Equal Pay Day falls on March 14 in 2023 — a date determined by how long in the new year American women must work to catch up with American men’s earnings from the previous year. 2022, women earned 82% of what men earned. The pay gap for black and Hispanic women is even wider – these groups made 70% and 65% respectivelyof what white men made.
Part of the gender pay gap can be attributed to differences in how women negotiate.
This is not to say that women don’t negotiate as well as men, or even less often. Women negotiate well and advocate for themselves every day in their careers – sometimes more active and effective than their male counterparts. Women have been observed negotiate exceptions more than men to typical work or business practices. This includes, for example, negotiating a remote working arrangement ahead of the pandemic.
But when it comes to salary and wage negotiations, research suggests that women are more reluctant to ask And less effective when they do.
That’s because salary negotiations are generally considered competitive situations that favor men and masculinity. In such situations, self-defense violates societal norms that women should be kind and communal. According to the authors of a study, women anticipate backlash from attempts to negotiate “Decrease their assertiveness by using less competitive tactics and getting lower results.”
The fear of backlash is justified. Both men and women say yes less willing to work with women who ask to be paid more.
i research negotiation and conflict management And give various negotiation courses to bachelor and master students.
Here are five tips you can apply today to be more effective in your workplace negotiations. These strategies benefit women, but represent best practices for anyone seeking higher pay, regardless of where they are on the gender spectrum.
1. Think before you ask
Consider what you really want before you start your negotiation – hit pause and take a step back. How does what you’re asking for fit into your larger work or life aspirations? You may start with a focus on a salary increase, but what you really want is an accelerated promotion path.
Negotiate professional development opportunities and your role at work may do more to help close the pay gap than getting paid more than you currently earn. So take stock of your goals and make sure you focus on negotiating the right issues.
2. Communicate your value
Once your purpose and objective are clear, you need to figure out how to articulate your value. being women more convincing and reduces the risk of kickback when they explain why what they are asking is appropriate and justified. As you do this, put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager or your boss and consider how legitimate the request you’re making is from their perspective. For example, how can your data visualization skills help your team communicate more successfully at the next client meeting? How can you position what you are asking for, such as a promotion to senior analyst, in terms of larger business goals, such as expanding the customer base?
When women articulate their worth while taking into account the other’s objectives, their bargaining behavior is perceived as more socially acceptable, and women are better positioned to succeed.
3. Ask for more than just a salary
are gender differences most likely arise when it is less clear whether bargaining is appropriate. This could be a job where it is not explicitly stated that wages are negotiable, or where the salary scale is not disclosed. In these cases, women are less likely to negotiate because they anticipate backlash. This applies not only to salary or wage negotiations, but also to negotiations about other opportunities, including promotion, work assignments, development opportunities and resources.
If you are unsure whether bargaining is appropriate, ask around and gather information from reliable sources. Use your network, but also reach beyond your network. You may want to seek advice from, say, men in male-dominated work environments. People tend to connect with others who are similar in age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, so information from your close network may be biased. Find out what people are negotiating at work and reduce the social risk of questions by reducing ambiguity whether negotiation makes sense.
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4. Check your mindset
Whether you see yourself as a reluctant negotiator, a competitive negotiator or a people pleaser, what’s more important is your mindset during the negotiation. a assessment of individual differences in negotiations identified the single best predictor of performance as a positive attitude – confidence in one’s own abilities and confidence that it is appropriate to negotiate.
A positive mindset also means that you approach negotiations with curiosity. Make sure you’re trying to solve a problem, not win a battle. This approach fits better social expectation that women are communaland it is also a best practice that produces better results.
Even if the other person starts with no, don’t derail your negotiation. Prepare to stay at the table and find out why. If you can’t get the raise you’re asking for, you may be able to successfully negotiate a development opportunity and revisit the salary interview in six months.
5. Don’t skip the small talk
There is a person on the other side of the negotiation, and you will find it easier to come to a solution together if you get along. Small talk prior to negotiation helps build the relationship and can be a positive effect on your negotiations. Familiarity with the employer is even possible give women a bigger boost than men. So get to know the person you are going to negotiate with personally and don’t skip the small talk.
Practice these five tips and keep negotiating. The more experience you have in negotiating, the better you will do. And the better results that women achieve through good bargaining help narrow the gender pay gap.
