California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and New York City are leading the way to more equitable pay for all by banning the salary history question; however, that’s not enough to bring wide-scale change for pay equity or to you as an individual. Until implicit bias is addressed both in the hiring process and the offer of a salary, pay inequity will still exist. Within a salary band, employers can still anchor your compensation on the low end based on their perceptions of your identity. The good news is that you, as a job seeker, can act in ways that can mitigate the implicit bias in the offer.
Often the folks I coach start out asking “What am I worth?” and my response is “It is not what you are worth but what the position is worth” plus your value to it. A piece of advice I frequently give, is that if you have 70% of what they are looking for in the position, you are a qualified candidate. As you consider the following advice, you will want to confront any bias you may have about your qualifications, as it relates to the position.
So, the first step in gaining equity in pay is to know what the market will offer for the position and what your value is to that position. In the U.S., this is guided by policies and recommendations set by local governments, state governments, and the Department of Labor. These policies and recommendations are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Companies will set a salary band following these policies, the role, and industry standards. If you are working outside of the U.S., you will want to understand that country’s labor laws and guiding principles.
To determine your salary expectations, take into consideration the role, industry, and the geographic location of your position. The best source of information in the U.S. is the Bureau of Labor Statisticswage data by area and occupation. This will provide the most detailed information. You can sort data by occupation, industry, and geographic region. You can also use O*NET online, which provides a summary of wage data by role and geography, but not by industry. Finally, another great option is to use a professional association related to the role you are seeking. They often collect and publish salary data for roles and industries.
Your second step is to understand the full value of the offer. Again, I often see folks come into my office thinking they have a great offer, but once we start reviewing the benefits package, it doesn’t look as good. Be sure that you are comparing apples to apples – not apples to oranges. Take, for example, the higher education industry time-off benefits, where it is very common to receive four weeks of vacation along with generous sick time and many state/ federal holidays. In corporate settings, it is more common to find two weeks of vacation with limited holidays and sick time. Time-off is only one consideration. If you would like to see more benefits you need to consider, check out my video on Determining your Priorities on LinkedIn Learning.
Your final step is to ask for money, whether you are asking for a raise or negotiating a new offer. It is important to keep in mind that you may face implicit bias based on your identity; however, you can overcome these obstacles by planning for the conversation, well in advance. You will want to effectively frame the conversation and use your research to support your request. Before coming to the negotiation table, identify the contributions you can make that will allow you to be successful and how these can add value to the bottom-line of the organization. These types of conversation can be difficult, so hiring a coach to guide you may be a good strategy. Also, you can check out the LinkedIn Learning course by Lisa Gates for advice on framing these conversations to get you started.
Career Solutions by Valerie 