Сlaim what you deserve

What are we entitled to? is fairness good enough? be empowered to ask for more than average.

Entitlement

Entitlement is the second steppingstone that we need to conquer as we figure out what our pay should be. Should we accept the offer that’s in front of us, or ask for more? What are we entitled to?

When presented with the question of what we are entitled to, people separate themselves into two categories:

Category 1

I am entitled to more than others

Category 2

I am entitled to the same as others

During the research that was conducted by Barron on “Gender Differences in Negotiations Beliefs” those who think they are entitled to more than others try to raise their perceived value to the hiring company. For example, a candidate would position him/herself in the following frame “if it’s a typical salary, I am not a typical candidate, so you should make an adjustment”. We all have different strengths and experiences that set us apart, after all that is exactly what we are trying to purvey during the interview process. During interview, we try to convince the company that we ARE more than others, so it should translate into pay as well. But how do you get into that mindset? Luckily, we have everything at our disposal needed to get to that point – turn to your past and look at your track record.

While many men have the mentality that they deserve more than others, many women, in contrast, are just looking for fairness. When men argue that they should get paid more for their abilities, skills and talent; women tend to argue that if they have the same experience, skills and talent as others, they should get paid the same. We, as women, are more inclined to think that if we make the average salary for the position, then it’s fair. Even though that might be the case, it is putting females at a significant disadvantage financially, especially long-term.

“If we are asking to be paid fairly, and on par with average salary, then we aren’t asking for more.”

When polled, 70% of men answer that they are entitled to more than others, meanwhile 71% of women say that they are entitled to the same as others. You might argue that if women are paid fairly then there wouldn’t be a gender pay gap, but how much we ask for has a significant impact on how much we make and how wide the gap remains. There is a positive relationship between what we ask for and our salary.

mindset

70% men
entitled to more than others

71% women
entitled to the same as others

Consider this example. A man and a woman are both in the position of asking for salary for a position of Sourcing Manager. Let’s say, for this example sake, an average sourcing manager is paid $50,000. The offer is extended to both, a female and male candidate with $50,000 as a starting salary, the duties and responsibilities are the same. The man reaches out to the hiring manager directly and asks to meet to discuss the salary. During that conversation, the man reiterates how he would love to bring his talent and skills to the job at hand, but the salary expectations are slightly off. Considering his track record and drive, he was thinking that he should be paid more along the line of $62,000.

On the other hand, a woman receives an offer at the same time for the position with a starting salary of $50,000. She knows that the average for the position in the geographical area is around $55,000, so she reaches back to the HR manager and counters with the message that she is really excited to have a job, and would love to bring her value to the company, but considering that the average salary is around $55,000 she would like the company to come in around that figure.

Who do you think is going to walk out with more value? The company made the same offer to both, but the man asked for $7,000 more than the woman. More likely than not, a man will walk away with more than average $55,000 (or at least the average pay of $55,000) and most likely an additional week of vacation or a signing bonus, or a slightly higher bonus structure. While a woman might walk away with less than $55,000 because nobody is going to meet you at your top number, nor they should.

The reality is – nobody is going to retract their offer if you counter with a different number for pay, assuming it’s justified. So, ask for more than others, be empowered to ask for more than average.