During a Thursday event that was made up of nearly 8,000 women, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that women shouldn’t ask for a raise, but to wait for good Karma to be their reward. From ReadWrite:
?It’s not really about asking for a raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will give you the right raise.?
Faith. In the system. Because the system has been so great about rewarding women in the past….right? The system that pays women 78 percent less than it pays men.
But alas, there is also Karma. Yes, Karma.
?That might be one of the initial ?super powers,? that quite frankly, women (who) don’t ask for a raise have ? It’s good karma. It will come back.?
Isn’t that special??So in other words, just be nice to the gentlemen and they’ll be nice to you. (wink wink)
Audience members were ?confused and uninspired.
@satyanadella "not asking for a raise is good karma. It will come around at some time" – so don't agree… And so does @MariaKlawe #GHC14
— Ingrid Bernaudin (@IngridBernaudin) October 9, 2014
Is @satyanadella so out of touch with MS mgmt that he thinks u don't need to push hard to get a raise, or is that just what he tells #GHC14?
— Leigh Honeywell (@hypatiadotca) October 9, 2014
Lots of murmurs in the crowd as @satyanadella says that if you don't ask for a raise, you'll eventually get fair pay #ghc14
— Lauren Schaefer (@Lauren_Schaefer) October 9, 2014
Did he just say not asking for a raise was like karma and would work out for you in the end? #ghc14 #ghcmanwatch
— Cate Huston (@catehstn) October 9, 2014
Thanks goodness Maria Klawe is there to give women practical advice on asking for a raise, after the male speaker failed. #ghc14
— P. Oppenheimer (@priscillaoppy) October 9, 2014
Maria Klawe, a computer scientist, member of Microsoft’s board of directors, and?president of Harvey Mudd College was moderating the discussion and she was seemingly as appalled as everyone else. She cited?a time?when she received about $50,000 less in pay than she should have been as dean of engineering at Princeton University because she was forced to wait so long to?discuss her salary.
Some stats from Microsoft’s workplace diversity data are unimpressive.
Microsoft released its workplace diversity data last week, and the numbers show the company Nadella took over in February is just as white and male as other tech companies. Twenty-nine percent of the general Microsoft workforce is female, and in the U.S., almost 61% is white. The tech industry has a gender diversity issue, he said, and the real question is what companies are going to do about it.
Nadella has issued a Tweet apology, which he later realized wasn’t sufficient. He then issued an official statement. It’s still insufficient. I’m afraid this kind of attitude isn’t something that can be easily fixed.
Was inarticulate re how women should ask for raise. Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias #GHC14
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) October 9, 2014
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Tiffany Willis is a fifth-generation Texan and the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
