Negotiation Skills For Teachers

Negotiating salary is hard. Leveraging data makes it so much easier. Here are 6 unique ways to research salaries for your target role: First, a quick note on how to use this date. Salary will likely come up in your first interview. Do this research before. Aim to gather as much data on the salary range for the role as possible. Then aim for the largest "reasonable" jump you can make (usually the ~70% mark of the range). 1. Find Salaries In States That Require It Most companies won't post a salary range. But several states have passed laws that requires them to. So search for your target job on LinkedIn and filter for those states. Then adjust the salary range for the cost of living in your area. Now you have more accurate salary data! 2. H1BData Info When companies sponsor an employee's visa, they're required to disclose the job title and salary. H1BData[.]info lets you search through all of that data. Since these are actual salaries from real jobs, this is some of the most accurate data you can get. 3. Levels FYI Want to work in tech? Levels[.]fyi doesn't just have salary information. They also have info on internal "levels" that MAANG and F500 companies use to determine salary. Use this info to determine if the offer you get is a good one for your level. 4. Glassdoor Glassdoor gives you salary data in different cuts. You can view general data for your city, job title, and years of experience. Or you can find user-submitted salary info for specific job titles at specific companies. 5. Blind Blind has a salary comparison tool, but don't use it. Instead, search the forums for: [Company] + [Job Title] + Salary Look through the convos of people anonymously sharing salary info. It's a great way to go beyond base to understand bonuses, equity, and more. 6. Look At The Competition Most job seekers only look at this data for their target company. Don't stop there. Find out what their competition is paying for similar roles. Then use that data to your advantage in the conversation.

Equal Pay Day moved BACKWARD in 2025 to March 25th, revealing a harsh truth: transparency without enforcement doesn't create equality. 60% of job postings now include salary information—up from just 18% in 2020—yet women still earn just 85 cents to a man's dollar. Even more disturbing? The gap is widening. Of 98 countries with equal pay laws, only 35 have implemented any accountability mechanisms. We're seeing the illusion of progress without the substance. True salary transparency requires action at every level: For individuals: - Share your salary information with "trusted" colleagues - Explicitly ask for pay ranges before interviews - Document salary discussions and decisions - Normalize compensation conversations in your workplace - Research industry standards using sites like Glassdoor and Payscale For managers: - Conduct regular pay equity audits in your teams - Establish clear compensation criteria based on skills and responsibilities - Remove salary history questions from your hiring process - Advocate for transparent promotion pathways For organizations: - Implement formal pay bands with clear progression criteria - Regularly publish company-wide gender and racial pay gap data - Create accountability mechanisms for addressing inequities - Train managers on recognizing and addressing unconscious bias in compensation decisions The data is clear: companies with meaningful transparency see pay gaps narrow significantly in the first year alone. But posting a salary range isn't enough if there's no accountability behind it. Let's move beyond performative transparency toward meaningful equity. Please share this post if you think salary transparency should come with real action. Joshua Miller #SalaryTransparency #PayEquity #Workplace

Early in my facilitation career, I made a big mistake. Spent hours crafting engaging activities and perfecting every little detail… Thinking that amazing learning design is what would make my workshops stand out and get me rehired. Some went great. Some bombed. You know the ones, sessions where: - One participant dominated the conversation. - People quietly disengaged, barely participating. - half the group visibly frustrated but not saying anything. I would push through, hoping things would course-correct. But by the end, it was a bit… meh. I knew my learning design was great so... What was I missing? Why the inconsistency between sessions? 💡I relied too much on implicit agreements. I realised that I either skipped or rushed the 'working agreements'. Treating it like a 'tick' box exercise. And it's here I needed to invest more time Other names for this: Contract, Culture or Design Alliance, etc... Now, I never start a session without setting a working agreement. And the longer I'm with the group, the longer I spend on it. 25 years of doing this. Here are my go-to Qs: 🔹 What would make this session a valuable use of your time? → This sets the north star. It ensures participants express their needs, not just my agenda. 🔹 What atmosphere do we want to create? → This sets the mood. Do they want an energising space? A reflective one? Let them decide. 🔹 What behaviours will support this? → This makes things concrete. It turns abstract hopes into tangible agreements. 🔹 How do we want to handle disagreement? → This makes it practical. Conflict isn’t the problem—how we navigate it is. ... The result? - More engaged participants. - Smoother facilitation. - Ultimately, a reputation as the go-to person for high-impact sessions. You probably already know this. But if things don't go smoothly in your session. Might be worth investing a bit more time at the start to prevent problems later on. Great facilitation doesn't just happen, It's intentional, and it's designed. ~~ ♻️ Share if this is a useful reminder ✍️ Have you ever used a working agreement in your workshops? What’s one question you always ask? Drop it in the comments!

