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Black women face many obstacles in the workplace. Not the least of which is trying to stay competitive with other demographic groups when it comes to salary. Black women make up a disproportionately large percentage of low-income workers, with 50% of working women of color making less than $15 per hour.
Even when they work similar jobs, Black women continue to face disparities in compensation when compared to others. While women as a whole make just 82% of what a man makes in a job with similar responsibilities, this gap widens for Black women. For every dollar earned by a non-Hispanic white man, a Black woman earns 63 cents, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Factored over a long care, that difference adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars that Black women don’t get paid.
Black women know what they face, and they have taken steps to improve not only their own standing in the workplace but also for those who will come after them. One of the biggest changes is in educational attainment, with the number of Black women earning a college degree increasing by four times in the past four decades.
As they continue to strive to shrink the wage gap, Black women can benefit from learning effective negotiation tactics. By empowering themselves with the right knowledge and strategies, they can better advocate for fair compensation.
Tips for Success in Salary Negotiations for Black Women
The first step in salary negotiations — for Black women and everyone else — is to take it seriously and prepare. Talking to a manager about getting a raise is a daunting task, especially for Black women. Many fear it’s hard to ask for what they want without coming across as pushy or greedy. Some Black women have revealed that when co-workers know about their ambitious intentions, some people misinterpret them as angry, difficult or aggressive.
By preparing for a negotiation with these tips in mind, it’s possible to avoid common pitfalls and increase the chance of feeling satisfied with the result.
Tip 1: Know Your Worth
Every worker can become their own worst enemy by not having some idea of what their work is worth to their organization. It’s important to research what others make in similar jobs and in similar markets. For example, don’t just compare salaries for social media marketers, but for social media marketers in the metro area where the job is located. It’s also important to look for salary information for people with similar experience, education and skill sets.
Websites like Glassdoor and Payscale offer a sense of the salary range for different jobs. Also, look to mentors and trusted peers who may have more in depth salary information. The more a Black woman knows about her value when entering the room, the better she can negotiate for the salary she deserves.
Tip 2: Highlight Accomplishments
Come into the meeting armed with a long list of past actions that led to positive contributions to the company. Think about core issues such as cutting costs, increasing revenue or improving a product or service. Quantifying accomplishments helps frame the conversation around impact to the company, making it harder for employers to undervalue work.
Tip 3: Consider More Than Just Salary
Negotiations are not just about money. Most people focus on salary, but it’s important not to overlook other factors that impact work experience. For example, consider meaningful benefits such as a better (and more marketable) job title, additional vacation days, remote work flexibility, a budget for professional development, or tuition reimbursement. Other non-monetary benefits include a change to specific job responsibilities, as well as growth and mentoring opportunities.
Tip 4: Address Internal Bias Head-On
We all want a world like the one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described where people are not “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” But we also know even the best-intentioned people may have unconscious biases, including those tied to race and gender, that influence them.
Black women often have to navigate stereotypes and assumptions about their competence, ambition or even personality. Part of negotiation involves recognizing and countering potential biases. Harvard Business Review even recommends speaking candidly about what research has shown about implicit bias against people of color in the workplace if there’s a good working relationship with the person on the other side of the table.
At the very least, Black women should remain aware of these biases and strive to keep the negotiation focused on achievements, leadership qualities and ability to contribute to the company’s success in concrete terms.
Tip 5: Be Comfortable with Silence
Many people feel the urge to fill silence during negotiation conversations. However, silence can provide an advantage. After presenting the case for a higher salary or better benefits, resist the urge to immediately fill the gap with additional comments or justifications. Pauses can prompt the other party to reflect and potentially respond with a counteroffer. This is an area where it helps to practice in low-stakes conversations. Rather than speaking, allow a silence to linger and see what develops.
Tip 6: Avoid a Redefinition of the Job
This is sometimes referred to as “the job within the job,” and it’s a problem for Black women in particular. Many Black women will find themselves asked to take on extra duties, especially around a company’s diversity efforts. While it’s important to support these efforts, it’s also important to avoid taking on a new job on top of the actual job, with no extra compensation. Always consider what the upside is before taking on extra duties. Clearly define the expected job role and ensure that anything outside of those job duties is something that is acceptable.
Tip 7: Practice the Pitch
Confidence is key when negotiating. The best way to achieve confidence in a pitch for a higher salary is to practice delivering it. Write down all the talking points. They should include the research that backs up the request, a detailed list of past contributions to the company and the potential for future contributions moving forward. Ask a mentor or trusted friend to hear the pitch, which can help anticipate potential objections or questions. It also reduces the chance of being caught off-guard.
Tip 8: Play the Long Game
The more a person practices negotiating, the better they get at it. Even if a Black woman does not get all she wants from a negotiation, she can apply what she learns from the experience to the next round of negotiations.
However, it’s also important to walk away if a current employer cannot meet salary or benefit expectations. That doesn’t mean immediately quitting the job, something that is not financially feasible for most people. Instead, pay attention and realize when an employer reveals they cannot meet expectations. That’s a signal to begin searching elsewhere. This also can help with the current employer, who may take a salary request more seriously if they know a Black woman has other prospects.
Black women deserve fair compensation for their work. Salary negotiations are a powerful tool to make that a reality. By approaching negotiations with research, confidence and clarity, Black women can take actionable steps toward closing the wage gap and getting paid the salary they deserve.