Negotiating for Women
Negotiate for what you're really worth
“Because I’m worth it.” This popular advertising slogan created in the last decade had women around the globe declaring their worth and celebrating it. And why not? We work long, hard hours balancing work-life and home-life, and doing a darn good job of it. That alone is worth noting. If we dig a bit deeper though, do we really know our worth when it comes to our careers? Are we in control of getting what we want? More importantly, do we know how to go out and get it?
Negotiating Your Career
Laurel Bellows, managing principal of The Bellows Law Group, P. C., who specializes in negotiating employment and separation contracts for senior level executives, offers sound advice when it comes to navigating your future. “First and foremost, Ms. Bellows explains, “you have to know what you want or you won’t know what to ask for.”
Negotiating isn’t just about the job offer; it involves what you’re worth and other variables we often don’t consider. The most obvious is salary, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Consider the big picture of employment negotiation:
• Job What title is offered, what is your authority, to whom will you report to, career path opportunities, et cetera?
• Salary Always compare. Your entry compensation package sets the level for your future with this employer and those to follow. What are your peers in the firm making? Talk to your recruiter, research salaries with other firms in the same industry. Ask what level you are in thesalary band?
• Additional compensation Signing and annual bonuses and/or commission, target bonus expected increases with advancement, equity and investment rights.
• Benefits Retirement plans, company contributions, telecommuting, tuition reimbursement, vacation, health benefits all figure into your compensation.
• Exit strategy You probably will leave this job at some point; understand and negotiate separation benefits.
• Seek counsel If the job or promotion is management level, consult with an attorney to be sure you understand the value of this position and your rights.
There really isn’t one gender that’s better qualified than the other when it comes to the negotiating process; however, women negotiate differently. Men, in general, look several steps ahead, because their mentality or ego allows them to envision being the next CEO.
“Men never question whether or not they’re valuable,” Ms. Bellows explains. “Women do. Men will push as far as they can go, whereas women are more concerned about being disliked and appearing greedy. Men love a good game of one-upmanship, but women typically don’t like confrontation.”
But that doesn’t mean that women aren’t perfectly suited for successful negotiating. “It’s about reaching an agreement through relationships, and women are better at developing relationships and listening, which is crucial.” Negotiating in full before you start the job is essential, because once you’ve accepted, your power to negotiate is gone.
Tagged as: negotiating, finances and career advice
Julie Monti is Vice President of The Larko Group – one of Chicago’s most highly regarded staffing firms – and has spent the past 15 years guiding candidates through the sometimes rocky terrain of a career transition. Her specialty is creating, refining and targeting resumes; building networking resources; and career counseling.
