Career Development
The gender wage gap persists, and women initiating salary negotiations may be seen as too aggressive in the workplace. An article on Vitae recently highlighted some tips for women entering into negotiations who want to earn higher wages without suffering social backlash.
In a recent article on Vitae, Melissa Dalgleish summarizes studies on negotiating job offers and salaries as a woman (and to be clear, this includes anyone who is female-presenting, regardless of self-identification, since this bias is based on presentation). Although many activists, industry leaders, and even politicians have advised women to be more open to and aggressive during negotiations, there remains sufficient evidence of unsuccessful negotiations (even penalties) to give many female job-seekers pause.
In response to both conscious and unconscious attitudes towards women who initiate negotiations, Dalgleish offers the following tips for women looking to earn more competitive wages and avoid backlash:
- Negotiate in person whenever possible. Face-to-face discussions often mitigate any negative feelings towards you for initiating the conversation, so if you can't get face-time with the manager, try Skype.
- Justify your request with external influences. You may be able to bring up a gender-equity policy within the organization, or even leverage competing offers from other companies. However, Dalgleish advises if you do invoke competing offers, tread carefully: women are also more likely to suffer repercussions from being seen as "overly competitive" - by both male and female evaluators. While you may hold a bigger bargaining chip, use your best judgment as to how appropriate bringing up other offers will be.
- Communicate your concern for organizational relationships. Dalgleish argues this is the best way to both get what you want and to avoid social backlash. â
In sum, women shouldn't be reluctant to initiate negotiations. Not asking for more money upfront is a major factor behind the gender wage gap, and it compounds over the course of a career. Developing strategies for framing your asks in ways that reflect organizational goals and respect hierarchies may help you not only secure a higher salary, but can prevent others from perceiving you as overly-aggressive or abrasive.