Most Heads of People don't know how to get started on pay transparency — it comes down to two things. It's easy to get caught out with so many changes and so much discussion about pay transparency around the world. The best Heads of People are owning their pay transparency position and using it to drive strategic outcomes. There's two key aspects that will help you choose how you can leverage pay transparency. The first is local compliance. Like it or not, the People function has a core responsibility to stay across the evolving landscape of employment laws. Knowing your exposure and reducing liability is key to being a commercial leader with a seat at the table. Most pay transparency laws exist by country, state or (in some cases) city based jurisdictions. Audit your exposure by defining where your people are and checking each location for pay transparency laws. Don't look at just the ones that are in place today, make sure to check where they are incoming, too. Use this information to determine your 'bare minimum' pay transparency obligation as a company, and define what steps you have to take to get there. The second, more important aspect to consider, is your talent drivers. How can you get better attract and retain people through pay transparency. Companies that implement pay transparency have a competitive edge. There's no two ways about it. They get more, better candidates. Their people are more engaged and more productive. But pay transparency has to be done in a way that's right for you, not copied from what worked for others. How can you use pay transparency to drive talent? 1. Do the research on how pay transparency benefits other companies. 2. Develop a hypothesis about how it can help you. 3. Engage with your people to co-design solutions that work (hiring managers, recently hired employees, recruiters etc.) 4. Build a roadmap that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. With these two things covered you can take command of the growing topic of pay transparency and ensure it's working right for you. Where have you seen pay transparency implemented well? — If you like this content, repost this to your network and follow me Matt McFarlane for more.

How do I create a safe environment for my participants in a meeting? 1. I never start a session with the agenda; I start with the tone. “Our goal today isn’t to be perfect, it’s to be curious, honest, and kind.” It signals that this is not an evaluation meeting; it’s a shared exploration space. 2. Before diving into content, I spend the first few minutes co-creating group norms “We listen to understand, not to respond.” “We challenge ideas, not people.” “We invite every voice, including silence.” “Disagree respectfully, but don’t disengage.” 3. Start with a short, emotional or reflective check-in question. It humanizes the room and creates connection. “What’s one word that describes your current mood?” “What’s one thing you’re bringing into this session - focus, fatigue, curiosity?” “If your week were a weather forecast, what would it be?” 4. I make my facilitation invisible. I talk less and listen more, guiding energy rather than controlling it. If someone’s dominating, I redirect with empathy - “Let’s pause and hear from someone we haven’t heard yet.” If the group goes silent, I invite reflection - “Let’s take 30 seconds to think and jot before speaking.” What are your Facilitation techniques? Share in the Comments section. Join the community - Instagram - https://lnkd.in/gxNE-Uue YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gF7CTtE6 Facebook - https://lnkd.in/gk756vGF LinkedIn - https://lnkd.in/gfzJbAfC X - https://x.com/agile_wow Meetup - https://lnkd.in/gudvWcrV WhatsApp - https://lnkd.in/gQiAZQwR #agilewow #ai #artificialintelligence #agile #scrum AgileWoW

