Girls getting upfront to beat out pay pains

WORKING WOMEN HAVE TO BE BOLD AND FOCUS MORE ON THEIR SUCCESSES IN PAY TALKS, WRITE ANNABEL HENNESSY AND CARA JENKIN

WOMEN angling for pay rises need to speak up and sell themselves to their bosses by showing them figures to prove how they’ve contributed to their companies’ bottom lines.

Career experts and female business leaders told The Saturday Telegraph that when it came to seeking pay rises, women were too often making the mistake of not owning their successes because they thought they needed to be seen as team players — unlike male colleagues, who were more confident in selling their achievements.

The advice comes as statistics from the Fair Work Commission show one third of women hadn’t tried to negotiate for a pay rise in their current job, compared to just one fifth of men.

Men were also more likely to get an increase, with 20 per cent successfully obtaining a pay rise through negotiations, compared to just 12 per cent of women.

Happiness Concierge founder Rachel Service runs educational courses entitled Brand You across the country, which teach people how to demonstrate their expertise to employers.

Ms Service said women were less likely to ask for pay rises because they had been socialised “to be likeable” and more “appeasing” than men.

“The biggest thing women say to me is that they’re scared that if they ask for a pay rise they will lose their job,” Ms Service said.

“That’s why one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself in negotiations is make sure you always have other career opportunities and give yourself the power to walk away.”

Ms Service said women should also prepare a business case for themselves when negotiating.

“You need to clearly communicate your value to the company with examples of the projects you’ve worked on and the monetary and commercial contributions you have made,” she said.

She said women should also be conscious of their body language while in negotiations.

“You need to present yourself with conviction and part of this is body language. Avoid closing your arms or looking downwards.”

Taryn Williams is just 32 but is the founder and chief executive of two companies — WINK Models and creative talent agency The Right Fit. Founded in 2007, WINK has an annual turnover of millions of dollars and offices in New York, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Ms Williams said when it came to supporting her female staff she didn’t adhere to the traditional annual performance review.

“Twelve months between conversations on an employee’s development is far too long.

“It shouldn’t be a one-off, nerveracking conversation; it should be an ongoing open dialogue that is mutually beneficial,” she said.

Being timid on the pay rise front is not just limited to female workers. The 2017 Hays Salary Guide revealed only 32 per cent of workers had asked for a pay rise in the past year, up from 29 per cent the previous year.

The percentage being knocked back has also increased, from 12 per cent to 15 per cent.

The salary guide shows almost two-thirds of the workforce have not asked for more money in the past year, but more who did ask have received a raise than those who did not.