Through discussions with women I know of all ages, it seems that some of us are too embarrassed to negotiate at all, while many of us find it extra embarrassing to negotiate in front of friends or colleagues for fear of what they may think of us. It seems that there is still a stigma attached to negotiation be it when we are looking to make retail or wholesale purchases, buy at markets or even negotiate our salaries in the workplace.
Do women care more what others think of them than men when it comes to negotiation? Why are we embarrassed to negotiate when spending our hard earned cash or negotiating our worth in the workplace?
Note: If you are interested in improving your negotiation skills, come along to the Women in Finance Event on the 20th October 2009 - ‘Negotiation for Women How Confident are you in your Salary Negotiation Skills?’
Some of the issues that contribute to wage inequality will not be easily resolved and will take time before we see real changes. However, there are a few areas women can take control of to assist in addressing the imbalance. These all revolve around negotiation of salary; be that for full time or part time work, a bonus, added benefits or asking for above award wages.