Today is Women’s Equality Day, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of women being given the right to vote in the United States. Since 1920, women have continued to forge ahead for every generation of women that followed after them, pushing us closer to equality. Most recently, women have been pushing the envelope to ensure women are paid the same as their male counterparts in the workplace.

Randstad released a COVID-19 2019 U.S. Compensation Insights survey to examine the views of 1,200 American workers on today’s salary negotiation practices, focusing especially on generational and gender differences. The survey revealed that women and men have different salary negotiation tactics. Women can be better self-advocates than men, but the trend of women being less likely to engage in any sort of negotiating for a higher salary continues. The results showed that 57 percent of women never negotiated their compensation.

Another interesting finding from the Randstad report was that women are less likely than men to consult with fellow employees about their pay before entering salary negotiations, with only 36 percent of women having done that. Furthermore, only 35 percent of women admitted to using the negotiation tactic of telling a prospective employer they had another job offer when they really didn’t, compared to 44 percent of men.

A lot of factors need to change in order to successfully close the gender pay gap, and for women to receive the salaries and positions they deserve. More men need to step up and sponsor women in the workplace. Companies need to be more flexible with working mothers who choose to both work and raise a family. In addition, businesses need to have open salary policies that allow for full transparency. A lot of these issues may feel out of our control, but one thing women can do is continue to fight for equality by asking for raises and promotions, furthering their education with advanced degrees, and negotiating salaries. Until companies — and society in general — make true changes to allow women to earn the same as men, it’s in our hands to continue to push for equal pay.

Here are some WIRLC resources for you to review next time you’re ready to negotiate your salary or ask for raise:

Do you have any tips for becoming a better negotiator and advocating for yourself (and others) in the workplace? Let us know in our forum!