Why do women still struggle to talk about money?

The relationship between women and money It is a complex topic, on which I feel it is necessary to make two premises. The first is that it can vary greatly from person to person and absolutely cannot be generalized: generalizing, as we know, is always dangerous. The second premise is that the gender pay gapthat is, the fact that women are often paid less than men for the same job and the same task is unfortunately a reality at an international level and certainly does not depend on women, but on a reality of the world of work that is slowly changing, more slowly than it should.

At a macroeconomic level, the analysis carried out by the Nobel Prize winner in Economics Claudia Goldin, the third female Nobel Prize for Economics in History, is truly enlightening in this regard. If we talk about our country, there are certainly some theories and factors that can help explain the common perception that Italian women sometimes find it a little difficult to talk about money. Ours is a country where few still exist role models of women at the top of companies and organizations: unfortunately we are still pervaded by a chauvinistic culture that does not always go beyond traditional gender roles. Too often women are raised with traditional expectations that see them more involved in caring for the family than in the financial side. These gender roles can certainly influence the way women approach the topic of money. In this regard, at a micro level and based on our experience, an angle that I would particularly like to focus our attention on is that of the disparity between men and women in discussing the package during job interviews. In our experience in our HR consultancy firm, the Lang&Partners, we noticed that, if it is true that almost no one talks about the remuneration package in the first interview, in the second interview only one woman in three explicitly touches on the remuneration aspect, while two out of three men do so explicitly. This is a fact that should make us reflect. Once again, The disparity between men and women in discussing the compensation package during job interviews can be attributed to a number of factors, including culture, social expectations and differences in negotiation style. These factors vary widely from person to person, so it is not possible to generalize them. However, let’s hypothesize some common explanations:

1. Cultural expectations: women may have been more accustomed than men to avoid financial discussions or to be more “modest” regarding salaries. This can lead to a reluctance to negotiate or directly address the topic of money.

2. Fear of consequences: Some women may worry that explicitly raising the topic of the salary package offered could negatively impact the selection process.

3. Lack of confidence: Lack of confidence in themselves or their negotiating abilities can affect women’s willingness to discuss money.

4. Differences in priorities: Some people, regardless of gender, may place more emphasis on other aspects of the job, such as company culture or growth opportunities, than just money.

It is important to note that gender inequality in negotiations is a relevant issue and that work is being done to promote greater gender equality in this area too. Women should be encouraged to discuss money openly and seek fair working conditions.