Pay Hike

I am a hard and efficient worker. But somehow I never seem to get the kind of raise that I think I am due. How do I go about this?

You do have to document all the important things that you have done in the course of the year. It could be handling difficult customer calls, making presentations to clients, etc. etc. Also make sure you understand how much people in other compa-nies are getting paid for your position. This way, you neither oversell nor undersell yourself. Once you have done all this spadework, wait for the opportune
moment (before your reviews) to discuss the issue with your boss. Have this meet-ing at a time when the boss is focusssed on what you are saying and not rushing to catch a plane. If a raise is not possible, find out whether you can get other benefits like more days of vacation or perhaps even a better performance-based bonus.
Negotiation is a skill and it needs thinking. It cannot be done on the spur of the moment. You have to base it on the year's work you have done.