22 FEMAIL MAGAZINE New Delhi, Wednesday, May … · 22 FEMAIL MAGAZINE Mail Today, New Delhi,...
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Mail Today, New Delhi, Wednesday, May 19, 2010 22 FEMAIL MAGAZINE Why negotiating for higher salaries makes women nervous A RE WOMEN seen as being overly demanding when they attempt to negotiate their salary? Some studies do seem to suggest that and much more. Women may even face higher social risk compared to men when they appear to negotiate salary. These findings came up while studying the salary patterns of women and men. Yes, the studies high- lighted the same old story — that in most sectors women were found to earn less than their male counterparts and one of the arguments that was put forward was that women earn less because they don’t push as hard as men for higher salaries. And the ‘why’ to that revealed further that women felt nervous as it was perceived as being “less nice or overly demanding”, according to Hannah Riley Bowles, associate professor at Harvard University. Now, did the current crop of senior executives in post-liberalisation India feel the same way? Yes and no, depending on which sectors they belonged to. In banking and financial services, information tech- nology, hospitality and other sectors which have many women in their workforce, it’s not the case. As Aparna Sharma, director – HR at leading bio- pharma firm UCB India, puts it: “Mindsets are grad- ually changing alright, but there are still those who do wonder loudly why a woman wants more money if she has a husband who must be earning well.” Ask for a raise in position and there still are people who want to know why is she being so aggressive. “Does she want to become the CEO or a board member — that’s the question asked. And this mindset will change only when more women make it to the Board and take sen- ior positions,” Sharma says. “Conventionally, women are seen as more compliant, less ambitious, less aggressive and assertive, and this image has to do with stereotypes in society,” adds Sharma. In the BPO sector, for instance, which has a huge female workforce, especially at the entry and middle levels, executives say that by and large there’s emphasis on rewarding the best talent regardless of gender or caste. “If a female employee has demon- strated commitment and is will- ing to shoulder responsibilities equivalent to the male col- leagues, we provide her the same growth opportunities in terms of salary hikes as a male employee would get within the organisation,” says Anju Talwar, senior vice president, training and hiring, Genpact. As for the banking and finan- cial services sector — that’s where you see women in core functions, not just the soft areas, and the greatest number of woman CEOs and MDs too. According to Sharma, this is an industry-specific issue and it’s in the male-dominated industries that a woman who demands a better salary or a larger role is perceived nega- tively. But Sharma’s advice is that no matter what your col- leagues may think, you must stand your ground, be assertive and have the courage to demand what you think is your due. “My personal experience is that men aren’t shy to make demands, whereas women feel you should understand their needs. But if you don’t ask, there’ll be many who will say, ‘But we thought you were happy with what you were getting’,” says Sharma. T HE BEST time to negotiate is at the time of the appraisal, according to Sharma. “It’s not about whether you’re male or female, but about the value that you bring to the organisation.” Talwar says that from her expe- rience, the best way to move up the ladder is to develop and demonstrate the right leader- ship skills, be willing to take risks and get out of one’s com- fort zone, learn new things, always deliver to commitments, be fast with decision-making, develop a good organisation, and most importantly be able to network. While negotiating, Sharma advises women to go for some hard-sell. “There was a time when I felt I wasn’t being com- pensated enough — since there were few in the industry with my specific job-profile, I demanded that my role be benchmarked against industry standards. We did get someone to do that and thereafter my compensation was revised,” she says. Women also need to work harder at percep- tion management since they aren’t very good at showcasing their skills. But the bottomline is that a woman draws negative atten- tion when she demands more because there are so few of them demanding a larger role. The only way to change that is to ensure that there are more women in senior positions. [email protected] Are you seen as being overly demanding? Payal emailed to ask: My hus- band is always so taken up with work that we haven’t been able to manage even a small weekend getaway in ages now. Is there a way out? This is one situation where your husband’s work-life imbalance is affecting your work-life balance in a major way. You could try some of the following remedies to get out of this situation.wing questions to resolve the issue: Be a patient listener: Encourage him to share his problems at work. Understand the situations that force him to work over the week- end. If he is constantly complain- ing about being tired, talk to a dietician and plan a healthy menu for him. If the problem persists, visit a doctor for a routine check- up. Help him help himself: Help him think through options that will allow him to plan better and man- age time more efficiently. This way, he will gain better control over his work and be in a more relaxed state of mind. This might help you take off for a vacation. Otherwise, even if you manage to go, his mind will be on work and you will only come back feeling worse. Share more: Once you get your husband to start sharing the prob- lems he goes through at work, you could start sharing yours too. How- ever, never do so during the same conversation. In addition, never make him feel guilty. Both of you need to take responsibility for each other’s well-being and not play the blame game. Start small: Plan for dinner at home with his office colleagues. This will help him bond better with his staff. It could also boost produc- tivity at work leaving him with more time for you during the weekends, also increasing chances of planning a longer holiday. (Sanjay Salooja, is as an educator, corporate philosopher and life coach) by Sobha Menon HOW TO ENSURE YOUR PARTNER HAS ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU CONTENT POWERED BY VIKASH SHARMA Mindsets are gradually changing in some sectors APARNA SHARMA, DIRECTOR-HR, UCB INDIA ‘ ’ Get out of your comfort zone and pick up new skills ANJU TALWARSR VP, GENPACT ‘ ’
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Transcript of 22 FEMAIL MAGAZINE New Delhi, Wednesday, May … · 22 FEMAIL MAGAZINE Mail Today, New Delhi,...
