The gender wage gap is widely misunderstood. Women make 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man, according to the most recent data from the Institute for Women and Policy Research. But many companies do not believe they face this issue because they have not parsed their data in a meaningful way.
We know it’s not easy.
We recognize the complexity, legal and financial implications of digging in. And we are here to help.
We will get to the level that makes the most sense for your organization. Those serious about plugging earnings disparities might consider slicing the data in multiple ways to unveil a meaningful story. We will provide with a path forward to look closely at:
- Aggregate pay differentials (overall, exempt and non-exempt)
- Rate of annual promotion
- Average time in job grade
- Gender clusters or patterns at each job grade (when do females fall off?)
- Performance ratings (women tend to be rated less favorably for the same behaviors exhibited by men)
- Entry and egress from high potential programs
- Salary at entry for the same job grade
Remedies can include a phased plan to plug the largest gaps. They can also include building awareness around unconscious bias and how to mitigate its impact. For example, companies with “blind” applications (the applicant is assigned a number) can lessen bias related to gender, race and ethnicity. This is based on research that resumes’ with female or ethnic names are regarded as less qualified than their male counterparts with identical resumes. Policy based remedies that address gender (not just women) can also be explored if it makes sense for you. For instance, extending paternity leave for fathers could help some women who are concerned about the impact to their careers when taking time off for family.