When do you ask for a raise – Photo: acute redhead.com
I wrote earlier about asking for raises, and how the recent controversy around Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadell‘s comments has literally raised the stakes on women’s raises at work. While Mr. Nadell argued women should trust karma for pay increases, and this despite his subsequent retraction, women, and the general public, are increasingly realizing the many layers of pay inequality at work.
Yet, Microsoft’s CEO remarks also served us as a reminder that closing the gender pay gap also means asking for it to be closed. In other words, we, as women at work, must ask to receive what we want. In reality though, how often do we, and how persistent are we, at asking for pay increases?
When do you muster up the courage to schedule some time with your manager and discuss your salary? Or, as Mr. Nadell’s incendiary comments suggested, do you just wait for Lady karma to bestow her financial favors upon you?
My $0.05: It took me years to even consider asking for a pay raise. I simply didn’t think it was done. I thought you work hard and wait your turn, and your efforts should be rewarded. And truth is, this probably set my career and finances back. It took a few years of professional stagnation to realize it was time. And when I finally went ahead and asked, it did not happen then. Yet it made me realize that not only should I have asked earlier, but I do have the choice and power to negotiate.
What motivates you to ask for a pay increase, if anything? Take my short poll and share with us…
The Corporate Sis.