There’s something almost magical about watching an idea come alive on a big board or wall. I first experienced this in a workshop many years ago, when instead of PowerPoint slides and endless talking, a facilitator picked up a pen and began sketching what we were saying. Within minutes, the noise in the room turned into clarity. Arguments softened. Ideas grew. Patterns emerged. Suddenly, we weren’t just talking at each other, we were thinking together. That’s the power of graphical facilitation. I've found that visuals create shared understanding. When people see their ideas drawn out, it feels tangible, real, and owned. Visuals cut through complexity. A messy conversation can be captured into a simple diagram that shows how the pieces fit together. Visuals open space for creativity. They invite people to build, adapt, and challenge without getting lost in jargon. It’s not about art. Stick figures and simple shapes are enough. It’s about capturing meaning, making the invisible visible. Here’s where leadership comes in. Graphical facilitation is really powerful when you combine it with the right questions. imagine a leader asking: “What does success look like for us?” and the group sketch the answers into a shared picture. “Where are the bottlenecks in our system?” and mapping them visually with the team. “If this project were a journey, where are we on the map?” and drawing a road with milestones. "What do our customers really experience?" and mapping out the end to end customer journey. This simple combination does something slides never can: it invites people in. It shows them their voice matters, that leadership is not about having the answer but creating the conditions for the best answers to emerge. Try this to get started...: 1. Grab a flipchart or whiteboard. The bigger, the better. 2. Frame a powerful question. Something open, generative, and focused on possibilities. 3. Draw as you listen. Use arrows, boxes, circles, stick people nothing fancy. Capture the flow of ideas. 4. Step back together. Ask: “What do we notice?” or “What stands out?” This is where new insights often spark. 5. Co-create the next step. The group’s picture becomes the group’s plan. In times of complexity, speed, and change, leaders can no longer rely on being the person with the answer. The role has shifted: leaders must become facilitators of thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Graphical facilitation is a leadership skill for the future. It's a way to make ideas visible, align people quickly, and engage teams in solving problems together. And here’s the truth: once people have seen their ideas come to life on the wall, they rarely forget it. It creates ownership, energy, and momentum that words alone can’t achieve. If you want better collaboration, don’t just talk at your team. Draw with them. Ask the right questions. Sketch the answers. Make the invisible visible. You’ll be surprised at what emerges when the pens are in play!

"Pay transparency leads to resentment among employees." Here's why you are wrong: As a founder, I have always supported 100% honesty. Everyone I hired knew what others on the team were being paid. And this helped us: 1) Close the gender pay gap and build more loyalty. For every $1000 that a white man makes, a white woman makes $820, and a black woman makes $670. When salaries are kept secret, biases creep in, and women, along with other multicultural employees, are paid a lot less for the same work. 2) Increase motivation. Team members give their 100% when they know they are being paid fairly. 3) Focus on the company's growth. Being transparent helped us move beyond the money talk to focus on real metrics like increasing our revenue and getting more customers. The new generation of workers talk. You can either be upfront about your pay or watch your high performers quit for a better culture.

TA friends, let's get real   Are you following the letter of the #equalpay act but really playing a game of cat and mouse that sees you posting a huge unrealistic salary range, with a secret "real range" hidden somewhere within it, and then forcing the candidate to somehow pin down that secret range or risk being declined for having unrealistic expectations or (worse) being evasive when asked?   Or are you embracing the benefits of real pay transparency by posting the actual range, which elevates the initial conversation between #talentacquisition professional and candidate, making it less focused on money and other checkbox items and more focused on the #culture of the workplace, the strengths the candidate brings, and the organizational talent needs?   Being transparent with pay (really, not coyly) leads to a better #candidateexperience, increased trust between candidate and recruiter, and eventually, a more engaging workplace once/if that person is hired.   Win-win   Recruiting isn't a game of cat and mouse. When you are transparent, your process is more efficient, you have more ability to play a strategic role instead of an administrative one, the candidate has a better experience, and you are more likely to attract candidates who align with your expectations leading to less attrition over time.   What's there to lose?

