Need a raise in the New Year? GetRaised can lend a hand

(CBS) - Asking for a raise is an awkward dance. If you hate your boss, it can be difficult to ask for what you deserve. If you love your boss, you may not want to seem like you're complaining. Whatever obstacles you may face, there's an online service that will make asking for a raise painless.

GetRaised has a simple premise: fill in your job title, company and income. The service will compare your data with others in your field. If you're underpaid, they will let you know and recommend you ask for a raise and even suggest what percentage you should seek. The website automatically generates a letter that you can print out and give to your boss.

"Try to separate your emotions," Matt Wallaert, co-founder and lead scientist of Churnless, the company that built GetRaised, told me over the phone, "This is a business decision for your boss. You want to talk about what type of value you provide to the business. How your salary stacks up against others salaries of people in other companies. You want to make it a decision about numbers. It's not about how much your boss likes you."

GetRaised is especially passionate about getting women raises and is geared toward closing the income gender gap. The company says the gap exists partially because "many underpaid people tend not to ask for raises. This is because they either don't know they are being underpaid, don't know how to ask for a raise, or feel they don't deserve a raise."

The strategy seems to work because the average raise earned using GetRaised is $6,726. That's an incredible number.

But, what if you don't get the raise you requested?

"One, you should be looking at outside jobs because you should always have an eye out there in your fields," Wallaert said. "Two, what you should really do is make sure you're setting goals for the future and set a concrete date. Determine what you can do between now and then to earn a raise."

I tried the service myself and found that it was simple to plug in all of my data. The raise request is broken down into sections that discuss market value, job responsibility and growth at your company. Besides, it's free. You can't beat that.

"It's an issue so close to our heart. We picked this issue specifically because we know so many women who are underpaid. So, we made it free beginning in December," Wallaert said.

GetRaised is a project created by Churnless, a New York-based firm focused on behavioral psychology and the technology to change human behavior. Co-founders Matt Wallaert and Avi Karnani have moved on from Churnless and are planning their next venture.