Unequal pay is a pain in the ass for most women. It's a fact that we make less than men for the same jobs and with similar work history.
Part of the problem is the low-ball offers carefully placed in our inboxes before we even set foot on location.
The other part of the problem is our ask game.
Sixty percent of millennial women don't negotiate salaries when they first get a job, according to a Levo study.
Studies predict that the gender pay gap may not close for another 170 years, but that doesn't mean you have to wait that long.
Get a little "ask" inspiration from these badass women who wanted a raise, asked for it and GOT that shit. Elite Daily spoke with four real women who asked for raises, and actually received them.
Here's how they did it:
Clara Diaz took advantage of "supply-and-demand."
Job: Spanish Interpreter
One of the reasons why I asked is because I knew that they had a shortage of interpreters, so I used the supply-and-demand thing to my advantage. I had also been evaluating other interpreters in the quality assurance department, so I was more than just an interpreter there. I was like a senior instructor. I told them this and I asked very respectfully.
How she negotiated the price tag:
I was going off of my own personal needs because when I looked up the maximum of what interpreters get paid, I was already getting that. I wanted more. I learned not to rely on those industry standards. Just figured out what I wanted and asked for that. She asked me if I would be willing to work more hours, but I'm a mother so I declined. She was disappointed but still gave me a raise on the spot and my pay changed a week later.
She was disappointed but still gave me a raise on the spot and my pay changed a week later.
Nicole Graziano noticed others moving up and getting raises.
Job: Human Resources Recruiter
They started letting go of some of my co-workers, so I was the only recruiter in my position. I was doing the job of four or five people by myself. It was really tough but I really enjoyed myself. When I finally researched my position on Glassdoor, I realized they low-balled me really, really bad compared to what the average salary was.
How she negotiated the price tag:
I said, 'Here's what I've done for you and this is what I can do going forward, but I will need this salary to continue.' My manager kind of laughed. I knew this was going to be somewhat awkward. Then I recall him saying he would try to get HR to pull the money from another budget. It took two to three months, but I actually ended up getting a 31 percent raise.
I ended up getting a 31 percent raise.
Alyssa Carroll learned a male co-worker made 20 percent more.
Job: Assistant Editor for Television.
I felt I was being pretty grossly underpaid, so I talked to my direct supervisor. He seemed very receptive to it. I didn't mention other co-workers. I didn't want it to feel like I was accusing the company of anything. I just wanted them to know that I valued myself and I valued my work. I talked about how I was starting my second project with this company. I no longer had to go through the on-boarding process, knew the company's ins and outs and had shown that I am meticulous and hard working. Those were all of my reasons to ask for a raise.
How she negotiated the price tag:
I took the amount that the people who had been at the company longest were making. I subtracted a little bit to account for the amount of time I had worked at the company and asked for that amount. I figured I was making less than the people who had been there longer than me but I was still making an amount that worked out with my budget in life. They countered with a slightly lower offer, but I felt comfortable accepting, because I knew it was equal to my peers.
They countered with a slightly lower offer but I felt comfortable accepting; it was equal to my peers.
Kandice Ebanks was leaving if she wasn't promoted.
Job: Administrative Assistant.
I had been in the position for four years and I had only gotten the cost of living raises. I talked to my direct supervisor about wanting to be promoted to executive assistant. I wanted to have more responsibility and more money. I knew that if that wasn't an option that I didn't want to stay at the company.
How she negotiated the price tag:
My supervisor wanted to give it to me but she had to speak to her boss to get approval so she went to him and he said, 'No.' I gave my resignation and two-weeks notice about two days later. I was going to just take some time off and figure out what I wanted to do. The next day, they offered me a raise and a totally different position within the company. I took one week to make sure I was a good fit for the position and then accepted the job.
I wanted to have more responsibility and more money.
The main takeaway?
LOL, but all jokes aside:
All of these women knew exactly what they brought to the company. They made their requests based on the amount they deserved and what they needed to live.
None of them started a conversation discussing the pay of other people in the company.
Instead, they used the research to inform their negotiations and focused on their own badassery as talking points.
Now go get 'em!
