Thank you for joining today. I hope um you have all had an incredible uh session. Uh Today, I want to speak to you about how we as women can truly own our um negotiation from a interaction in the job market.So, what I wanted to start with is a presentation that I created very briefly and to tell you about who I am and um what I do, I'll start with that. I am a um a recruiter. I have been um in the HR space uh since 2005, I've, I've stayed there and, and I love my job um started managing um campus programs and I travel all over the US hiring uh very smart people. And over the last um uh two years, I have been working for a health care company and um my main role is in the tech space. So anything that has to do um with business analysts all the way to managing directors of, of certain practices. So why I wanted to speak about money and, and women in the work in the workplace is that um in my career, I have found that many of us do not ask for things that we should ask for. And I find it um quite interesting that um our counterparts um ie the guys do not are never afraid to ask for more. So I, I thought, oh my God, I have to dig into why this is happening.

So um started having conversations with my other colleagues and they're like, yeah, this happens all the time. Um And, and it comes down to not understanding um essentially your market value. So how do you identify I as a um employee or potential employee for a company? What is my current market value? And the space based on the knowledge that I have based on the experience that I have acquired and um what makes me um obviously uh a marketable individual. So that is the reason why I started to dig into this and I've been, I have been speaking about this for, for a while now um because I find it um to be necessary. So how do you do that? Um First is identifying the market value? So I wanna share my screen

if I can uh share my screen and you're gonna see maybe a window. OK. Here it is. And you guys let me know when you can see this real quick. No, can I see it? Oh, darn it. Come on. Well, you all

know. Oh sure. That's a great question. So, I mean, you can't, how is, how does that work? So, from a how can you tell if you're being discriminated against if efforts from negotiations doesn't get the results you want, you can't tell that because you don't, you don't know what the market you don't unders you have no idea what those conversations are. However, um what you could do is get market data and there's tons of places where you can get that. You can use salary.com. Um You can go to career builder and they do have a platform that allows you to search, you can also speak to people in the industry and find if you are um being under compensated. Um I would, I will start with that. It's softer. And if you do find that there's a huge discrepancy within your colleagues, you can bring it up and say, I based on what I know um this is what I should earn, what can be done about that and, and if nothing can be done, I think that's your answer and, and my, my advice is always go somewhere where they will pay you.

Um You can take your awesomeness somewhere else. Um That will value you for sure. Um You know, negotiations, stop the moment you take your power and say this is what I deserve uh in a very honest and, and modest way. And if your current employer is not able to match that or come close or create a plan to get you there, then that kind of gives you the answer that you have to go somewhere else if, if you're really unhappy about that, I mean, money is not everything. So you have to look at your growth, your um career projections, the projects that you're assigned your flexibility of work, all of that comes into part. So um my presentation is not playing and I'm so sorry. Um But one of the other areas that I wanted to talk about within um making money moves is that you have to set a goal and you have to set a plan for how you're gonna get to that goal. So if your plan is to potentially earned, I don't know how much or be in a career where you're gonna be um have more flexibility and, and, and own something that is yours. Then um you can start the conversations around. How do I get there? Ho what are the things that I have to do to get there? So sometimes our bosses are very busy. So I would go after people that I admire and love whether it is internally or externally and ask questions.

Um You may be surprised the amount of people that will respond to you if you reach out to them. I've done that every single time I have questions. Um People that I have never met in my life, I'll reach out on linkedin. I say, hey, see that you're doing this awesome stuff and I wanna know how to do that and can you talk to me for like 20 minutes. Um And I have built some great virtual relationships that way. Um So, understanding your market value, understanding you're fit. So essentially, and I had a really cool slide that showed like a girl doing a yoga post, you know, because it's really difficult sometimes to do those, but it's um it's understanding your fit where, where you are within that scale and then making a plan and going after that and making a plan and going after that sometimes requires Sarah that you may not be in the right space or in the right company.

And, and that is a difficult um realization that thankfully you can manage. So um from that regard, uh owning your career um is the most important thing that you'll do for your entire life. Um I don't, I don't let anyone own it. Um I have always um done that for myself and um I'm a strong advocate for self sufficiency and driving yourself. So any other questions that I have that you may have as far as um career making moves, how to get your value? No. Well, I think um from a um understanding of conversations uh talking about money is never easy. So I totally get that. But um it could be a lot of other things like for me, it was uh flexibility of um work and that was a huge um a huge one for me a few years ago. And um and I love that being able to walk into a room and say um I would do X amount of work and this is what I bring to the table, but I need to have a certain level of flexibility. Thanks to COVID. Now we all have it. But prior to COVID, um there were a lot of employers that were not as flexible. So, all right guys. Anything else?

I think my time is

almost up. Hm Let me see here. I have sessions. Oh, no, I can't. Oh, I'm sorry. Uh Sarah has a question. Oh, yeah. What are the ways you think are good too? Uh This is to demonstrate value a applications in a new job that is different from past or current changes.

Um And how many years of experience do you have Sarah? Like, are you a recent grad or have you been in the market for a while? Um There are certain things that um ok, so there are certain aspects that makes someone a good employee regardless of whether you're in a new area. Um So showing initiative um being a good team player, um being um strategic in your relationships and also how you present yourself um being honest, giving feedback, but be being tact tactful and how you present that feedback. Um I, I think honesty, um working smart, I don't say working hard but working smart with the things that are gonna add value to your work. So think about all of the projects that you're currently working on and how you can use your experience from all of the other um career paths that you have had that can make that better uh, and bring that outside perspective, um Integrity. Um I think that's such a good way to gain trust. Um And it takes a little bit of time to do all of those things.

