<story><title>Microsoft CEO says women need not ask for raise, should trust system</title><url>http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2014/10/09/at-women-tech-event-microsoft-ceo-says-women-need-not-ask-for-raise-should/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>ChristopherM</author><text>This is horrible advice, men and women both must push for a raise, companies will absolutely under no circumstances just give away raises because &amp;quot;it&amp;#x27;s the right thing to do&amp;quot;.&lt;p&gt;Case in point, I am a white male.  When I started working at a company over a decade ago I also started at the same time as another white male.  I started at $55k, he started at $52k I negotiated for an additional $3k from the start.  The first year I assumed they would give me a good raise since I was hired at entry level wages, I got a $2k raise.  I was livid.  The next year I made a huge deal about the tiny raise, I ended up getting $5k, now up to $62k.  Year after $3k, again not happy.  During that year there was a &amp;quot;salary freeze&amp;quot;, I told my boss that was unacceptable, if I didn&amp;#x27;t get a promotion I would be leaving.  So I got another $5k during the salary freeze.  The next year still not happy, I made the same ultimatum, This time $10k.  Up to $80k, I ended up leaving a couple of months later for a management position.&lt;p&gt;In contrast that other software engineer?  He got $2k per year, except for the salary freeze year, they made it up the year after.  He left after 5 years making $62k&lt;p&gt;Me -&amp;gt;  $55k, $57k, $62k, $65k, $70k, $80k&lt;p&gt;Him -&amp;gt; $52k, $54k, $56k, $58k, $58k, $62k&lt;p&gt;So, apparently by being the squeaky wheel I ended up making an additional $18k a year by the time we both left.  Plus all the additional money I made the preceding years.&lt;p&gt;Lesson here?  Make yourself very valuable to the company, and then make them pay.  They won&amp;#x27;t do it of their own free will.  Look at it from their perspective, if you don&amp;#x27;t say anything why would they do anything?  Obviously you are happy if you are not complaining.&lt;p&gt;The problem for women is that, in general, they don&amp;#x27;t speak up, they don&amp;#x27;t negotiate for salary increases they just accept what is offered.  What we really need to do is to teach women how to understand what they are really worth, and to negotiate from a position of strength.</text></comment>
<story><title>Microsoft CEO says women need not ask for raise, should trust system</title><url>http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2014/10/09/at-women-tech-event-microsoft-ceo-says-women-need-not-ask-for-raise-should/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>rdl</author><text>Is he quoted out of context, or trolling?  I&amp;#x27;m confused, because most Microsoft people I know speak really highly of him, but the system is shitty for promoting even white guys in tech, let alone anyone else -- people get promoted by moving jobs every 12-24 months, not through being recognized and rewarded for contributions at companies.&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Karma&amp;quot; makes me think he&amp;#x27;s trolling, or was quoted out of context.&lt;p&gt;(The snarky response here is &amp;quot;he&amp;#x27;s clearly speaking from his extensive experience as a woman in technology...&amp;quot;, but I&amp;#x27;d rather take the high road.)</text></comment>