I am going to share some facts with you today that are probably going to make you mad.
They should make you mad. Did you know: Women are paid less than men? Across the board. The average is about 15% across every single industry and job category.
Did you know that lack of pay transparency disproportionately affects women (and, in particular, Women of Colour)?
Did you know that women get skipped over for promotions and pay raises while on Mat Leave despite years of loyal service to their company? Maybe you are nodding right along thinking, ‘Of course I know this! This is ME!’ Well, Moms at Work is doing something about that. Literally.
We are paving the way to have pay transparency be mandated.
We created Canada’s first Pay Transparency Guide AND we started our own job board where every single role posted needs to have a pay range. And on a personal level, even though I hate bragging about myself, I am REALLY good at helping women negotiate better salaries. I have been negotiating on the corporate side for almost 20 years - I bring ALL that to the table for you. In fact, I have supported my clients in gaining over $2 million dollars in annual salary increases (that’s not including equity, vacation, bonuses, etc.).
Because it is important to me that women are not only paid for their labour, but are paid WELL and EQUITABLY.
Here are 3 tips to negotiate a better salary:
Tip #1 - Give Yourself a Big Salary Range
If you are up for an annual review and need to provide a salary range (because your company just won’t), make it obnoxiously big. Like, REALLY big. You need to feel sliiiiiiightly uncomfortable with the number you are asking for. If you really want to get 60K for this role, then say 55–85K. See what I did there? Put what you really want at the BOTTOM of that range. Why? So you can negotiate 🙂
Tip #2 - State Your Range and Stop Talking
When you state your range (or your percentage), STOP TALKING. Yes, you heard me. STOP TALKING. Stop justifying your position. Stop listing every little thing that you did. Stop quoting Glassdoor research. Say. 'The range I am looking at receiving is between 55k and 85k.’ Period. Why? Because you let people know that you have done your homework and that you are confident in your role and responsibilities. You don’t need to TELL them that. Show them. Men do it all the time. Time for you to do it too.
Tip #3 - If They Won’t Pay, Look Elsewhere
If they go on and on about how they can’t afford it and how that range is too big and try to downplay all of the hard work you have put into the role, it is time to get out your resume. Did you know that over the course of your lifetime, one of the fastest ways to get a raise is to switch companies? Yup.
Here is a little bonus tip to go along with #3 - Apply Before You’re "Ready"
Apply for jobs that you are only 75% qualified for. Again, Men do it ALL. OF. THE. TIME. You don’t need to check every single box on a job post. Skills are transferable. If you want to move up in your career and make more money, apply before you are ‘ready’.
Let’s get you more money! -Al
