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185 | The Economics of Pay Equality | Martha Gimbel, Indeed Hiring Lab

Episode 185 is live! This week, we talk with Martha Gimbel in Washington, DC.

Martha is the Research Director for the Indeed Hiring Lab. Previously, she was the Research Director and Senior Economist at the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill, a senior policy advisor to the Secretary of Labor, and an economist at the Council of Economic Advisers focusing on labor market issues.

 On today’s episode, Martha shares:

  • What is Equal Pay Day?
  • How large is the gender pay gap is today?
  • Myth Discussions: We uncover some of the biggest myths around the gender pay gap. Is one gender more ambitious? Do men negotiate more or less than women?

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Martha‘s work, visit www.hiringlab.org.

Thank YOU for listening! If you’ve enjoyed the show today, don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other job seekers to find the show!

It’s summer! How are you going to use your vacation?

A good vacation can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself. Whether you prefer the beach, camping, or grilling out in your backyard, down time is something we all need. Unfortunately, we’re not all getting this much needed time to relax. Can you relate?

In the United States, there’s no minimum vacation or holidays that companies are required to provide to workers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 77% of employers offer paid vacation time. On average, employers give ten days of vacation after one year of employment. The number of vacation days grows based upon tenure. After twenty years, most employees receive twenty days of vacation. In addition to vacation, many companies offer holidays.

It’s interesting to compare our vacation to other places. In France, employees are granted a minimum of five weeks of vacation. In Australia, the minimum is four weeks. In Belgium, the minimum is twenty-four days. In Denmark, the minimum is five weeks. Now, it’s not to say that there aren’t other countries with smaller vacations. In some areas of Canada, the minimum is ten days, for example.

But, what are we really doing with our two weeks of vacation? You probably guessed it. In many cases, not much. I recently heard an interesting term, “vacation shaming.” It’s an all too familiar idea where employers place negative feelings and shame around the idea of taking time off.

This vacation shaming causes us to feel uncomfortable requesting time away. Despite receiving two weeks of vacation each year, many Americans are only taking about half of it, according to a survey conducted by Glassdoor.com.

Even if we are taking vacation time, many of us are staying plugged in. We answer emails, take phone calls, and sometimes attend meetings remotely. There’s a fear of getting into trouble and losing our job while we’re out.

For employees who do choose to take vacation, some companies set rules that limit the options available. For example, a company may have a policy that an employee may not take more than four or five consecutive days in a row. For those with an international destination in mind, this can really limit the options.

Being successful at work if often tied to being the best version of yourself that you can be. And, that requires you to take care of yourself. Vacation is a great place to start on this goal.

If you’re looking for a new job, do your best to learn about the company’s policy about taking vacation, both official and unofficial. Many online review sites can provide an employee perspective.

Then, don’t forget that vacation time is negotiable – just like salary. When you negotiate your offer letter, know that you can ask for additional time off.

In the long run, taking time for yourself is more important than any amount of vacation shaming. We all need a break sometimes.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

 

How Much Do You Make?

Have you ever been asked, “How much do you make?” in a job interview? This question usually shows up during the first phone call.

You’ve applied online. The HR manager calls you. The conversation seems normal at first. They ask, “Why did you apply for this job?” and “Tell me about yourself.” The all of the sudden, bam! “How much do you make?” Or, they may try, “How much have you made in the past?”

These questions are tough, and they have more of an influence on your future than you may think. Whether you’re currently underpaid or overpaid, answering this question wrong can completely eliminate you from consideration. And, answering too low can also put you at a disadvantage.

A number of states and cities have started to reduce or eliminate this question altogether. In 2017, Delaware and New York City banned employers from asking about salary history. In January 2018, California banned questions around a candidate’s pay history. In July 2018, Massachusetts will join suit. In 2019, Oregon will ban employers from asking. New Orleans and Pittsburgh are also implementing this rule on city agencies.

It may not be clear right away what’s wrong with this question. Many companies think of it as finding out if the person fits into their budget.

But, the problem is this. If someone has ever been underpaid for any reason, including discrimination or just an unfortunate circumstance, that person will likely always be underpaid going forward. Asking the question, “How much do you make?” ensures that your future salary is based on your current salary.

But, what if you’re switching between industries and one pays much higher salaries? What if you’re switching between a higher education job and a corporate job? What if you’re moving from an inexpensive city in the middle of the country, to a pricey city on the coast?