Negotiation is a skill, not a personality. 12 phrases to advocate without apologizing👇 For years, women were told the pay gap existed because we didn’t ask. But research now shows women negotiate more than men. 54% of women negotiate job offers, compared to 44% of men (Forbes, 2023). And yet, the gap remains. Because negotiating as a woman often means walking a fine line. You want to advocate for yourself without being seen as difficult. Confident, but not demanding. Clear, but still collaborative. That’s where strategy matters. Here are 12 phrases to help you negotiate without apologizing: 1. "Based on market data for this role, I'm targeting X" → Anchors your ask in research, not emotion 2. "I'd love to discuss the full compensation package" → Opens the door beyond base salary to equity, bonus, benefits 3. "I want to make sure my expectations align with the budgeted range for this role" → Positions you as collaborative while still getting the information 4. "I'm excited about this role and want to make sure we're aligned on compensation" → Shows enthusiasm while holding your ground 5. "What would it take to get to X salary?" → Puts the negotiation back in their court to problem-solve 6. "I have another offer at X, but this role is my preference" → Creates leverage without being combative 7. "I'm looking for a compensation package that reflects the value I'll bring" → Ties your ask directly to impact 8. "Can we revisit this conversation in 6 months with clear performance metrics?" → Creates a timeline when they say no 9. "I'd like to understand how compensation decisions are made here" → Reveals their process and any bias baked in 10. "What's the typical trajectory for someone in this role?" → Uncovers growth potential and future earning power 11. "I'm targeting total compensation of X, how can we get there?" → Collaborative framing that invites partnership 12. "I need time to consider this offer thoughtfully" → Buys you space to assess without pressure Negotiation is a skill you build over time. Advocating for yourself is part of how you learn to hold your value.       Which phrase supports the conversation you’re preparing for? P.S. If you're a woman in tech looking for support in figuring out your next move, apply here: https://lnkd.in/gcmYmbiS 📌 Grab my cheatsheet, Master the Art of Interview Questions: https://lnkd.in/gykXXrNV ___ ♻️ Repost to support women getting paid what they're worth. 🔔 Follow me Rachel Park for more on career & wellbeing.

To be transparent or not to be transparent? That is the question. To me, compensation transparency means empowering employees to answer two questions: Why am I paid what I am paid?  And, how can I earn more over time (if I want to do so)? Answering the "why" part of "Why am I paid what I am paid?" often comes in the form of a compensation philosophy and pay practices (e.g., job levels, competitive rate benchmark, etc.) [See 🔗 link in comments for a template compensation philosophy.] Answering the "what" part of "Why am I paid what I am paid?" often means deciding where you want to be on the compensation transparency spectrum — it's not just ON or OFF! — and taking the steps to share more total rewards information (e.g., base salary range for the role an employee is in) in conjunction with an education campaign. I like to use responses from a Total Rewards Survey to plot where our employee base wants us to be in regards to transparency. I'll also ask executives where they want us to be in regards to transparency.  Then, I'll overlay employee and executive answers on an image like the one below (h/t to Lattice for the great image and article, link in comments). That visual is a great starting point for a conversation to answer the question: "How transparent do we want to be?" Next, work with leadership to pick a point to move to on the transparency spectrum within a defined point in time (e.g., we want to move 2 notches to the right in the next 6 months). If you already feel like you're in a strong position with regards to salary transparency, I'd challenge you to repeat the exercise with variable compensation and stock options. You'll likely choose to land on different levels of transparency for different types of total rewards (e.g., more for base salary and less for equity). __ 👋 I'm Melissa Theiss, 4x Head of People and Business Operations and advisor for bootstrapped and VC-backed SaaS companies. 🗞️ In my newsletter, “The Business of People,” I share tips and tricks that help People leaders think like business leaders.