Data reveals that the gender wage gap is still present in companies globally. To fight for pay equality, recruiters are coming up with smart negotiation tips for women to reduce the gender pay gap.
Mary is a front-end developer at a high-ranking company in California. Linking together the world of design and technology, packaging up the utility of the back end in an inviting way for users to interact with is something she always wanted to do. She loves her job and is putting in long hours to avoid being caught up with work.
Tom is her co-worker at the same company. They have the same position, work on the same tasks, and have the same education and experience in the industry. During a conversion with him in the lounge area, she accidentally found out that she was making 20% less than her male counterparts. This was a crucial moment in her life when she was reminded of just how bad the gender pay gap can be.
Unfortunately, Mary is not the only one who’s being underpaid at her workplace. According to a study by Hired, men receive bigger salaries than their female counterparts for the same job at the same company 63% of the time. What’s more, women receive 4% less than men on average for the same role at the same company.
How can we resolve the pay gap? One way of bridging the pay gap is through negotiating. If all women come together and start negotiating their salaries, they can establish a more equitable working environment.
To help them fight for gender equality and women pay gap, recruiters have put together a few negotiation tips for women to use on “the battlefield”. Take a look:
Prepare for Your Compensation Negotiation
Take the time to do research before your negotiation. If you’re interviewing for a new job at a certain company, conduct research on the company and the employer. Use salary data from Salary.com, Payscale.com, and Glassdoor to help you set an accurate pay range.
Talk to others in your field about how you’re planning to approach the issue and hear their advice on the matter. A great idea would be to rehearse the actual conversation with a friend. People who come in prepared have a greater success at getting a raise. By doing this research work before the compensation negotiation, you’ll be equipped with solid facts, not just with vague thinking to reduce the impact of wage discrimination.
Know Your Worth
One of the reasons why women don’t negotiate is because they have low self-esteem. The sad truth is that high-achieving women often doubt their own abilities. Nearly 50% of women reported frequently experiencing imposter syndrome, and 34% said they sometimes do.
You need to walk into that negotiation room, convinced of your own worth and potential. Praise your own work and contribution to the company. Talk about how much you’ve helped your company over the years to achieve the set goals. Don’t forget to use solid examples. You can also talk about the many ways in which you will help your company achieve its goals in the upcoming years.
Focus on the Benefit to the Company
This is a powerful strategy that you can use as an ambitious female employee who’s negotiating her salary. Your ambition is good for the company you work for. If you describe how your negotiation tips can benefit the company, then you might experience a better salary outcome.
You can say something like: “My negotiation skills are something valuable I bring to the job. If I’m unable to advocate for myself, how will I advocate for the company? How will I report to you and negotiate better solutions for the customers?”
If you start the conversation with a mindset of working to find a mutual win, the chances are that you’ll walk out of the room with a better compensation package and unbroken working relationships.
Use Positive Emotions
Not showing any emotions might not be the best idea when negotiating your compensation package. The belief that taking our emotions out of the room will make us better negotiators can be fatal. This can trigger a response mechanism in the other party and makes them less likely to think of a solution.
Using positive emotions can help avoid hostility and close a deal. Instead of starting your negotiation with demands, frame your negotiation as a cooperative effort. Instead of saying: “I’m here because I want a 10% raise because that was my price range at my previous company”, say something like “I think we can work out the best possible solution together”.
Using your body language and tone, you will be able to convey to your negotiating partner that you want to work together. Skip keeping a poker face throughout the meeting and show positive emotions by nodding your head, keeping your arms uncrossed, and facing yourself toward your partner. While negative emotions are contagious and can trigger a conflict, positive emotions promote creative thinking and encourage innovative problem-solving.
Make the First Offer
Many women, embarrassed to give the first offer, when asked about what figure they had in mind, often say: “How much would you consider?”
A study of job-seekers has discovered that the final agreed-upon amount was 30% higher when the candidate made the first offer. The reason women avoid giving the first offer is that they want to avoid conflict. They’re scared that by negotiating, they will damage the relationship they have with their co-workers.
You shouldn’t feel embarrassed or scared to pitch the first offer. Always aim high and don’t be afraid to ask for more. Ask for an amount that’s higher than your ideal pay as you can always come down but you can never do up.
To Wrap Up
While waiting for the system to miraculously fix itself, women are forced to adopt negotiation strategies in an attempt to finally close the wage gap. Although negotiating salary isn’t easy, and it can be especially difficult for women, it’s the best solution for obtaining gender equality in the workplace.
