Danbury program helps women negotiate better salary
newstimes.com, October 20, 2011
"If I work hard enough, I will get noticed."
"I'm sure they know what a fair salary is for this position."
"After the huge project I just worked on, I bet they're thinking about my raise right now."
If you have those thoughts about your job, you may be in for a rude awakening, according to Ellen Durnin, dean of the School of Business at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
More often than not, the 58-year-old Bethel woman said, it's women who think this way.
"Women have this voice inside our heads that tells us not to ask for what we believe we need in order to be successful. By listening to this voice, we are sabotaging ourselves. We are cutting ourselves off from many opportunities to get ahead," Durnin said.
Despite how far women have come in the workforce, great inequality still exists. According to Catalyst, a nonprofit membership organization working to expand opportunities for women in business, women earn 77 percent as much as men.
In addition, women hold only 2.8 percent of Fortune 500 chief executive officer roles and 3.3 percent of Fortune 1000 CEO roles.
Salary inequalities often begin at hiring, Durnin said. "You should be aware that when hiring managers make an offer, they already have a range in mind. They go in low and are willing to go higher. Yet when women are presented with a salary, they tend to view it as a take-it or leave-it offer.
"In contrast, men view it as their opening gambit in starting the conversation. They think the worst the employer can say is no, and they would be no worse off than they were before," Durnin said.
"If you're unhappy with the offer, you need to come right out and say, `I was hoping for more. Is that the best you can offer?'"
When an employer won't negotiate your salary, Durnin recommends not ending the conversation. Instead, try to negotiate other perks, such additional vacation days, paid education costs or flexible work hours.
Several years ago, Danbury's Theresa Wiblishauser had a positive negotiation experience after being hired as a social worker.
"In 2001, I had just accepted a new position, and while I felt the salary they offered me was OK, I wanted more. So I did some research and learned the company paid $8,000 for each employee's health benefits. I didn't want their health plan, since I was on my husband's plan. So I asked them, `If I don't take your health plan, what can you do for me?'
"I ended up negotiating an additional $3,500 in salary. It was a win-win situation for everyone," Wiblishauser said.
According to Chris Makell, owner of Chris Makell Coaching in Danbury, a large part of getting ahead involves networking. Makell said that most people reserve networking for when they are looking for a job. Instead, they should be out networking all the time.
This can involve meeting with colleagues or peers in a social setting to find out what they're doing and learn their concerns, she said.
"It's about getting to know what you're up against. Expand your knowledge about your job by getting outside of your own world and learning about your competition.
"(Perhaps) you will learn about a different way of doing something and can then apply this at your own company. This demonstrates to your boss that you're thinking on a larger scale than just your current position and are able to make a greater contribution to help the company grow," said Makell, 51, of Danbury, whose 6-year-old company helps small business owners and entrepreneurs.
