Ep 192: How To Earn What You're Worth In 2020

You asked, and we listened! Our HerMoney family consistently requests more content around career advancement, negotiating for increased earnings, and taking a step up at your current company. Today’s HerMoney Podcast guest, Tracy Keogh, dishes on all of the above — and then some.

In her role as Chief Human Resources Officer at HP, Tracy has worldwide responsibility for the technology company’s strategic human resources activities, employee communications and social responsibility initiatives. She previously served as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Aon Hewitt, and has been teaching female executives how to negotiate — against her — for many years. In this week’s episode, Tracy offers us all a mini-course in some of her favorite tactics, including how to create a term sheet, how to ask for an off-cycle review to get a bump sooner than expected, and how to avoid negotiating against yourself. 

Oftentimes, women feel like asking for more money is “rude,” or that they might not be liked by others if they’re high earners, but that’s simply not true, Tracy says. The old wisdom of “you don’t get what you don’t ask for” has never been more applicable than where salary is concerned. 

Before going into any negotiation, do your homework. Find out what's common in your industry by looking online, talking to headhunters, friends, former colleagues, and anyone else you trust. 

Then, begin crafting your term sheet. Write out everything that has to do with your job, including what your salary is now, what you expect it to be, your desired title, your expected bonus, your desired vacation days, your retirement plan, and what you’d need to be offered in order to seriously consider leaving your current company for a new job.

Creating this term sheet — this “exhaustive list,” as Keogh calls it — enables you to have a 360-degree view of your total compensation package. “When you write these things down, you realize the current value of your situation,” she says. 

Tracy says she’s seen many women make the mistake of negotiating against themselves, and shares some thoughts on how to ensure this doesn’t happen to you. For example, you shouldn’t be the first one to offer up the salary figure you want, and you should always decline to offer your current salary — it’s illegal in many states for prospective employers to ask! She notes that when companies give offers, they almost always leave room for negotiation, and if you feel like an organization is low-balling you and simply won’t pay you what you’re worth, then it’s probably not the kind of company you want to work for. 

Tracy also discusses the importance of “negotiating from day one,” and how you can lay the groundwork for getting a higher salary without ever outright throwing out dollar figures. (She earned more by simply letting her company know upfront that she was her family’s sole breadwinner.)  

She also throws out tips for staying safe in a job, including the importance of getting everything in writing. For example, if your boss leaves his or her role, your new one may not agree to any “side arrangements” you had, so always get those in ink so you can continue to enjoy the perks of your role for years to come.

Then, in Mailbag, Jean advises a listener on where to get the best returns when you invest and the importance of having a diversified portfolio. She also counsels a woman who is wondering if the periodic credit increases her credit card company offers could possibly damage her credit, and offers advice to a listener struggling to get her husband interested in personal finance and co-managing their household’s money. Lastly, in Thrive, Jean discusses the importance of taking much-needed breaks at work — for a quick phone call, a moment of zen, or a even game of Candy Crush — all while in the bathroom.