Strategies for Knowing What You're Worth and Negotiating | Women Techmakers Montreal '19

WO MEN TEC H M A KER S
TR ACY OSBORN @tracymakes
Strategies for Knowing What
You're Worth and Negotiating

View Slide

Negotiation and talking money is
scary stuff.

View Slide

(This presentation has a lot of  
information aimed at women specifically —  
but is relevant for all!)

View Slide

Hi, I’m Tracy!
 
@tracymakes

View Slide


View Slide

(I’m currently in the process of
negotiating offers myself!)

View Slide


View Slide

Let’s talk about  
the scariest moment in my career.

View Slide


View Slide

55%
raise

View Slide


View Slide

There was no reason to pay me more  
until I asked for it.

View Slide

— Knowing what you are worth.
This moment taught me the importance of:

View Slide

— Knowing what you are worth.
— How to ask for it.
This moment taught me the importance of:

View Slide

I want to be the external force  
that encourages you to make a change.

View Slide

How do you know  
how much you’re worth?

View Slide

Build a support network

View Slide


View Slide

Email lists

View Slide

devchix.com anitaborg.org/get-involved/systers/
Email lists

View Slide

Slack groups
djangoconus2017.herokuapp.com
witchat.github.io

View Slide

“I was looking for some suggestions on my job offer. The salary is good for
me, especially when I am getting that much right after graduation. The job is
great and I am definitely taking it. However, I was wondering if I should
negotiate on the salary… I (am) not sure if I should as an undergraduate
coming right after college, though I have approximately a year of
experience at my internship.”

View Slide

Look at salary aggregators
— salary.com
— glassdoor.com
— payscale.com

View Slide

TR ACY OSBORN @tracymakes levels.fyi

View Slide

#talkpay

View Slide

You can talk to your coworkers  
about your salary!

View Slide

Don’t wait until you’re unhappy
to become informed.
Always know your position.

View Slide

What should you do when  
you want a change?

View Slide


View Slide

Change how you think

View Slide

Society has taught women to shy away from bold behavior.

View Slide

We fear hurting the relationship we have built with their
interviewer / potential employer / manager.

View Slide

We tend focus less on what we are giving the employer than on
what the employer is giving us.

View Slide

We tend focus less on what we are giving the employer than on
what the employer is giving us.
We tend to take negotiations personally.

View Slide

Some books I love on this topic:

View Slide


View Slide

“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking
self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back
when we should be leaning in. We internalize the negative
messages we get throughout our lives—the messages that say
it’s wrong to be outspoken, aggressive, more powerful than men.”
Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In

View Slide


View Slide

“…it isn’t so much the act of asking that paralyzes us — it’s what
lies beneath: the fear of rejection, the fear of looking needy or
weak. The fear of being seen as a burdensome member of the
community instead of a productive one.”
Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking

View Slide

Do small things day-to-day to
make it easier to negotiate

View Slide

Practice asking.
(Don’t be evil.)

View Slide

✈

View Slide

Practice saying no.
(Especially in low-stakes situations.)

View Slide

%

View Slide

Negotiate the little things.

View Slide


View Slide

(Maybe) Get another offer at another
company to boost your confidence.

View Slide


View Slide

What’s the
worst case scenario?

View Slide

5%
20%
25%
50%

View Slide

5%
20%
25%
50%
“Yes, we can do that.”

View Slide

5%
20%
25%
50%
“Let’s meet somewhere in the middle.”

View Slide

5%
20%
25%
50%
“No, we can’t do that.”

View Slide

5%
20%
25%
50%
“No, and we’re rescinding the offer.”

View Slide

Would you really want to work  
for any company with that attitude?

View Slide

“What’s the worst case” helps me  
take more risks and do more scary things.

View Slide

Negotiating an offer should never take someone
by surprise. It’s expected.

View Slide

A study done by Linda Babcock revealed that only about 7% of
women attempted to negotiate their first salary, while 57% of
men did. Of those people who negotiated, they were able to
increase their salary by over 7%.
themuse.com/advice/how-to-negotiate-salary-37-tips-you-need-to-know

View Slide

A study done by Linda Babcock revealed that only about 7% of
women attempted to negotiate their first salary, while 57% of
men did. Of those people who negotiated, they were able to
increase their salary by over 7%.
If you get a $100,000 salary and your co-worker negotiates up to
$107,000, assuming you’re treated identically from then on,
with the same raises and promotions, you’d have to work eight
years longer to be as wealthy as them at retirement.

View Slide

General negotiating/asking tips

View Slide

— If you’re negotiating general salary, try not to give a  
number yourself.

View Slide

“I’m open based upon the position and the overall
compensation package.”

View Slide

“I’m open based upon the position and the overall
compensation package.”
“I'd like to know more about the responsibilities and
the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary.”
and/or

View Slide

If forced to give a number, base your
number off your research and data.

View Slide

Give a specific number, rather than one that
sounds like it was rounded.

View Slide

Give a specific number, rather than one that
sounds like it was rounded.
$64,750 rather than $65,000.

View Slide

“Turns out, when employees use a more precise number in their
initial negotiation request, they are more likely to get a final
offer closer to what they were hoping for. This is because the
employer will assume you’ve done more extensive research
into your market value to reach that specific number.”
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103113000401

View Slide

number yourself.
— Don’t undercut yourself. Keep the request brief.

View Slide

Breathe!

View Slide

number yourself.
— Don’t forget to negotiate benefits/paid-time-off as well.

View Slide

number yourself.
— Don’t forget to negotiate benefits/paid-time-off as well.
— Don’t feel obligated to respond immediately.

View Slide

That said, a timely response can also be a
negotiation tactic.
“ The only thing preventing me from signing this offer is...”

View Slide

Negotiating does not  
make you a mean person or selfish.

View Slide

Negotiating does not  
make you a mean person or selfish.
It is simply asking  
for something better.

View Slide

Strategies for Knowing What You're Worth and Negotiating | Women Techmakers Montreal '19

Strategies for Knowing What You're Worth and Negotiating | Women Techmakers Montreal '19

Tracy Osborn

More Decks by Tracy Osborn

Other Decks in Technology

Featured

Transcript