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Advice on How-To Negotiate Your Salary

2/21/2021

According to Forbes, only thirty percent of women negotiate their salaries compared to forty-six percent of men. This statistic poses an important question: why do women not negotiate their salary with employers? Many women are afraid to negotiate for fear of being seen as greedy or difficult by employers. On the contrary, men are seen as leaders when they ask to negotiate their salary.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Undergraduate Business Women’s Association alumna Lesley Horstman about her experience negotiating. Lesley graduated from The Ohio State University in 2013 specializing in Marketing. She currently works as a Marketing Specialist at Covetrus, an animal health company that operates as a distributor to veterinarians.

First, preparation is key. Lesley told me that preparing for negotiation can take some of the intimidation away and make a woman feel more comfortable asking for a higher salary. She recommends starting your research by “[looking] at reputable sources online” for “salary levels for similar positions” and “salary ranges.” LinkedIn has a section on the career portion of their website that discusses salary. Once you have concluded your research, if you find a discrepancy with the salary you have been offered and the salaries common for your position, negotiate for a higher compensation.

Secondly, reflect on your time at the company. Sit down and list your major accomplishments and successes in your current role. Does your current salary reflect those accomplishments? When Leslie looked at the salary that was offered with her promotion, the answer was no. She sent an email to the executives at her company explaining why she deserved more. In her email, she highlighted detailed examples of her accomplishments over her three years at the company, describing how her work positively impacted the organization.

Since many women are made to feel they should be happy to have gotten their role in the first place, they often have a hard time feeling that they deserve more. Actress Brie Larson addressed this concern at the 2019 Women in the World Summit by saying “don’t even do it for you if that makes you feel weird right now, do it for the women that are going to come after you.” Bravely negotiating your salary could set a precedent for women to not accept less than what they are worth. This is a great tactic to use if you are having a difficult time convincing yourself you deserve higher compensation.

Furthermore, breaking the taboo nature of discussing money and compensation can work to help women feel comfortable negotiating. In many workplaces, discussing salary with coworkers and superiors is discouraged or even forbidden. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for women to ask for fair compensation when renegotiating their salary. In 2017, women on average were paid eighty percent of what men were paid. If we create an environment where all workers feel comfortable having candid conversations about their salaries, then we can work to close the wage gap through negotiation. Although conversations about salaries among coworkers are still considered taboo, introducing these conversations into the workplace will ensure that all employees have the necessary information to fight unjust salary discrimination.

Overall, preparation and research can help women feel comfortable negotiating the salary they deserve. A woman’s negotiation efforts have the power to set a precedent for the women after them; the efforts of one woman can make a difference in a company. It is important to acknowledge that you deserve a higher salary, and you are not difficult or greedy for wanting more.

Erin Dickman

Editor: Sylvia Strange

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How to Handle Being the Only Woman in the Room in 5 Steps

2/7/2021

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When you are the only woman in a room full of men, it is easy to feel intimidated. Being "the only," you may begin to question whether or not you truly belong in that room. After all, if there are not more women around you, there must be a reason — right? Perhaps you've begun to question whether you are qualified enough for the position or even the intent of why your company hired you. But hold on! As women, we must view our "only-ness" as an asset rather than a barrier. There is value in being the only woman in the room, and you are just as qualified as anyone to be there.

UBWA alumna Jenny Zaerr and Hannah Cedargren both have experience with being "the only woman in the room" in their respective fields. Zaerr works as a Senior Account Manager at Keurig Dr. Pepper within sales—an industry stereotypically comprised of older, white men. Cedargren works for EY within the consulting industry, which is also a male-dominated sector. Both women shared valuable insights with the UBWA Post on handling being the only woman in the room. We can best summarize their advice in five key steps.

Step 1: Understand your worth.

