There’s no doubt about it, #feminism is trending. First there was KarmaGate, when Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella advised a female audience attending the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing that they shouldn’t ask for a raise, but should instead “have faith in the system”. Why? Because it’s “good karma”.
Try telling that to women in a male-dominated industry where only 11.2% are in senior positions and who on average earn almost £4,000 a year less than men. Online uproar ensued and Nadella swiftly retracted his comments.
The following week Apple and Facebook announced their plans to pay for female employees to freeze their eggs so they could focus on their careers. Another online fight broke out: some people asserted that this was a positive step towards promoting women’s choices, while others argued that women in the workplace shouldn’t have to choose between career progression and motherhood.
Recently, a controversial video ad for feminist T-shirts whipped up a storm on social media. It featured small girls dressed as princesses pointing out that women are still paid 23% less than men for the same work. One of the potty-mouthed princess asked the question that would polarise opinion on Twitter: “What’s more offensive? A little girl saying fuck or the sexist way society treats girls or women?”
The fact these stories are making headlines and driving so much discussion is good news for women in the workplace and is very much part of the wave of new feminism.
As a feminist, I welcome the fact that chief executives are being asked to clarify casual remarks and that tech giants are being challenged on their willingness to offer a genuine work-life balance to the mums they employ. As a tech entrepreneur in an industry where only 17% of the workforce is female and where 97% of my fellow UK tech entrepreneurs are male, I welcome all debates and headlines that challenge deeply ingrained female stereotypes.
These conversations are the first step towards changing outdated workplace practices and moving away from a pervasive use of gendered language that prevents more women from making it to the top of their organisation. The #banbossy and #likeagirl campaigns have both made positive steps towards tackling this issue.
When it comes to asking for a raise, it seems too many women have been following Nadella’s advice. Research shows that women don’t negotiate as effectively for themselves as men do. They also don’t negotiate as early or as often as their male counterparts. Linda Babcock, in a study for her book Women Don’t Ask, found that only 7% of women even attempted to negotiate their salaries compared to 57% of men. Even one of the most highly compensated women in the world, GM chief executive Mary Barra, revealed at the Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit that she has never once asked for a raise.
Unfortunately, research also suggests women do have genuine cause to be anxious about negotiating a pay rise. A study conducted by Harvard Kennedy School found that when men and women used the exact same script to ask for raises, the men were viewed positively, while the women were considered aggressive.
If Nadella teaches the women in the audience one thing, it’s to choose their company carefully. So when you’re looking to make your next career move, look carefully at the culture of the companies you’re considering. Read their blogs and talk to as many employees as possible. How is maternity leave handled and how many working mums are in senior roles? Choose a company with a diverse leadership team, a mentoring programme and an explicit commitment to professional development and equal opportunities.
Despite being a technology company, at Unruly 48% of our staff are female and many are operating in senior leadership roles across the company. We actively encourage our people (male and female) to seek additional responsibility and we place a great deal of importance on training and professional development.
Training, mentoring, self-aware management practices and a genuinely supportive company culture can all help to give women the confidence to put themselves forward, embrace new opportunities and ask for increased responsibility and pay. In my experience, women often have all the requisite skills, they just don’t know it.
In 21st-century Britain – a modern, diverse and progressive nation that rightly considers justice and fairness as part of its cultural DNA – the continuing existence of such a marked gender gap is unacceptable and bad for business. Policymakers and business leaders must work together to close the gap. It’s time to #BanBossy and help women make #LikeABoss.
Sarah Wood is co-founder and chief operating officer at Unruly
