How Identity Shaped a People Programs and Operations Lead at Alphabet's Career
Michelle, a People Programs & Ops Lead, acknowledges the documented tendency for women to be less likely to negotiate salaries, highlighting the significant impact this can have on career progression. This awareness has driven their proactive approach to confidently negotiating compensation, viewing it as "expected" and a crucial strategy for maximizing career advancement.
Negotiation, Compensation, Women in Technology, Leadership, Career Advancement
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michelle Lowry
People Programs & Ops Lead
Alphabet Inc. Company
University of California, Davis
N/A
Psychology
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Women are less likely to negotiate salaries, impacting overall compensation.
2. Negotiating compensation, even if it feels scary, is crucial for career advancement and should be practiced.
3. Confidence in asking for higher pay is key to achieving desired compensation; employers expect negotiation to some degree, and it shouldn't be avoided.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
I definitely think that experience has, there's just a sense of awareness. I know from working in HR that women are less likely to negotiate, for example.
Negotiating compensation and offer agreements at the beginning of a new role is the biggest opportunity you have for a jump in compensation. When you're at a company, the increases are only going to be so large.
Obviously, with promotions you get bigger bumps, but jumping job to job is when people see the biggest changes in their compensation. That's always been something that's important to me as a woman in the working world: making sure that I put myself out there and am confident enough to ask for higher pay.
Negotiating can be scary, but it's expected. You're never going to turn off a potential employer by asking for what you want. They might say no, but it's nice to get comfortable with the idea of negotiation so that you're confident as you progress.