What's the best way to encourage my coworker to ask for a raise?

Question

My coworker and I are in the same role, and she disclosed her salary to me recently. Despite being hired at the same time and having almost identical qualifications, I make a considerable amount more than her. How can I encourage her to ask for more and/or advocate for a raise without being overbearing or getting in someone elses business?  She may be getting some kind of compensation otherwise (vacation days, bonuses, etc) but the difference still seems pretty substantial and I want her to get what she deserves!

Anonymous · Answer

Do you have any sense of why you make significantly more than she does if you have similar qualifications? Do you think you may have given a higher salary expectation while interviewing? Either way, she should definitely ask for a raise and should say she has done research and knows that other people in her role are better compensated (she doesn't necessarily need to reveal that she's referring to someone at the same company)

Lydia Frank · Answer

Does she know you make more? I wasn't sure if the info exchange went both ways. Even if you don't necessarily want to reveal your own salary or think it would be awkward, I think you can let her know that based on what she shared, you know there's room to ask for more. I'd encourage her to look at a tool like the one we have on PayScale to evaluate typical pay for her position. That might enlighten her. It's totally free and gives you a precise pay range for people like you working in similar roles: https://www.payscale.com/my/survey/choose

What's the best way to encourage my coworker to ask for a raise?

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