According to a recent survey, during COVID-19 fewer women asked for raises than men. In this post, we look at why this occurred. As well as present tips related to asking for a raise.
Our most recent COVID-oriented post on was Career Planning During a Pandemic in 2021.
Study Shows: During COVID-19 Fewer Women Asked for Raises
Yes, during the past year-plus, some employees received raises. Despite the huge number of layoffs. The numbers varied by gender.
As HubSpot’s Pamela Bump reports:
In early 2021, Fishbowl conducted a survey that shed some light on the gender wage gap, which continued if not grew in 2020. The survey of nearly 17,000 professionals revealed that 63% of respondents have avoided asking for a raise following “changes related to the pandemic.” When splitting the whopping number of respondents by gender, 42.4% of them were women, while just 31.79% were men.
When diving into the industries that saw the least raise or promotion requests, marketing topped of the list. About 54.5% of marketing professionals did not ask for a raise or promotion in the last year due to the pandemic.
While some might be shocked by this data, many aren’t. After all, marketing departments often get the least budget, smaller headcounts, and less overall investments.
Meanwhile, women seem to negotiate less and apply for lower-level roles than men with the same experience. In a recent LinkedIn post, Femme Pallette CEO Lucy Nuemanova shed more light on why women generally negotiate less than men. “Many women avoid having these conversations because they don’t want to be perceived as ungrateful, or greedy, or needy by management. Therefore many times women tend to wait.”
Tips for Seeking a Raise Or Promotion
In addition to providing data, Bump presents tips related to this question: “When is it appropriate to ask for a raise or promotion?” For a much more in-depth discussion of these tips, click the link.
- When the scope of your role grows or shifts.
- When you spend a lot more time at work than anticipated.
- When you complete a pricey course or degree that will benefit your company.
- When you consistently hit all of your goals.
- If you haven’t received a wage increase in a while.
- When the cost of living increases.
If you identify with one or more of the items list above, it might be time to start thinking about a promotion or raise. You should discuss the raise you deserve with your manager eventually. However, there are certain times that could increase your chances of actually getting a pay increase.