Secure The Bag: Act Like a Lady, Negotiate Like a White Man (Pt.1)
This is the final article in my three-part series about Black women getting what they deserve at work, but I received so much great information that I decided to make this final article two parts. If you haven’t already, read the first and second articles. The first is about Black women not selling themselves short while applying to jobs, and the second is about how to shine during an interview.
If you watch the HBO show Insecure, you probably remember the scene from Season 2 when Molly opens her paycheck and thinks she got a raise, only to find out she accidentally got the paycheck of her white male colleague. Then, to add salt to her wounds, she finds out that her male colleague doesn’t work nearly as hard as her.
Or maybe you heard Michelle Williams’s passionate Emmy acceptance speech about pay equity. She did what a true ally does and mentioned that women of color face an even larger pay gap than white women.
Or maybe you're familiar with Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on August 22. This is the day that a Black woman must work into the new year to make what white man made at the end of the previous year.
The numbers are even more disheartening when you look at the disparities for Native American women at .58 cents for every dollar a white man makes, and Latina women at .53 cents for every dollar a white man makes.
One way to address disparities is to equip yourself with as much information as possible. This by no means solves the problem, but it will help.
I asked seven white men at different stages in their careers the same four questions about salary negotiation, and they provided a lot of insight. There were so many great responses, I couldn’t squeeze everything into one article, so make sure you come back next week for Part 2. And yes, several men acknowledged white male privilege when it comes to negotiating salary, but we’ll get into that next week.
Let’s get into it!
#1 How do you find out the salary range you should aim for when considering a job offer?
Quick answer: ALWAYS do your research to find out the industry standards for salary and what other people in similar positions are paid. If you can, ask someone you know who is in a similar role if they are willing to share their salary. If the hiring manager asks how much you make in your current/previous role, give a number that is within the industry standard range. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT share your current salary.
Responses:
I scour the internet. I use Glassdoor.com, Salary.com, etc. In the nonprofit sector, you can look at the organization’s tax return (Form 990) and see what the executives are earning.
Do your homework and recognize that evaluating this information is as much of a science as it is an art. When in doubt, shoot for the middle of a range, which allows employers to see you as a candidate that they could hire AND a candidate that could have some upward mobility over time within a range.
To be honest, I typically work off of what I made previously. If I made $70,000 at my last job, and this new one appears to be a more senior position, I'll aim for a jump of 15-20%. I will occasionally do a bit of Googling to try and figure out a basic range, but I'm mostly concerned with getting a bump from what I made before.
If there is someone I know well who works at the organization, who's worked there before, or who's in the industry and could give me an idea of what should be the salary range, that's a good starting point.
Also, I try to keep a network of career mentors that are in higher level positions than myself and reach out to them to get some additional context on the compensation range for different positions.
I mostly use Glassdoor.com, but more generally I search online to try to find a "benchmark" for my title in my industry. If the job is not in my industry, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn looking at relative career length and educational background of the people with similar titles. I'd say, I tend to do a lot of research on a job before applying for it, so I feel pretty confident that my requirements and their salary range are likely to be close.
I generally start my search looking at what is available online via Glassdoor.com to get a baseline of current salaries for the specific position/company, or what similar companies are paying if the company I am applying for does not have information on Glassdoor. Also, I try to keep a network of career mentors that are in higher-level positions than myself and reach out to them to get some additional context on the compensation range for different positions.
I first estimate range based on years of experience required and/or responsibility of the position. Then, I look on Glassdoor.com to get a sense as to whether the company typically pays at, below, or above the average compared to other companies in their field. Next, I combine that info with salary survey data from staffing companies and others that I can glean online. I compare all this with whatever personal knowledge I have of the industry, of the position, and of the company; and use it to come up with an estimate.
#2 Upon receiving a job offer, what percentage of the time do you counter the salary?
Quick answer: Use your research to know what the initial offer should be, and if it’s below what you found in your research, counter-offer. If it’s above, still counteroffer, especially if you're new to salary negotiation. You have nothing to lose and should get as much practice as possible negotiating. Also, if you don't have one, find a mentor! Use your college alumni directory, LinkedIn Career Advice, a professional association, a former boss, someone at church, and the list goes on. There are so many places to find a mentor who can help you navigate your career.
Responses:
It depends on the number of discussions that we had regarding a total compensation package prior to an offer. But generally, I’d say almost 100% of the time.
100% of the time. I was taught by my mentors that the worst they can do is say no; I also think, after you're in the working world for a while, you realize that finding good applicants is almost as hard as applying.
I have not done a lot of this in my career. However, if there is some leverage (e.g., I've worked for a higher salary already, there's another potential job offer, or if the job described in the interview seems to exceed what is described on the job posting), I try to ask for more.
100% of the time. I was taught by my mentors that the worst they can do is say no...
For the last 10 years or so, I have made it my practice (most of the time) to know what salary I would accept before proceeding with any interviews. I try to hold off on revealing this number for as long as possible. Any job offer I received that met these criteria, I would accept the offer, forgoing any negotiation. I have counter-offered (negotiated) on three occasions in the last 15+ years.
Most of the time, but typically before the offer is extended. Generally before the formal interview process starts the salary range is brought up by the recruiter or I ask, and at that time I always say that I am really looking for a figure that is 5%-10% higher than the top end of the range. The final amount does not always come in at the top end figure I communicated, but this method generally ensures it is at the top end of the range the company communicated.
I always either counter the salary or research whether it could be countered. If the salary is well above what I was making before and the job offers something non-financial, such as the ability to have "X" company name on my resume for future employment purposes, then I will sometimes not negotiate too much or at all. But usually, I have a sense as to what I can get from someone before I even receive the job offer.
And we're done!
That’s the first part of the article! Confidence is key when negotiating, and as you can see, the worst thing they can do is say no. Do some research, find yourself a mentor, and start negotiating.
Pay close attention to how the hiring team treats you during the negotiation process because if they treat you poorly during that process, how do you think they'll treat you if you are an employee?
Pay close attention to how the hiring team treats you during the negotiation process because if they treat you poorly during that process, how do you think they'll treat you if you are an employee? Come back next week for insight on what to do to when you can't reach a salary agreement, acknowledgment of white male privilege when job searching, and more great advice.
Thanks for reading! You can always find me at portiaobeng.com!