Because women often do not receive as many raises as often as men do, many people just assume women do not ask for those raises. That however, is not true. Women ask for raises as often as men do but just do not always receive that pay bump like they should. This is a result of lagging ideals of women not being as welcome in higher paying jobs as men are simply because of their gender. Antiquated notions like this tend to hold females back from ever even asking for what they deserve! This has got to change. If you are a woman and have decided to ask for your well deserved raise but are nervous about negotiating, then here are some tips to help you get the answer you want.
Educate Yourself Preemptively
One way to approach the negotiation of your pay is to start preparing early on, before you feel you have even earned that increase in salary. You can do this by finding and signing up for negotiations training where you will be taught in a broader, business oriented sense the art of negotiation. Having these skills in your back pocket is absolutely key for your everyday work as well as for those bigger, more monumental moments where you have a meeting with a superior about a raise.
Advocate For Yourself
If there is one thing you learn early on in your career as a woman it is that no one will be a more honest, helpful advocate for you than yourself. Learn this now and start to utilize it as a negotiation tool months or even years before you ask for a raise. Start singing your own praises in subtle ways. This might look like you being proactive and scheduling meetings with your superior or superiors at specific intervals to ask them what you are doing well and how you could be doing better. Record these meetings and track your progress on a daily basis based off of what your superiors are asking you to do better. Bring these items listed out with examples to your negotiation meeting and it will be really difficult for your boss to say no to that concrete evidence!
Figure Out Your Value
As a woman, it can be hard to spell out positive things about yourself. Do not be shy about this! Sit down and take some time to think about your strengths as a worker. Think about what you bring to the table as an individual that other people do not. Write this all out in a document and reread it every now and then when you feel depleted or down on yourself. Knowing what your value as an employee is helps you speak more clearly about why you deserve that raise during your negotiation.
Quit Apologizing
Women are known for using passive language in emails and meetings to downplay their accomplishments and highlight their mistakes. Stop doing this. You do not have to apologize for every little mistake, or even for the mistakes of others! Instead, say thank you to people for being patient and understanding. Changing your language can change your reality and the perception of those around you!
Asking for any raise in any sector of the workforce is intimidating. Walking into a superior’s office and making a request for more zeros on your paycheck is daunting, especially if you are a woman. Women are essentially trained from birth to act smaller than they are, to downplay their accomplishments and to not be vocal about what they need. These things are ingrained into our culture, but things are starting to change. With more women in the workforce, other females are empowered to work hard and get after their work goals. Following these tips and developing a strategy that works for your specific career path can help you get the raise you want when you want it. Be brave and go for it!
