When Advocacy Reveals Inequity: The Salary Truth I Didn’t Expect to Find
Becoming an Advocate in the Workplace
A handful of years into my tenure at the company (no, this is not a reference to an intelligence agency), I was nearly an evangelist about my work and eager to help professional vagabonds find a home. Because of this, frequently, I found myself on phone calls or in group text messages to help with resumes, interview preparation, or salary negotiation strategy. I enjoyed exercising my gift of encouragement and running reconnaissance missions against the discouragement that so easily plagues job applicants.
Sometimes, I would not get a call or text for a couple months, and at other times I would have multiple “clients” simultaneously. It was a busy season for me with the quarter coming to a close. If you are in sales, you understand the pressure and the timelines. If not, pretend you are a CPA and you experience “busy season” four times a year.
Supporting Others During Busy Season
I was in the middle of helping two young men join my company for two different roles — both junior to be me in age and experience. We prepared together on the phone, and I walked them step-by-step through the hiring process. Within a few weeks from submission to interviews, my phone buzzed again — this time with excitement and thanks instead of the anxiety and questions.
Soon, I received exciting news: each young man had received a full-time offer.
The Salary Revelation
This is typically the point where my coaching journey hits a natural fork in the road. Either my “clients” choose to negotiate solo, or they ask for continued coaching. In each case, they opted to work with me on negotiating their offers.
But what followed shocked me.
Each young man — both younger and less experienced — was offered a significantly higher salary than mine.
I entered the company as a professional hire and had multiple years already with the company. Because of my performance and potential, I was on one of the most elite accounts within the company in the highest performing industry sector: financial services. I had just closed $50M in software sales in December 2022.
A Difficult Realization
Now for background, for months, I had initiated multiple discussions with my manager about a raise. On each call, the goalpost was moved, and I was told that it could only be considered based on extremely specific criteria, including the time of year for budgeting. Essentially, the can was kicked down the street multiple times, and the street was getting longer after each call with my manager.
I really struggled with the truth I had accidentally uncovered. I had not been digging for information, suspicious of the sales team, or seeking out disgruntled conversations with colleagues. On the contrary, I had been a happy evangelist and successful recruiter hoping to share the good news of a company who treated its employees well.
But suddenly, that belief felt naive.
The Internal Struggle
My internal monologue was all over the place, and some of the thoughts bouncing in my mind were:
Should I just let it go — pretend I did not know this?
Do they not want to give me a raise because I am pregnant?
Maybe a raise will come eventually?
Was it worth pushing again for a raise with my manager?
Should I share my findings?
Is this actually the gender pay gap?
I thought this was illegal decades ago…
It was not just about the money. It was about the evaluation of my contributions, the integrity of my leadership, and the courage to act on the truth once I knew it. I was proud of my work, and I was proud to be a woman working in IT and financial services, both known to be male-dominated industries.
My Conclusion
I wrestled, but I concluded that inaction was actually unholy (this is going to be a theme in writing). Silence was expensive, and choosing to advocate for myself was one of the holiest things to do.
In my next pieces, I will detail:
My reflections of how God sees women
The next steps I took with my manager — PPT presentation & salary details included
What happened next
I want to hear your thoughts
💬 Have you ever discovered a workplace inequity by accident? Share your experience below in the comments — or subscribe to The Manuscript to receive more stories on negotiation, value, and advocacy.
Onward,
Frankie