Men are more likely, more comfortable, and more successful when asking for a raise. It’s time we prepare women for the same conversations.
Bridging the gap
There is a dearth of women in the industry, typically making up less than 5 percent of overall data center staff and 24% of computer scientists. This is only part of the problem, however. Once they are established in their roles, women often don’t receive the same treatment as their male counterparts. In the US, women working full time earn salaries that are nearly 20 percent lower than their male counterparts, a gap that can add up to somewhere between $500 and $900 thousand dollars over the course of their working life. By some estimates, the lost salary can amount to as much as $1.5 million(!).
If you’re tempted to think that the tech industry is more progressive others, think again. In a recent grading of gender pay gaps, not a single major player in the tech and communications sector received an A grade. The scorecard consists of five categories and those categories include 10 subcategories. Those subcategories are scored on a scale of 0-1, and then averaged on an equal weighted basis. As an example, a scoring of 1 is equal to 100% pay equity. In the tech sector, men in the same role as a women will earn more than that female counter part 59 percent of the time, often right from the beginning of their tenure. For data centers specifically, the gender pay gap is right around the national average, with males making about 20 percent more on average than females doing the same job.
What can be done? From the scope of an organization influencing a larger industry, plenty. There are many areas that organizations can look to when attempting to tackle the gender pay gap problem: diversity and inclusion policy, hiring and promotion best practices, public awareness and advocacy programs, role flexibility, mentorship and training programs, professional development resources, and payscale transparency, to name a few. These areas all represent a kind of top-down, organizational-level progress, though. What can women do to progress their own careers on an individual level? One place to start may be looking at self-advocacy in her own current workplace.
Speaking up about leveling up
In their influential book, Women Don’t Ask, Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever summarize their research findings as such: “[Women] don’t ask for raises and promotions and better job opportunities. They don’t ask for recognition for the good work they do. They don’t ask for more help. In other words, women are much less likely than men to use negotiation to get what they want”. Women are far less likely to have successfully asked for a pay raise, with around two thirds of women never asking for one over their entire careers. Last year women were 19 percent less likely to ask for more money. Why are females less likely to request more salary? One small contributing reason is that they are more likely to assume their salary is non-negotiable. Research shows that, in the recruiting process, women are more likely than men to accept their salary offer without negotiating. In some cases, men are eight times more likely to do so.
So, it seems, that one way to begin approaching the gender pay gap in your own career is by being better at asking for it. Encouragingly, this course of action is trending up. More than ever, women are taking more control over careers, shedding their reluctance and finding strength as negotiators. What are the best approaches, and what should women be aware of as they advocate for themselves in the workplace?
Approaching the ask
According to Babcock and Laschever, there are some deep-seated changes at play in regard to salary negotiations, and workplace negotiations in general. Negotiation as a business skill has typically been regarded as something chiefly competitive and combative, filled with ultimatums, grievances, and leverage. Contemporary workplace negotiations, by comparison, are now increasingly thought to be based around collaboration and problem-solving. As such, negotiation of any sex should familiarize themselves with best practices around asking for a raise. First, determine your goals and do your research. Second, build a case for your value to the company with examples of your work that aligns with organizational goals. Make sure you’re leaning on your storytelling skills with any tangible feedback or quantitative evaluations you can. Third, prepare your pitch, practice it. Fourth, choose a strategic time to arrange a private one-on-one meeting with your manager. Fifth, follow up and ask for feedback. Engaging in this process is something that men aretwice as likely to feel comfortable with than women, so focusing on refining these skills and becoming confident in them is an area of growth many women can benefit from.
For a woman entering a negotiation, there are other elements to be aware of. Because of sexist double standards, women acting assertively can be seen as aggressive - something outside of social norms. Addressing this unfortunate perception requires an elevated level of preparedness and self-awareness to ensure you appear calm, conversational, and collaborative. Some experts suggest preparing their manager for their assertiveness by acknowledging it verbally (for example, “I feel passionately, so I’m going to be quite insistent about this”).
Backup plans
Despite the positive increases, many women still do not find success in advocating for themselves when addressing their salary. Even amongst men and women who each asked for a raise, men were more likely to actually receive one. So, if you’re turned down, what then? This is where things get trickier, and where the research isn’t clear.
One on hand, there is an argument for those seeking a raise or promotion to treat the process as a long-term, multi-faceted one, where an initial rejection doesn’t need to mean an ultimate one. Some experts recommend talking with a manager about a raise through a series of continuing conversations. After an initial conversation where a salary increase doesn’t come, an employee then continues on demonstrating value, showing seriousness about the request, and exhibiting a willingness to perform over time—all while checking in with the manager at set intervals. Aligning itself with the idea that the way salary negotiations typically take place is evolving, this approach preaches patience, aiming to acquire the raise over time instead of one high-stakes meeting.
On the other hand, there is an argument for moving on if you feel undervalued. Research shows that women are far more likely than men to make a lateral career move to improve their salary. In this view, instead of putting in the work to prepare a raise request, you should put your effort toward finding a new job opportunity. Over 70 percent of women report being ready to leave their job for an increased salary in the same role elsewhere, so the best move after an unsuccessful negotiation could be to dust off your resume instead of preparing a follow up.
Know your worth
So, where does this discussion leave us? What we’ve learned in that, even though it's important, advocating for yourself can be difficult, and uncertain. Where can we start? In her book That's What She Said, author Joanne Lipman points out that what lies at the root of salary negotiations is undervaluing yourself: “part of the reason is we don’t actually know what we are worth”. Although it may not be clear how to solve the problem of gender diversity in the industry, each woman can begin her own journey by valuing her personal contributions more. Women should get the same pay for the same work: that should be non-negotiable.