Mail Today, New Delhi, Wednesday, May 19, 201022 FEMAIL MAGAZINE
Why negotiating for higher salaries makes women nervous
ARE WOMEN seen as being
overly demanding when theyattempt to negotiate theirsalary? Some studies do seem tosuggest that and much more.Women may even face higher
social risk compared to men when theyappear to negotiate salary.
These findings came up while studying the salarypatterns of women and men. Yes, the studies high-lighted the same old story — that in most sectorswomen were found to earn less than their malecounterparts and one of the arguments that was putforward was that women earn less because theydon’t push as hard as men for higher salaries. Andthe ‘why’ to that revealed further that women feltnervous as it was perceived as being “less nice oroverly demanding”, according to Hannah RileyBowles, associate professor at Harvard University.
Now, did the current crop of senior executives inpost-liberalisation India feel the same way? Yes andno, depending on which sectors they belonged to.In banking and financial services, information tech-nology, hospitality and other sectors which havemany women in their workforce, it’s not the case.
As Aparna Sharma, director – HR at leading bio-pharma firm UCB India, puts it: “Mindsets are grad-ually changing alright, but there are still those whodo wonder loudly why a woman wants more money ifshe has a husband who must be earning well.” Ask fora raise in position and there still are people who wantto know why is she being so aggressive. “Does shewant to become the CEO or a board member — that’sthe question asked. And this mindset will change onlywhen more women make it to the Board and take sen-ior positions,” Sharma says. “Conventionally, womenare seen as more compliant, less ambitious, lessaggressive and assertive, and this image has to dowith stereotypes in society,” adds Sharma.
In the BPO sector, for instance, which has a hugefemale workforce, especially at the entry and middlelevels, executives say that byand large there’s emphasis onrewarding the best talentregardless of gender or caste. “Ifa female employee has demon-strated commitment and is will-ing to shoulder responsibilitiesequivalent to the male col-leagues, we provide her thesame growth opportunities interms of salary hikes as a maleemployee would get within theorganisation,” says Anju Talwar,senior vice president, trainingand hiring, Genpact.
As for the banking and finan-cial services sector — that’swhere you see women in corefunctions, not just the soft
areas, and the greatest numberof woman CEOs and MDs too.
According to Sharma, this isan industry-specific issue andit’s in the male-dominatedindustries that a woman whodemands a better salary or alarger role is perceived nega-tively. But Sharma’s advice isthat no matter what your col-leagues may think, you muststand your ground, be assertiveand have the courage to demandwhat you think is your due.
“My personal experience isthat men aren’t shy to makedemands, whereas women feelyou should understand their
needs. But if you don’t ask,there’ll be many who will say,‘But we thought you were happywith what you were getting’,”says Sharma.
T HE BEST time tonegotiate is at thetime of theappraisal, accordingto Sharma. “It’s not
about whether you’re male orfemale, but about the value thatyou bring to the organisation.”Talwar says that from her expe-
rience, the best way to move upthe ladder is to develop anddemonstrate the right leader-ship skills, be willing to takerisks and get out of one’s com-fort zone, learn new things,always deliver to commitments,be fast with decision-making,develop a good organisation,and most importantly be able tonetwork.
While negotiating, Sharmaadvises women to go for somehard-sell. “There was a timewhen I felt I wasn’t being com-pensated enough — since therewere few in the industry with myspecific job-profile, I demanded
that my role be benchmarkedagainst industry standards. Wedid get someone to do that andthereafter my compensation wasrevised,” she says. Women alsoneed to work harder at percep-tion management since theyaren’t very good at showcasingtheir skills.
But the bottomline is that awoman draws negative atten-tion when she demands morebecause there are so few of themdemanding a larger role. Theonly way to change that is toensure that there are morewomen in senior positions.
Are you seen as being overlydemanding?
Payal emailed to ask: My hus-band is always so taken upwith work that we haven’t beenable to manage even a smallweekend getaway in ages now.Is there a way out?
This is one situation where yourhusband’s work-life imbalance isaffecting your work-life balance ina major way. You could try some ofthe following remedies to get outof this situation.wing questions toresolve the issue:
� Be a patient listener: Encouragehim to share his problems at work.Understand the situations thatforce him to work over the week-end. If he is constantly complain-ing about being tired, talk to adietician and plan a healthy menu
for him. If the problem persists,visit a doctor for a routine check-up.
� Help him help himself: Help himthink through options that willallow him to plan better and man-age time more efficiently. This way,he will gain better control over hiswork and be in a more relaxedstate of mind. This might help youtake off for a vacation. Otherwise,even if you manage to go, his mindwill be on work and you will onlycome back feeling worse.
� Share more: Once you get yourhusband to start sharing the prob-lems he goes through at work, youcould start sharing yours too. How-ever, never do so during the sameconversation. In addition, never
make him feel guilty. Both of youneed to take responsibility foreach other’s well-being and notplay the blame game.
� Start small: Plan for dinner athome with his office colleagues.This will help him bond better withhis staff. It could also boost produc-tivity at work leaving him withmore time for you during theweekends, also increasing chancesof planning a longer holiday.
(Sanjay Salooja, is as an educator, corporate
philosopher and life coach)
by Sobha Menon
HOW TO ENSURE YOUR PARTNERHAS ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU
CONTENT POWERED BY
VIKASH SHARMA
Mindsets aregraduallychanging insome sectors
APARNA SHARMA, DIRECTOR-HR, UCB INDIA
‘’
Get out of yourcomfort zoneand pick upnew skills
ANJU TALWARSR VP, GENPACT
‘’
