How many women have had to battle for a long deserved raise at their job? Now it is official, it is more difficult for women than men to have the raise discussion with their boss and getting a raise.
In a recent article in the New York Times “A Toolkit for Women Seeking a Raise” it is pointed out that stereotypes are still working against women. For those of you that haven’t asked for a raise because of the fear of how it might go, the article gives good advice on how to ask for a raise. I want to stress that although the article states that it is different and more difficult for women to ask for a raise, there is no reason to not asking for one.
Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government associate professor Hannah Riley Bowles describes a different technique for negotiating that will give you what you want. Here is some of what she and her peers suggest women use in their negotiations.
Be Proactive: No one will notice that you deserve a raise. It is your job to ask for it. Point out the good things you do and find the best time to approach your boss.
Be Prepared: It literally pays to do research. Information is power. When you have the knowledge the power is yours. There are websites like Payscale.com and Salary.com with information about what the average pay is for you position in your geographical area. At Glassdoor.com and Vault.com the information can be more specific as they have information for salaries at specific companies and your company might be one of them. Also talk with people and more than just your girlfriends, remember the men. Women are more likely to be paid less than men.
Tailor Negotiations: A new study by Ms. Riley Bowles found that if women explain why their request is appropriate and that they care about their work relationships they are more successful. There are examples in the article on how to do this.
Anticipate: Don’t forget to anticipate objections and what your response is going to be. If you are not successful this time around ask your boss for recommendations for what you could do to move to the next level.
When women have good information, are proactive and tailor the negotiations they do just as well as men. So there is no reason to sit and hope for the best. Go and create what you want in your life. A Life of Abundance.
Love and peace,
ElinAnna
Another great book is “Why Women Earn Less” by Mikelann R. Valterra. In it she also describes how to ask for a raise and how to negotiate.