Women should bring stats, stick to facts when asking for raise

You’ll hear a lot in the news about how women continue to suffer from the ever-frustrating wage gap. It’s said females only earn about 75 to 80 cents for every dollar earned by their similarly qualified male counterparts, and that speaks to a gross inequality that has plagued the workforce for years.

But new data from Credit Loan reveals that in addition to earning less money from the get-go, women are also statistically less likely to be granted raises upon asking. In a recent study, 13.3 percent of men who asked for more money at work got exactly what they wanted. Meanwhile, 12.7 percent got some sort of salary boost, albeit not the ultimate number they were hoping for.

Things didn’t shake out as well for women, however. Among those who asked for raises, only 9.1 percent got what they wanted, while 9.5 percent got a smaller increase than requested. All told, a greater percentage of men got a raise in some shape or form, which means women need to step up their game when it comes to negotiating for more money. Here’s how.

❚ Go in armed with research: It’s one thing to claim you deserve more money, but another to prove to your manager that you’re statistically underpaid. Therefore, if you dig up research showing that the average person with your job title makes more money than you do, your boss will have a harder time saying no to you. There are plenty of online resources that can help with this sort of research, but you may want to start with job site Glassdoor – it has a “Know Your Worth” tool that lets you compare salary data by region and job description.

❚ Talk up your contributions: Helpful as it is to show that other people in your field are making more money than you are, you should also be ready to prove to your boss why you deserve top dollar. Before you sit down to negotiate more money, come up with a list of the ways you’ve made a meaningful impact at your company. Talking specifics is a good way to build your case, so prepare those points in advance of that conversation.

❚ Exude confidence: Woman are often pegged as emotional when tough conversations need to be had. So rather than approach that discussion from a place of desperation or anger, do it from a place of confidence. The more self-assured you come off, the greater your chances of getting what you want.

❚ Don’t play the gender card: It’s easy enough to point a finger at your employer and demand earnings equality. But unless you can definitively prove your company consistently pays male employees more than females, this is a very dangerous angle that could come back to bite you.

Remember, there are plenty of industries in which women typically earn more than men, so don’t assume that your current salary has anything to do with your gender. Instead, focus on the data you collect and the unique skills you bring to the table.