How Negotiation Can Help Women Overcome the Wage Gap
Written by Katie Johnson, WIN Staff
Women’s Equal Pay Day has come and gone once again. March 15, 2022, was marked as the 2022 Equal Pay Day, a date symbolizing how far into the year women must work to earn what their non-Hispanic White male counterparts earned the previous year.
According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, “Equal Pay Day was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages.”
The gap remains at 83 percent, meaning that women on average, only earn about 83 percent of what a man makes doing the same job. But this wage gap is even greater for most women of color. In 2021, Latinas were compensated just 49 percent of what non-Hispanic white men were paid. The gap hasn't come close to closing in the last 80 years. In fact, due to the pandemic, the gap only became worse.
There are a number of ways an organization can help close the pay gap, such as offering greater pay transparency and removing bias from performance evaluations. If you’re a person of influence in your organization then incorporating these changes can be life-changing for the women and minorities at your organization.
But what about those of us that aren’t decision-makers?
Instead of sitting idly by, we have to ask ourselves, how do we take control of this situation? How can we be sure that we are putting our best foot forward and earning what we are worth?
Being a more keen negotiator may just give women the advantage they need to close this gap, not only for themselves but for all women.
Most organizations expect their hires to negotiate. Yet, nearly 60% of women never negotiate their pay at all. Many women don’t want to be seen as “greedy” or “selfish” and will either put off asking for a raise or will take the first number a company offers in a salary negotiation.
A few reasons women don’t negotiate include:
The feeling we will be punished if we ask for more.
The fear of backlash if we negotiate too assertively.
We have been conditioned since childhood that if we perform well, our performance will be recognized and rewarded without our need to call attention to it.
Lack of support systems to navigate us through the process of negotiating.
We are simply afraid to ask because of a fear of rejection.
There are a number of factors that contribute to our hesitation to make the ask. The ability to embrace the “no” is a skill that is built up over time with practice and reframing techniques. Luckily these setbacks are not absolute. In fact, compared to men, women have unique negotiation advantages that can give us a leg-up at the bargaining table.
Time and time again, women are seen to be more cooperative, empathetic, and effective problem solvers. And we are much better at negotiating for others than we are ourselves. This is a major benefit for companies and it can be used as a tool to help close the wage gap as well.
We feel more freedom to negotiate assertively when we are advocating for another person. We fight well for others. For something bigger than ourselves.
So the next time you walk into a negotiation, remember that you are not negotiating just on behalf of yourself. You’re negotiating on behalf of the woman that will come after you. For the woman that will follow in your footsteps. Your influence will help lift others.
Knowledge is power when it comes to advocating. Invest in your leadership potential. And remember to do your research. Your old or current salary shouldn’t be your starting point for negotiations. Take control of your legacy, because no one else is going to do it for you.
We are not saying that building a more fair, more efficient, and more equitable economy falls on women’s shoulders alone. Allies and sponsors have an important role to play. Organizations need to equally do their part. Closing the gender gap is good for everyone’s bottom line. But we cannot wait for others to move the needle forward. When push comes to shove, we need to push back.
Every morning we negotiate with ourselves about how we want society to perceive our presence. Even those with the smallest circle can be a person of influence if we capitalize on how we empower ourselves and those around us.
Ready to step into your most confident self?
To enhance your personal growth, talk with a WIN Coach who can help empower you to make greater changes in your life.
LEARN MORE
