More than half of professionals are failing to negotiate their salary when offered a job, according to a survey by Glassdoor. The study, which gathered responses from almost 6,700 professionals, found that 54% of respondents did not negotiate in their most recent salary conversation. This lack of negotiation was consistent across both men and women, with 46% of each gender opting not to negotiate. These findings are surprising given that historically, men have negotiated more than women. However, when women do negotiate their offered salary, they are more likely to be rebuffed than men.
The survey also revealed that the percentage of professionals who negotiated varied by age group, with 55% of professionals between 36 and 40 negotiating their salary, the highest share among all age groups. However, this percentage decreased for each subsequent age group, reaching a low of 27% for professionals aged 21 to 25. In terms of industries, workers in advertising, marketing, and tech negotiated the most, while grad students, accountants, and lawyers negotiated the least.
These findings are an improvement compared to a 2018 survey by Robert Half, which found that only 34% of women negotiated a higher salary, compared to 46% of men. However, the gender pay gap is still a concern, with women currently earning fewer than 84 cents on the man’s dollar. Although Glassdoor’s findings could partly be attributed to states’ new laws requiring companies to include salary ranges on job listings, some companies are still not playing fair by offering artificially low salaries or wide salary ranges to avoid applicants’ suspicions.
Experts suggest that applicants should dig deeper and ask about the company’s rationale behind the offered figure, as well as how they calculated years of experience. By asking relevant questions and exploring opportunities to expand the offer, applicants can gain a better understanding of the company’s sincerity and potentially negotiate a fair salary. Ultimately, companies that are dishonest or withhold information risk eroding trust and may end up dealing with the higher costs of replacing dissatisfied employees.