes. “But you do need to work well together. You’re part of a team. Are you working like a team player?”
- Be on time and reliable. If you find yourself calling off work and taking sick time frequently, Newburger recommends making arrangements that will not leave your office staff and patients hanging. She also recommends keeping track of the time you spend with your patients. “Perhaps keep a time study to show what you’re doing with your time and how efficient you are,” she writes.
- Go above and beyond the job description. Newburger suggests taking a look at your job description. Are you cleaning your instruments, topping off the processor solutions, running the autoclave, putting instruments away, cleaning ear rods and bite sticks, cleaning traps, running inventory of film supply? “If these duties are expected of you, are you doing anything beyond your duties that should be acknowledged?” she asks. “Are you coming early and staying late? Are you making suggestions about how the practice can save money? Are you looking at ways to make things flow better in the office? Document these things. Ask your coworkers what you do well and what is beneficial for the practice.”
- Patient feedback. Are you beloved by your patents? Ask them to put something in writing about how wonderful you are so you can show your boss their feedback. “Even if they verbally tell the dentist how terrific you are, write down the incident with the date, time, what was said, and what you did to warrant this appreciation,” Newburger writes. “This is proof of what an asset you are to the practice.”
Newburger says you need to tread carefully when approaching the topic of a raise. “Many dental practices try to do evaluations annually, but not all get them done as they should,” she writes. “If you haven’t had one, make sure you get a formal evaluation. Once again, it adds to your paper trail. Or take your job description and give yourself a self-evaluation that you can add to this paper trail.”
After all of the boxes have been checked in your search to determine if you deserve a raise, if you performing your job correctly and are being paid less than the market is paying elsewhere, Newburger says you need to carefully approach your boss and have the conversation. “You can say you need to work someplace that values your contribution and pays accordingly,” she writes. “But you want to stay and you want to find a way to make this happen.” Newburger realizes this can be a gamble, as some employers view asking for a raise and suggesting going elsewhere where your skills are appreciated as disloyal. “How you approach this whole topic is important,” she writes. “You’re the one who can best determine how this conversation may be received. Protect yourself. Perhaps find another job that will pay more and see if your boss will match it. Sometimes, the way we make more money is to go elsewhere. But the reality is — if you don’t ask, you won’t get it.”
- Exit Interviews: Get it in Writing - October 30, 2019
- Vaping Possible Suspect in Wisconsin teens’ hospitalization - October 23, 2019
- What to Do About Negative Reviews Online - October 16, 2019