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Field
Abstract
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Before
A widely-held explanation for the gender pay gap is that women do not negotiate salary as much as men. Recent surveys indicate 59% of US employees accepted the salary they were first offered, and did not negotiate. 68% of women did not negotiate while 52% of men did not. Job candidates may not be realizing their full labor market potential by not negotiating. Can we help candidates improve job search outcomes by teaching negotiation skills? Can we help close the gender pay gap in this way?
We will conduct a field experiment in Thailand to give job seekers online training on salary negotiation. The negotiation training aims to teach them that job interview process is a two-way bargaining process with potential room to negotiate. It teaches them ways of pursuing mutual benefits Also, the training gives them tools for advocating for one's value -- qualitatively and through market expected wages. At the same time, it teaches ways of navigating the negotiation process giving them the adequate communication skills and lower psychological costs in initiating negotiation.
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After
A widely-held explanation for the gender pay gap is that women do not negotiate salary as much as men. Recent surveys indicate 59% of US employees accepted the salary they were first offered, and did not negotiate. 68% of women did not negotiate while 52% of men did not. Job candidates may not be realizing their full labor market potential by not negotiating. Can we help candidates improve job search outcomes by teaching negotiation skills? Can we help close the gender pay gap in this way?
We will conduct a field experiment in Thailand to give job seekers online training on salary negotiation. The negotiation training aims to teach them that job interview process is a two-way bargaining process with potential room to negotiate. It teaches them ways of pursuing mutual benefits. Also, the training gives them tools for advocating for one's value -- qualitatively and through market expected wages. The central part of the training is to lower psychological costs in initiating negotiation by teaching ways of navigating the negotiation process.
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Field
Last Published
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Before
April 09, 2020 10:58 AM
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After
May 01, 2020 12:58 PM
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Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
Amount of raise in salary and benefits from the previous position, whether the individual is employed, and whether the individual attempted and negotiated salary raise and other benefits, willingness to negotiate, beliefs in social acceptance of negotiation, favorable opinions in the workplace, negotiation skills that can be tested based on the training material
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After
Amount of raise in salary and benefits from the previous position, whether the individual is employed, and whether the individual attempted and negotiated salary raise and other benefits
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Field
Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
Treated individuals get either of two treatments: full negotiation training or information treatment on expected market wages. The information treatment is also included in the full training. The other individuals are controls. The treatment follows right after collecting baseline information in the same survey. We will implement the endline survey 2-3 months after the initial intervention to collect outcome variables.
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After
Treated individuals get either of two treatments: full negotiation training or information treatment on expected market wages. The information treatment is also included in the full training. The other individuals are controls. The treatment follows right after collecting baseline information in the same survey. We will implement the endline survey 2-3 months after the initial intervention to collect outcome variables.
All individuals are invited for a "study on interview practices in Thailand." The individuals are collected from resumes on job board sites. After screening individuals who are likely to do job search in the near future, I collect baseline information. Randomization happens thereafter in the same survey. The training, which lasts around 30 minutes, includes text information, video demonstration, and interactive quizzes. The key part of the training is to lower psychological costs to negotiation. Part of the training is giving respondents information what they are expected to get in the market given their occupation, education, and region of residence. This part is given to the information treatment as well. After 2-3 months we will field the endline survey measuring the outcomes. For added reliability of the study, we will give a cash incentive to provide the most recent pay stubs to back up the respondents' claims on their salaries.
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Field
Secondary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
Change in the knowledge of market wage; whether they stayed in the same industry; differential effects by gender, expected market wage, marriage status, industry gender composition, and gender pairings in negotiation
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After
Beliefs in social acceptance of negotiation, favorable opinions in the workplace, negotiation skills that can be tested based on the training material, change in the knowledge of market wage; differential effects by gender
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