Companies need diverse perspectives — they hired you because your opinion matters to them. A 2015 McKinsey report on 366 public companies found that businesses in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15% more likely to have returns above the industry average. Women make companies more profitable, but it is up to women to own this metric. Cedargren states, "practice delivering the value of what you bring to the table. If you feel confident in the value that you're delivering, others in the room will see it and want to listen to it." Likewise, Zaerr elaborates that "it doesn't matter if you're showing up to a team of mostly women or men, remember you can always add value based on your knowledge and experiences." Varying perspectives make for a stronger team. Instead of getting caught up in feeling like an outsider, women must recognize that their ideas are worthy and essential.

Step 2: Know how to spot and deal with microaggressions.

Nearly two-thirds of women experience microaggressions at work. Microaggressions are the subtle, yet sometimes not so subtle, acts of sexism, ageism, and racism that many working women grapple with daily. Cedargren, for instance, recalls a microaggression from a client. "The client commented that one day I would likely live in the suburbs and drive my kids in a mini-van to sports practice." Zaerr is thankful not to have experienced gender-based microaggressions at work. She does remember age-related microaggressions related to her younger age relative to many of her coworkers. Zaerr's coworkers frequently teased: "Jenny and her tweeting." This might have been amusing if Zaerr was a Twitter fanatic, but Zaerr says she rarely tweets. Her coworkers just assumed she was an avid Twitter user based on her young age.

Microaggressions can sting a little at first, but it is also important to know how to cope. Instead of looking at microaggressions as an overt attack, women should try to understand the place from which the comment is coming. Cedargren believes women should view microaggressions as "an unconscious bias they might not know they have." Zaerr, similarly, explains in response to the Twitter comments that "People make these comments due to their insecurities. Perhaps they feel behind with technology. Or for the people who do experience gender-based stereotypes — perhaps they don't feel empathetic enough to lead a team of women effectively." Comments that at first feel like an assault on your identity may be a reflection of the person commenting.

Step 3: Take charge of your response.

It is easy to get caught up in the things that we cannot control, like our coworkers' behavior or choice of words, but our responses to interactions are just as important. As Zaerr explains: "We can only control our response soo either embrace their comment or call them out — respectfully, constructively and likely in private. Do whatever you feel compelled. . .but don't be afraid to voice your opinion when everyone already is doing so." In other words, if your coworkers are comfortable voicing their opinion with microaggressions, you should be just as comfortable sharing your own opinions and viewpoints with strength and conviction. Cedargren also offered tips on how to handle microaggressions best. She recommends reporting abusive behavior to human resources or a trusted leader but suggests addressing more well-meaning comments with coworkers as teachable moments. Such situations offer a valuable opportunity for women to take charge of interactions with coworkers. Cedargren reasons: "If the comment is more harmless and you have a good relationship with the individual, consider pulling the person aside and asking if they are open to feedback." Your coworkers may not know that their behavior is problematic in the first place and might appreciate your insight.

Step 4: Embrace your unique identity.

The differences separating you from your coworkers are what make up your identity. Sometimes women fear being trapped in a "box" characterized by a single attribute. They do not want to be reduced to their gender identity, age, race, or ethnicity. As Zaerr points out, however, being defined by your characteristics is not necessarily a bad thing. Zaerr emphasizes that "they are what make you. . . your characteristics can only be elevated by the value and ideas and output you bring every day to work." In essence, we could let our coworkers reduce us to our tropes or recognize how we can contribute effectively to work because of our own unique identities.

Step 5: Fake it 'til you make it!

This may sound counterintuitive, but even if you are not entirely comfortable in your professional role, pretend like you are. Cedargren explains, "Imposter syndrome is real — believe you're meant to be where you are, and others will believe with you." So what if deep down you do not feel qualified enough or deserving of your position right now — you have the job. Own it! Who knows? You might start believing that you earned it, because the truth is, you did!

Thank you to the wonderful UBWA alumna, Jenny Zaerr and Hannah Cedergren, who were so kind as to offer us such excellent advice on this topic. If you would like to learn more about the featured alumna in this post, click on the Featured Alumnae button on the blog's webpage! If you would like to learn more about handling being "the only woman in the room" or discuss this topic further, feel free to contact me at berlier.2@osu.edu

Grace Berlier

Editor: Elya John

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