Acknowledging the impropriety of this gender gap, many women confidently reach the negotiating table and ask for more money. But do they really get what they ask for? The results of the Marketplace-Edison research poll show that 37% of men and 36% of women have asked for growth – almost the same. But 82% of those men achieved the growth they wanted, while only 74% of women succeeded.
It is an unrealistic reality that Shakira M. Nelson, PhD, MPH all know very well. After sending out several job applications, she was offered the role of a dreamer in a government job with health inequalities. All he had to do was negotiate his recruitment package. Dr. Nelson says, “My mentor advised me not to ask for money outside of entry level for the job, but to ask for other kinds of support and other things that my colleagues in the same position were able to get their first government job.”
So she did. Department of Human Resources Nelson’s request was denied, but, at the urging of his adviser, the 39-year-old government scientist approached a man who could be his direct observer – a black woman – she could ask. Advocacy on his behalf. Instead, the woman asked Dr. She told Nelson she had to work her way up (as she did) and Dr. Nelson felt that she was trying to lift herself up when she had not yet arrived.
“I got a call from HR where they said that this particular person decided to go in the other direction with the work, and they no longer need me to fill the post,” said Dr. Nelson remembers. “I was devastated.”
Dr. Nelson, like many women of color, understands that in addition to fighting gender bias in the workplace, she must navigate racial discrimination and inherent bias at almost every turn. While black and Latina women are asked to promote and raise white women at the same rate, they often get adverse results. Bentley’s workplace negotiation, gender, and dissection report, produced by the university’s Center for Women and Business, confirms that despite ambitious career goals, negotiations for pay and promotion are less successful than white women.
That’s the decent thing to do, and it should end there. Color has a very different effect on women. Jacqueline V. Twilight, a conversation consultant and author Don’t leave money on the table: negotiation strategies for women leaders in male-dominated industries, Notes that women of color, especially black women, need to negotiate with a higher level of readiness and self-awareness. She advises them to view negotiations as a negotiation rather than a war and to take ownership of their determination.
“When we speak with passion, sometimes it is misinterpreted as aggressive,” says Twilight. “When we claim ourselves, that too can be aggressively misinterpreted. So I tell women that they really need to be aware of the stereotypes that exist and call them conversationally … when I’m going to negotiate and I’m going to claim myself. I would say, ‘I’m really passionate about it, so you’ll hear me claim’ to address any unconscious prejudice that may be there, and to reclaim power in that conversation. ‘
There is a double standard, agrees Claire Wasserman, founder of Ladies Gate Ped. “You can act resolutely, but you must be treated aggressively because you are acting outside the social norm of how we expect women to act,” she says. “Of course, women of color are kept at a higher level.”
There’s a fine line when women are asked to walk away when negotiating their salary or asking for a promotion, Wasserman admits – where they are expected to humbly demonstrate individual accomplishments and leadership abilities without being collectively overshadowed. That’s why she urges women to use their storytelling skills, to give testimonials or any concrete feedback, to support their questions. “If you’re really capable of showing who you are in the work you do, how you work, how you think, your superpowers – whether it’s empathy, or patience, or [you’re] Description-oriented, or your ability to support other people – that’s what sets you apart. “
Ariel Lopez, A career coach and CEO of Knac, recommends entering all conversations as a value addition, not out of frustration. “Employers will be quick to meet your demand if you are really able to identify your leverage and / or how you value it,” says Lopez.
Lopez, Twilight and Wasserman emphasize the power of preparation. For example, detailed research on who you are talking to can help you personalize your perspective and find out exactly what salary increase you should expect. Another tip: Know the market rate for the job, even if it’s a remote location, and always give a salary range instead of a solid number (which hinders your ability to negotiate). Lopez provides a simple formula for calculating your range: “It should always be 20% higher than your base salary, the minimum. Suppose you are earning $ 60k right now. I say you want to find अर्को 80 to k 100k in your next role.”
Although Bronx-based senior analytics manager Koy Griffin was able to secure a वृद्धि 45,000 salary increase in 2021, from an analyst to her current managerial position, she can prove the challenges women face when asked for more money. “Once I found out I was working, I talked to my manager and I told him my concerns,” she recalls. “I said, ‘I know the rags are coming and I’m checking. What people inside our industry are doing, I want a salary of $ 70k, minimum.’
When the 26-year-old new manager returned with only a 5k increase, Griffin stepped down as his analyst, describing the situation as a “slap in the face.” She then moved into a senior analyst position, where she was able to negotiate a stronger profit package. Although she dropped out of the role due to the overall unhealthy work environment, the Afro-Honduran professional accepted the offer to pay k 30k more than her final position. She is credited with modifying her resume to include her fashion tech consulting agency and nonprofit company, updating her LinkedIn with relevant credentials, verbally connecting existing connections with her interviewers, and repeating her leadership skills throughout the interview process. “When I went to the interview, I made sure I re-emphasized my level of experience,” she says. “I’m not ashamed of it.”
As the statistics show, you can do everything right and still not snag the growth or position sought due to bias. Although Nelson will always remember being a professional snub, she went on to excel in her industry and vowed never to repeat what happened to her: “I remember that in the working world, as black people, especially as black women, I needed to know how to work with my subordinates. To be aware of what I do, so I do not continue the same behaviors and their career paths as if someone tried to relegate me. “
Despite the commercial numbers, there will always be opportunities waiting, says Twilight. “If one company or organization offers you, there will be other offers. It’s not a zero-sum game.”
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