New research commissioned by reed.co.uk has found that only 41 per cent of women were likely to negotiate their salary when moving roles compared with 61 per cent of men. The research was carried out among 250 hiring managers and 2,000 jobseekers and highlights how the cost-of-living crisis could potentially become more pronounced for women as the gender ‘ask gap’ persists, with many not securing the highest salary possible when changing jobs.
The study shows that while many jobseekers feel awkward talking about money, women (27 per cent) are twice as likely as men (13 per cent) to state they feel uncomfortable discussing salary with prospective employers. Indeed, more than half (51 per cent) of people have never negotiated wages when offered a job. Again, the reluctance to talk about salary is more prevalent among women as 59 per cent admitted to not once negotiating salary when offered a new role compared to just 39 per cent of men.
However, the research offers a promising insight for those who do enter salary negotiations with their employer as nine in ten (90 per cent) workers who negotiated their most current salary were successful in getting an increase. The most common increase in salary was between £1,000-£2,499 (42 per cent), followed by over a quarter (27 per cent) receiving a raise between £2,500-£4,999. Men (42 per cent) were more likely to secure this higher pay increase when compared to women (31 per cent).
The research also shows that negotiating salaries is a sought-after skill, with as many as seven in ten (70 per cent) workers believing that salary negotiation should be taught in school.
The research also shines a light on how minority workers in particular value education on salary negotiation. Three-quarters (74 per cent) of women think salary negotiation should be taught in school compared with 65 per cent of men, while around eight in ten LGBTQ+ (78 per cent), BAME (83 per cent) and disabled (82 per cent) respondents agree that the skill should be taught in school in comparison with their straight (70 per cent), white (67 per cent) and non-disabled (69 per cent) counterparts.
It’s not only a skill that is revered among workers but also employers. Over three-quarters of business leaders (77 per cent) positively perceive candidates who negotiate their salary during the interview process, characterising them as ambitious and determined.
While the research shows a need to support workers to understand how they can best negotiate a salary, it also reflects an increasing openness from younger employees to discuss their salary. The findings reveal that 91 per cent of employees aged between 18-34 have disclosed their earnings to someone while over a quarter (26 per cent) of older workers, aged between 55-64, do not share their salary details.
Overall, almost three-fifths (58 per cent) of jobseekers share their salary details with their partner, while 44 per cent share their salary with their family. Interestingly, business leaders are seeing this shift in the workplace, with over half (53 per cent) seeing an increase in employees discussing their salaries with each other.
“The latest Reed.co.uk data sheds new light on how the gender ‘ask gap’ is perpetuating unequal pay,” comments Simon Wingate, managing director of Reed.co.uk. “While the government has taken important strides through the pay transparency pilot, the research shows that more needs to be done to address the disparity in confidence between men and women when discussing salary.
“By introducing salary negotiation skills into school education,” adds Wingate, “future generations across society will be able to understand and implement negotiation strategies during the hiring process – and across other life experiences such as purchasing a house or car. This will enable them to secure a higher starting salary and help close existing pay gaps.
“At a time when the cost-of-living is rising, the study also shows the value in employees pushing their future employers for a salary increase when being offered a new role and confirms that finding a new job is one of the best possible ways to secure a pay rise,” Wingate concludes. “Reed.co.uk has a wealth of career advice on the subject of salaries to help people get paid what they’re worth.”
