Here’s how to negotiate your worth as a female executive

Recently there’s been another spotlight shone on the ever-present gender pay gap. This is a global problem, and one that women must advocate for by negotiating their worth when they take on executive roles. If we have any real chance of closing the gap, there are things women need to be doing in tandem.

In the hundreds of executive and management level interviews I have sat in on over my career (which is where it is reported the biggest gender pay gap exists), I have never once had a woman negotiate on salary.

In stark contrast, in negotiations with men I often hear them demand an increase to move roles. If a projected salary for a role doesn’t meet their expectations, they’ll let you know.

Don’t ask, don’t get

The studies are endless on the reluctance of women to negotiate, with claims somewhere from 60–70 percent of women have never negotiated their salary. Have we simply been too polite to ask?

Or perhaps women are better at reading the room when choosing not to do so. There is a social cost to negotiating, which is higher for women than men. They know intuitively that self-advocating for pay can present a socially difficult situation for them. Yet those who don’t ask, don’t get – and so the gap remains.

Women need to start negotiating. We need to start recognizing our worth and asking for a salary that supports that worth.

Understanding the value you bring to an organization can reflect positively on your candidacy. Any business hiring a senior professional expects them to have the ability to negotiate.

As Sheryl Sandberg famously said in her Facebook interview, "Of course, you realize that you’re hiring me to run your deal team, so you want me to be a good negotiator."

There is a confidence and understanding of worth, which comes with having a simple negotiation. It demands respect, as long as it’s done in a way (unfortunately, particularly for women) that shows your potential employer the value in you being able and willing to do so.

The more calmly and confidently your request is delivered, the less likely it is to be questioned.

Know your worth

My advice is to take the time to believe in your worth by researching market rates and understanding how your experience aligns with it. This allows you to enter negotiations with an internal confidence and conviction that your request is not only fair and reasonable, but it will naturally reflect in your body language and demeanor.

And always frame your request as a win–win scenario by emphasizing the value to the company rather than linking the need for higher remuneration to personal costs such as mortgages or school fees.

My advice is to take the time to believe in your worth by researching market rates and understanding how your experience aligns with it.

It’s also worth considering negotiating a comprehensive package to reach your desired outcomes tied to performance, especially in situations where the base salary is less flexible, with bonuses, longer-term incentives and included allowances.

I believe almost every salary offer should be a negotiation and if we teach younger women the value of this, while also supporting them in doing it, perhaps in 10 years’ time the gap will be filled.

Until then, we must learn to master the art of a negotiation to command our value and respect and encourage other women in business to do the same.