GetRaised.com is a new online service that helps people get raises by determining if they are underpaid and then giving them the tools to do something about it. Here’s my interview with GetRaised team member Dave Clarke:

I wish I’d thought of this. Where did the idea come from?

Our behavioral psychologist Matt Wallaert was walking to work and trying to think of ways to narrow the gender-wage gap. We had been thinking about that issue, and how to help people increase their income more generally. The gender-wage gap doesn’t have to exist - we have the tools we need to solve it, or at least narrow it. It was one of those “well if we have this, and we have that, and we hook them together...” moments.

So much financial advice is about spending less and saving more of what you make, but it was clear to us that we should help people make enough money in the first place.

What is your philosophy on fair pay?

Fair pay is important because it really does affect us all. When people feel underpaid and undervalued, they aren’t good, productive workers. They still go to work, but they go feeling miserable, and they make other people miserable. And equity is a right that everyone has - pay shouldn’t discriminate on gender or race.

How does GetRaised Work?

First, we need to find out if you are underpaid, so we ask you where you work, what you do, and how much you make, and then we can tell you if you are underpaid or not. This is completely free. If you are underpaid, GetRaised will give you the tools in the form of a custom raise request for $20. We guide you through the process of using the raise request kit, keeping track of how things are going while providing information, tips and techniques on what to do at each step and how to deal with all sorts of things, from what to wear to a raise meeting to how to answer some common questions your boss might ask. If the custom raise request doesn't help you get a raise in six months, you get your $20 back.

So GetRaised recommends to the user whether or not a raise is worth pursuing. How does it do/know that? Where does the information/data come from?

For determining whether you should ask, we use three basic things: whether your salary is far enough below the median, the amount of time that has passed since your compensation was last increased, and the amount of time that has passed since you were hired. In reviewing how your salary compares, we use a variety of sources, including government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information from current job postings in your area, and anonymous data from other users near you who have used GetRaised.