Discussing the wage gap between men and women

The wage discrepancy has been a long-time issue for women. On average, women are paid 70 cents for every dollar a man earns.

WINK News Anchor Lindsey Sablan interviewed Nicole Goucher, CEO of Conric PR and Julia Toothacre, a resume and career strategist at Resume Builder about why women are less likely to negotiate for a proper pay rate.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a man’s world because I’m seeing [female] representation there. It’s almost like representation first and then continue to move the needle in the right way,” said Goucher.

“We surveyed 1,417 full-time workers,” said Toothacre. “That study found half of the men say that they negotiated their compensation in the past two years, while only 1/3 of women did.”

• TO VIEW THE FULL SURVEY STUDY, CLICK HERE

The huge distinction between men and women provokes the question: Why are women less likely to ask for more money?

“The imposter syndrome, not feeling like they’re worthy to get what they actually want,” said Toothacre, “I think that comes from, you know, people telling women, ‘Oh, no, you can’t ask for that. that’s too much.'”   

“There is this dynamic of not wanting to be seen as difficult and or the chance that you could lose what you’ve worked so hard for,” said Goucher.      

Goucher noticed times are changing as women with entry-level positions will often discuss their pay rate openly and ask for more.

Toothacre mentions imposter syndrome, which prevents them from asking for what they think they deserve.

So, how do you negotiate pay or flexibility?

Toothacre recommends you talk to managers or higher-ups about how to approach it, then look up the suggested salary in your field on several websites.

Pay rates will vary, but it can provide insight as to what the expected wage range is.

She also recommended to consider different negotiation angles if a pay raise is off the table.

More vacation days, benefits or remote work can be easier to discuss rather than monetary increases.