Women in Focus: Negotiating Salary

Why do men make so much more than women in our profession, even in our very first jobs where experience is on a level playing field?  Negotiating the initial salary offer is the most important thing female optometrists can do to close the gender pay gulf (gap is kind of an understatement after Review of Optometry reported a 68% gender pay difference across full-time ODs in 2015). Men are asking for more pay, right from the first offer.  In fact, studies show about 50% of male professional students negotiate their initial salary offer, but only 12.5% of female students do. So if you are wanting fair pay, the very first item on your to-do list needs to be understanding that the first offer is just that, an offer; negotiation expected.  

Why Don't Women Negotiate?

If you ask a room of successful, intelligent women this question, you'll see very similar answers.  We most often don't negotiate due to fear of offending or upsetting our future employer.  It's called the "social cost" of negotiating -- the fear that there will be backlash or that our employer's opinions of us will be negatively impacted because we countered for a higher salary.  And horrifyingly enough, studies prove those fears are real.  Women are on average judged more negatively than men for negotiating their salary, by both female and male employers.  But how you negotiate can make all the difference.  Simply asking for more pay may result in negative impressions, but research shows employers respond very favorably to females negotiating for a cause or on behalf of others.  How can you turn what you want (more pay) into an argument for mutual success for yourself and your employer?  That's the art of the successful negotiation.

What You Can Do For Them (Relational Negotiating)

Think about what your employer needs in a new doctor. Check out their website and social media accounts.  What specialty are they missing?  What (if any) marketing strategy do they have?  You are more than a warm body spinning a phoropter wheel, and the unique assets you can provide for your new employer are what will earn you that coveted paycheck.  Here are some ideas for skills you can offer during negotiation that will make you an asset worth investing in:

Now you know the parts of your optometric resume that can be key negotiating points, but how do you actually negotiate?  Speaking the language of negotiation is just as important as determining the benefits that you can offer.  The best negotiators know how to key in to what is important to the other side of the table.  Your potential employer is going to have an obvious motivating force in looking to add you as a doctor to their team:

When you are negotiating a contract, what really speaks to an employer is what you can do for them and their office. If you lead off your salary negotiation with phrases like “I want” or “I need” you may find that your offer is difficult to negotiate.  Think of the initial salary offer you were given as what your employer would pay an average candidate.  Then ask yourself, are you average? All those skills and passions that make you special and uniquely qualified for the job are things your employer wants to add value to their business. Explain to your employer how the things that you can do will grow their business and drive their revenue.  For these extra benefits that you'll be providing to them, you're asking for a compensation of $X instead due to the extra value you'll be generating to the practice as a whole compared to the average candidate.  Now you're not negotiating for you, but for the chance for you to help them.  That's a negotiation where everyone wins.