Women in IT must ask for more money if they are going to
overcome the gender pay gap, career coach Julia Thrul has said.
The former Frankfurt Stock Exchange trader says women must hone
their negotiation skills when it comes to asking for a pay rise and
closing the pay gap.
Male IT staff currently earn an average of £720 a week, while
female staff earn around £500.
People of either gender need to be properly prepared, she says -
and they need to be asking for the right reasons.
"You will only receive a pay rise if you are very good at your
job, and your boss thinks that you are that good too," she
said.
Tips for negotiating a pay rise:
• Research carefully what the average salary for your profession
is in your industry and your company.
• Make sure you ask for a pay rise at a time that fits in with
your company's annual plans, ie. if there are only two specific
occasions a year when salaries are considered, then don't ask
outside of these times.
• But that doesn't mean you can't point out to your boss when
you've brought in a contract, or a client specifically asks for you
to work their project, and request for that to be considered when
salaries are being discussed
• Negotiate the whole package - money is only part of the
remuneration discussion think also about training, travel
allowances, and job titles. This is especially important during
times when there is no cash left to give.