Once you’re behind in salary negotiations, you will likely always be behind. Unless you’re protected by a rule that bans the question completely. Banning it puts the responsibility back onto the company to decide what a particular role is worth to them. It forces the company to pay employees more fairly, based on the work they produce – rather than their negotiation abilities.

If you find yourself being asked this question, do your homework. Before you’re asked how much you make, know the response you want to give. The less you need the job, the riskier you can be with your answer. I often advise job seekers to ask the company if they would feel comfortable to share their pay range with you. This allows the company to share their salary instead. Alternatively, you can offer your target range. But, base this range on data. Scour websites like Glassdoor.com for as much salary information as you can find about your job.

Pushing back on this question helps guarantee that everyone will be paid more fairly going forward.

Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.

171 | 2018 HR Trends | Paul Wolfe, SVP of Human Resources at Indeed.com, Austin, TX

Episode 171 is live! This week, we talk with Paul Wolfe in Austin, TX.

Paul is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at the world’s largest job website, Indeed.com.

I interviewed Paul last year about hiring trends and am so excited to be back together to talk about 2018 trends.

On today’s episode, Paul shares:

  • The pros and cons of an unlimited vacation policy
  • The latest update on the interview question “how much do you make?”
  • Why “radical transparency” is important in your job search and what you can find on Indeed, such as salary data and company reviews
  • Why equality in the workplace is such an important issue and what we can all do to contribute
  • New benefit trends for 2018
  • How to identify a great company that treats their employees well
  • What you should do if you’re interested to work at Indeed

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Paul’s work, visit Indeed at www.indeed.com. You can also follow Paul on Twitter at @PWolfe67.

Thanks to everyone for listening! Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

165 | Friend of a Friend – Dr. David Burkus, Author, Speaker, Professor, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Episode 165 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. David Burkus in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

David is an author, speaker, and associate professor of leadership and innovation at Oral Roberts University. His new book, Friend of a Friend, offers readers a new perspective on how to grow their networks and build key connections. He also gave a TEDx Talk titled, “Why you should know how much your coworkers get paid.”

On today’s episode, David shares:

  • What pay transparency is, and the pros and cons of using it
  • Why we may feel underpaid, and what we can do about it
  • Why networking and professional networks are important to our careers
  • What a super connector is, and why they matter
  • What you can do if you’re looking for a networking option that’s not a mixer

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about David and his new book Friend of a Friend, visit his website at https://davidburkus.com.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

When to Ask Your Boss for More Money

Who wouldn’t like to make more money? If you’ve read my column before, you probably know that I’m an advocate of changing companies every three to five years (for many industries). On top of gaining extra experience, switching has the potential to bump up your pay considerably. But, there are often times when you need a raise at your current employer.

So, where do you start? If you want the best chance of landing a raise of more than two or three percent, do it at a time when your role has evolved quite a bit. This would be the case if your work has grown into a new area, has expanded significantly in scope, or has added management responsibilities. For example, if you were hired as an individual contributor and are now managing a team of seven, the scope of your job has changed.

It’s easier to ask for more money if your job has changed significantly because you aren’t asking for more money for your existing job. That may sound silly, especially if you’re doing more than your peers. You may be smarter, saving more money, or getting more done. But, it’s hard for a manager to justify paying you much more for any of these things.

When your job has changed, you’re essentially asking for a fair amount of money for a new job. While you’re making the case, it may also be a good time to request a new title and an updated job description. This way, you are officially taking your current position to the next level.

Once you’ve decided you’re ready to make a case for more, you’ll want to find the perfect time. It may be during your annual performance evaluation. Or, you may want to lobby for more money at another time, in hopes that your manager won’t be restricted by a certain pool of money.

Whenever you decide to do it, plan ahead. Request a meeting in advance, so your boss won’t be caught off guard. Prepare your case in such a way that your manager can easily advocate for you. In other words, don’t make it hard for your boss to give you more money. Do as much of the work for them as you can.

Consider preparing a presentation that shows how your job has changed. Highlight your accomplishments. Include any numeric results you can show, including how much you beat your goals, and how much revenue you saved the company. You put this much work into everything else you do at work. Why wouldn’t you take the time to put it into your own presentation?

Remember this. Your boss may say no. It may be out of their control. Be careful not to come across in a way that may jeopardize your current job. And, if your company isn’t willing to value you, be ready to begin looking for another one that will.

Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.