Seven Salary Negotiation Tips for Women

August 1, 2011

From Salary.com

Women are far less likely than men to negotiate at work, which typically costs women more than half a million dollars in earnings over the course of their respective careers, according to Linda Babcock and Sara Lashever, authors of the book Women Don’t Ask.

The authors conducted multiple studies that found women miss out by failing to negotiate salary, promotions and other advancement opportunities that men commonly and aggressively pursue. The reluctance of female employees to advocate for themselves is often the difference between climbing the career ladder at a healthy pace and not climbing it at all.

Babcock and Lashever said it’s not about women being substandard negotiators, but rather they fail to negotiate at all. In a recent Newsweek interview, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg shares an interesting theory: women don’t negotiate for themselves because others react badly to it. Sandberg says data shows when men negotiate for themselves they are more liked and respected. But when women negotiate for themselves, the behavior is not similarly rewarded. Instead, both men and women want to work with them less often.

In today’s world, the ability to successfully negotiate is a necessity. While it’s difficult to change societal outlooks and reactions, women can learn to negotiate in ways that have a more positive impact on the relationships and people around them. This article explores seven tips for helping women get the salaries they deserve, without alienation or negative feedback.

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