Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Penny Hoarder.
You may have heard that women don’t negotiate their salary as often as men, widening the gender pay gap. It turns out, this argument is just an outdated artifact from the 20th century.
Women have actually proven over the last 20 years that they are More are more likely to negotiate for a better salary than their male counterparts, according to a study published in the Academy of Management Studies Discoveries. Negotiating salaries as a woman is not well-rewarded.
“That old belief, that women don’t ask for more, actually contributes to the gender pay gap,” explains Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez, author of the upcoming book “The New Rules of Ambition.”
“The belief is associated with reduced support for things like wage policies and increased gender stereotypes more broadly. So this study not only dispels the notion that women don’t ask for more, but also exposes the consequences of our collective buying into that false assumption.”
Salary Negotiation Tips Like a Woman
Just because women aren’t rewarded for their negotiation efforts doesn’t mean you should be wary of them. It just means that you’ll want to go into your conversations prepared to combat these biases head-on.
O’Connell Rodriguez shares some tips for entering these conversations with every “first” you may encounter.
Negotiating Your First Salary
The number 1 thing you’ll want to do in any negotiation situation is arm yourself with data. When you first enter the workforce, you may not have data about your personal performance, but you may want data about your industry. Metrics O’Connell Rodriguez suggests you research to rank your market include:
- Position
- Location
- Educational background
He said that in the process of doing this research, you can get a sense of the company and what your future might be. If leadership tends to be male, white and Ivy League, you may not have many opportunities for advancement if you don’t fit that mold.
Rather than letting that information stop you from applying for a position or negotiating for competitive compensation, O’Connell Rodriguez suggests letting it prepare you for what you might encounter in interviews with a company.
“Knowing that can allow you to feel more prepared for any pushback you get when you ask for more, rather than being caught off guard,” she said. “[It can help] you keep informed about your vision and don’t let a biased response prevent you from finding other opportunities in an organization that will fight for and support your aspirations.”
He also points out that even if you can’t make progress on a salary in the first few meetings, those first conversations provide an opportunity to learn more about how to secure a raise at the company in the future.
Using it as an opportunity to learn about key metrics and how your management team defines ‘strong performance’ allows you to start tracking data in all those areas. That could be the difference between “yes” and “no” the next time you ask for more money.
The First Interview with a New Employer
Maybe you’ve been at your job for a while, but you’re looking to make a move to a new company. These initial conversations with the new management team can be overwhelming, too, even if you have experience under your belt.
Here, too, data is king. Any solid metrics you can bring to the table about your past performance and market rates for your position will increase your chances of success. But because you’re a woman, you probably have to approach these conversations differently.
“Research suggests that when women talk about their inquiries in public terms — using language like ‘we,’ ‘us’ and ‘our group’ — they are more likely to be successful,” explains O’Connell Rodriguez.
“It’s also helpful, especially for women and other people who are faced with documented bias, to have sponsors and people at different levels and groups who can represent them.”
If you hear “no” the first time, you are encouraged to use that “no” as an opportunity to gather more data. You might ask questions like, “Next time, what performance metrics can I reach to get a ‘yes?’” or, “Can you tell me more about why you think I might not be a good fit for this salary level?”
Once you know what metrics you need to achieve, you can work to not only achieve them, but also document the hard data you need to bring to the discussion table during your next performance review.
Interviewing for the First Time After the Resume Gap
Women tend to have more resume gaps than men, usually in care. Whether you’re caring for your elderly family members or your children, it’s important to stay up-to-date on trends in this field even if you’re not actively “working” at your job.
“Research suggests that gender bias is especially amplified when it comes to caregiving jobs, especially when women become parents,” said O’Connell Rodriguez.
“I think this is a critical time for women to keep their options open and be prepared to look for opportunities in other organizations that have a history of supporting and appreciating caregivers, especially if they find themselves denied important opportunities within their organizations. .”
Keeping on top of job listings, expectations and pay for your position across the board can help you identify those organizations if you need to switch employers after finding a resume gap.
It’s Important to Continue to Negotiate Salaries as a Woman
We’ve shared some tips to help you weather the negative salary negotiation climate as a woman, but at the end of the day, try not to internalize any “failures” you may have. The problem is the system, and it’s not your fault.
Over the past 20 years — the same time that women began negotiating at least as often, if not more often, than their male counterparts — Pew Research found that the gender pay gap has not budged.
“What needs our attention is the bias that still pervades our organizations and institutions, which is against the behavior of women themselves,” said O’Connell Rodriguez.
“So instead of repeating individual tips or tricks, I recommend looking at the power of collective action – especially when it comes to challenging biases throughout the assessment, performance, promotion and pay process.”
He points to research that has shown transparent pay policies effectively reduce the pay gap based on gender identity.
They encourage us to work together to fight for such policies in our workplaces and even at the national legislative level. That way, we may see a change not just in individual women, but in women as a whole.