4 Enemies you
must kill to win
Women and Salary Negotiations

In my previous articles we discussed that women have a harder time initiating and obtaining their desired outcomes in salary negotiations. Thanks to broader societal expectations of how women should act in the workplace, fewer women than men ask for salary negotiations, and, as a result, receive a much lower salary than their male counterparts.

The most shocking data is that the gender pay gap is the largest among top executives. The pay gap widens as women progress in their career, with women at the executive level making a shocking $0.69 to every dollar a man makes (source: payscale.com).The World Economic Forum reported that it will take 202 years to close the gender pay gap if no action is taken.

Therefore, how can women succeed in a salary negotiation? The answer lies in killing the inner-enemies most women have lurking inside them. These enemies include not knowing one's worth, fear of rejection, the dreaded 'imposter syndrome,' and approaching negotiations in a negative light. Luckily, there are ways all women can 'kill' these enemies and receive the salary they deserve.

To fully understand this first enemy, take a look at the story of Lena, a woman who had no idea just how much she was missing out on:

The fear of rejection is a common emotion felt by most individuals at some point or another in their lives. When it comes to salary negotiations, women's fear of rejection may be more amplified than men's, as women are taught to be more amiable and accepting of what they are given than men are. Once a woman knows her worth, she can use her newfound motivation and confidence to approach salary negotiations with the same valor as her male colleagues.

When it comes to the actual negotiation, women should approach the number they are looking for with evidence. For example: "My compensation last year was $160k plus a bonus. Talking to [industry colleagues/a few recruiters], I understand that I should be getting a base salary of at least $200k." Using this phrase or something similar demonstrates knowledge and confidence, two key factors all women should have during a salary negotiation.

These days, it seems imposter syndrome is more common than ever before, especially among women. Imposter syndrome at work comes from a feeling that you haven't really achieved anything because you aren't truly good at your job and you are not worthy of your success. As such, women who suffer from imposter syndrome often don't try to go after what they really want, as, deep down, they do not believe that they deserve it.

In her legendary book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg points out, that if you "ask a man to explain his success he will typically credit his own innate qualities and skills. Ask a woman the same and she will attribute her success to external factors, insisting she did well because she 'worked really hard', or 'got lucky', or 'had help from others'". A study addressed in Lean In found that "in situations where a man and a woman each receive negative feedback, the woman's self-confidence and self-esteem drop to a much greater degree."

Statistics prove that, when a man sees a job posting, if he feels he can perform 60% of the requirements in the job description, he will apply. Conversely, women will only apply to jobs if they believe they meet at least 90% of the job requirements. Even if a woman can meet nearly every single job requirement, she will often not believe that she is worthy of even applying for the job.

If you recognise imposter syndrome in yourself, admit it to yourself first. Talk to some other women, to know that you are not alone and that many women suffer from the feeling of self-doubt. It is important to talk about it, analyse your skills and achievements critically and prove to yourself, that your achievements are not a matter of luck, but a result of your hard work.

Studies have confirmed that women suffer a higher level of stress and anxiety as compared to men as many women have to successfully balance a career, a family and a continuous feeling of self-doubt. As a result, stress, most often in the form of heart disease, is the number one killer of women in the Western world.

Approaching a salary negotiation with any kind of negative mindset most often leads to negative results. Nowadays, we know that women deserve more, and, as a result, societal expectations around women in the workplace are shifting. Women are beginning to be respected for their ambitions, confidence and individualistic characteristics. Now is the time to approach negotiations in a positive light, knowing that change is finally here for women.