Blog

Kathryn Valentine shares an article published in Fast Company that offers an original approach to preventing burnout and includes tips on how to do it. 

As the working mom of a 2- and 4-year old, I have felt it.  This pandemic is exhausting and seems to just. Keep. Dragging. On. 

I’m not the only one. A report released by McKinsey and LeanIn.org shows that one in three women are considering leaving the workforce or significantly downshifting. Research by the National Women’s Law Center shows that over 4.2 million women have left the workforce since the beginning of the pandemic.  

In my interviews with HR professionals, it seems that the vast majority of women leaving the workforce are doing so without asking for what they need to stay and thrive. Since it costs companies up to twice as much to replace an employee rather than retain them, this is not in the best interest of the company. It’s also, likely, not in the long-term financial interest of the woman. Fidelity’s research shows that leaving the workforce—even for just a year—can set women back more than twice their annual salary due to forgone benefits and future pay growth.

There is plenty the government, and our companies, can do, but what can we do? Not only to stay in the workforce but to truly thrive?

Ask for what you need. Research shows that women not only negotiate for access to roles but also for “the extra support to succeed in them.” But how do you do this? 

Based on seven years of research in the field, here are my top tips for successful negotiation.

Key points include:

• Thinking big and broad
• Negotiating collaboratively
• Additional support

Read the full article, Want to prevent burnout? Try negotiating, on Fast Company.