Um I wouldn't, um, I mean, unless you went from a neuroscientist to being a met a doctor, I don't know that there's a lot of changes, but if you're within the tech space, give yourself a good nine months to ramp up. Um That's a good um lever for you to uh find if you truly are um measuring and always have honest feedback. How am I doing? What can I do better? Um Is there anything that I can improve upon? Um How do I Alex? And if I didn't answer your question, let me know please. How do I, oh, how do you build

relationship and confidence?

Um It takes time, Alex. Um Building relationships is not a sprint. It's, it's truly a marathon and I know that sounds very cliche, but in reality, we are people that are very complex individuals. Uh And it takes time to build rapport, it takes time to build trust and it's um it's the little things is, it's something like showing up for people um calling and saying, hey, I read this article and it made me think of you. Um It's happy birthday on an email and um how do you even escalate it deeper than that? How do you build it faster? Um If you're close to that person in, in the same city, get together for lunch um and have conversations about your aspirations and your growth. I always say that if it's, there's no chemistry, it's kinda hard to go there and it can take time if, if, if it's not organic. So take your time, be consistent um offer to help, always offer to help and how you can be of assistance to others is such a great way to um build rapport and, and as I, I will say, e expedite the relationship um building phase that you feel confident it's definitely um needed.

Of course. Thank you guys. Um Are you, where are you guys all from? I'm from Atlanta. Oh, I love Portland. I used to live in Seattle. Oh my God, Kenya. Oh

my go view. I cannot wait to visit there.

Houston. I'm sure you guys are experiencing a lot of heat like we are here so humid. Yes. Oh San Fran. Awesome love San Fran. Um Anything else that you guys thought about um negotiations, things that you can ask for that you never thought? I think we're coming up pretty soon.

My time. Let me see. I don't think I missed anything. Oh How do you say Oh, that's a great question.

I wouldn't say what your salary is. I just, I would ask for the range, um, of what that market, that, of what that position pays. I always advise people to do that as a recruiter myself. I would ask for the range. Um, and I would, if you have a number in mind, um, like I was interviewing a guy and he was like, well, 1180 I thought, well, I can't, you know, that's way outside of my range. So I'm glad that he said that, but if you're like, still under that 150 if you're like within the 85 to 150 it category, um, I will have conversations like, what is the market range for this role? Um, and that, that can get the conversation going. Um How do you know if you're going back and forth too much when negotiating? That's a great question and it could be very frustrating for both parties. Um, you have to have your sweet spot. So, um, know your number if the numbers are way off and, and you know, that that conversation is going south, um, that's how, you know, it's too much. Uh, but most mo most individuals would tell you whether you are way off or not. Um, that would, that would probably be noticeable in the conversation. Um, I mean, unless you're asking for like a million bucks, it's kinda hard for you to break that uh offer anyway.

Uh but I have seen conversations where, I mean, we went back and forth for stock grants and vacation policy and all of that. And at the point as a recruiter, I was like, well, this is what I can do. That's the best thing. This is the highest and best offer I would be able to make at that point. Uh My candidates know that that is the highest and best and negotiations at that point are sort of like whatever is on the table is on the table. Erica, did I answer your question? I wish this was a conversation in our

text. But yeah,

I mean, I have been asked so many things for that for negotiations. So um when it comes to stock and salary, those are, I find those to be super straightforward, but that's because I deal with them on a weekly basis. So for you guys, it's very intimidating for sure. And I, I I'm sure that you feel that way is talking about money and our culture doesn't really talk about money like that. So

um

one thing I always ask is for um flexibility and of work. And also um one thing that I have always loved is time off, like you can pay me less if I get like six weeks off, for example. Um and a lot of employers have very strict guidelines around that. So um I would always ask for more in that regard. So thankfully, um, that has never been a problem for me, but, um, a lot of people are like, why you're negotiating vacation? I was like,

yes, that is very

important for me as a mom and, and my family is all over the place. It's very important that I get enough time um, for myself as well. Yes, definitely. Um, uh, percentages. So whenever companies give percentages of bonus, yearly bonuses, um, those are usually negotiable as well if you know, the industry averages. Um, I negotiate those as well. Um, so that's another point for you to ask. Um, sign on bonuses, guys are huge right now. I mean, they've been around for a long time but right now if you're a niche market, those are happening quite often as well. Negotiating your start date. Yeah, that's especially during the summer time. Um, or holidays. Those are always, you know, up in the air. Um, I always negotiate those myself. Um, I once took a summer off and when I joined this job I told my, my boss that I would start after my, my son went to school. So I, I took the entire summer off and started my job in August. So it's, everything is on the table until it's no longer on the table. Yeah, they're, they're offering unlimited PTO. Um, and that is such an interesting thing from a, from a, from an hr standpoint that means that they don't pay you out if you leave because a lot of people don't take your time off.

Um, I would ask what is the average time off the employee takes and what would be an acceptable amount because you don't wanna go there and then get your PTO denied if you decide to take a month off, right? So you wanna see how real that is? Um, I'm not a fan of unlimited PTO. Um, I work, um, I personally that's not uh uh independent of any other company I have worked for. Um but that, that is super popular right now, but it's a cost measure. Um So if you're definitely asked, what is the, the average and um what, how would they feel if you took two weeks off um in the summer and then 222 weeks off in December and see the reaction they get. I mean, that's a, that's a valid question and, and a valid request I would say. Yeah, absolutely. All right guys, I think we're up, I think we are. Um, you guys can find me on um linkedin. I

don't know if it has, have my name in there, but it's this

on linkedin um by Suhey Guzman. Feel free to reach out and um follow up and connect with me.