LEARNING NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES MAKES FOR STRONGER — AND BETTER PAID — EMPLOYEES
By Melissa Reinberg, Executive Director, and Ryann Schutt, Summer 2021 Intern, with support from David Schultz, Program and Communications Coordinator
“I have learned that people can agree to disagree in a respectful manner. I have also learned to use that same skill with my current job, especially in staff meetings, dealing with the public, and focus[ing] on coming up with a solution.”
- “Aretha” | Negotiation Works participant at Calvary Women’s Services
When individuals from marginalized communities sharpen their negotiation strategies through participation in the Negotiation Works programs, they become more sought-after employees. Armed with strong problem-solving and self-advocacy tools, they approach their job duties with sharp critical thinking skills, which both enhances their job performance and increases their ability to deal effectively with conflict in the workplace environment. A recent study suggests yet another benefit: workers with strong problem-solving skills might also receive a boost in earnings.
The skills and workplace competencies that employers in the modern labor market want and actively seek in their employees are consistent with the skills we teach in our negotiation programs. Particularly for individuals who earn wages on the low end of the earnings scale and who might not otherwise feel empowered to advocate on their own behalf in the workplace, having more confidence in and competence at negotiating can bring them significant workplace benefits. According to Workplace Basics: Competencies Employers Want, a 2020 report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce [the “Workplace Competencies Report”], in the past several decades, technological advances, globalization, and automation have contributed to structural changes in the economy, causing demand for cognitive competencies in the workplace to rise and physical competencies to fall. The Report examined “competencies”, defined as a trio of skills, knowledge, and abilities that are essential to success on a job, and identified five cognitive competencies that are in high demand across all occupational groups:
communication,
teamwork,
sales and customer service,
leadership, and
problem solving and complex thinking.
"I used negotiation strategies when I was working out the salary for my new job. I had completed an internship at this company, and I then received an offer of full-time employment! However, I had to decide what to do about asking for a specific salary. I really wanted the job, but I worried that if I asked for too much in salary, I might jeopardize the offer. Then I thought about what I had learned in our negotiation course, and I realized that to the company--which is a very financially secure business-- my salary “ask” wouldn’t be unreasonable. I went ahead and asked for the salary figure on the high end of what I was seeking. The company said yes!!"
- Georgia | Negotiation Works participant
The Workplace Competencies Report identified that communication is both the most in-demand competency and the skill that is associated with higher earnings, when used on the job in high intensity. These higher earning potentials are seen across many sectors, not only those that demand advanced educational degrees but also blue collar, food and personal services, and health care jobs. In fact, the Workplace Competencies Report found that those who demonstrate high use of competencies such as communication and problem-solving can, in some instances, compensate for earnings discrepancies that would otherwise be correlated with disparate education levels. For example, food and personal service workers with lower education levels but high intensity use of these cognitive competencies earn more than their higher educated peers who have a lower intensity use of the competencies. The Report discussed similar findings for healthcare professional and technical employees. All in all, the Report suggests that employees like Georgia, who have strong communication and related problem-solving skills, can compete for jobs and perform at least as well as individuals with higher educational accomplishments.
Our negotiation strategies programs emphasize development of these valued competencies; specifically, our curriculum focuses on the value of intentional problem-solving, listening, and communicating clearly. Through the weekly classes, participants gain experiencing engaging in rigorous negotiation planning, perspective-taking, and developing creative solutions by working through challenging scenarios such as negotiating with a landlord for the return of a security deposit, persuading a cousin who employs you to modify your job duties, and crafting a realistic visitation schedule with your child’s other parent.
“I need[ed] to change my work hours on Friday[s], and instead of taking the day off, I asked if they could work around my needing off, and [I] offered to work a different shift…[This worked out] great! I am able to work the morning shift and not lose a whole day of work.”
- Shelly | Negotiation Works participant at Together We Bake
Our analyses indicate that our programs are having an impact on how individuals work through everyday disputes and difficult situations. Over the past four years, we have demonstrated that individuals from marginalized communities who participate in our multi-week programs learn new approaches to problem-solving and find relevant application of those approaches in a wide range of daily activities. They share stories of their successes in negotiating situations involving family, school, health, and housing. Their successes, as Shelly’s story demonstrates, extend into the workplace as well. Program participants share that using negotiation skills broadly throughout their work life results not only in gaining more for themselves but also in strengthening their work performance and relationships.
Employees who are effective negotiators strengthen their work life even beyond the potential for increased earnings and better on-the-job problem-solving. Specifically, employees who are better able to manage the complications, stresses, and conflicts that arise in everyday life are more confident, competent, and productive in the workforce. One small wrinkle in an employee's daily rhythm of life--a landlord who is unresponsive to complaints about a broken stove, a third-grade teacher who gives their child unacceptably harsh treatment, or a co-worker who harasses them--can create a conflict that distracts an employee, causes absenteeism, or results in lower productivity. Employees who can effectively manage daily and ongoing conflicts, on both a personal and community-wide level, will be more productive workers, resulting in an overall improved work environment and a more stable workforce.
The Workplace Competencies Report issues a call-to-action for training employees who are skilled communicators, thinkers, and doers, and it concludes with a plea for policymakers to support programs that allow for the development of these core competencies. As reflected throughout the Report and Negotiation Works’ own findings, these skills often make the difference as to which individual gets a tailored and workable schedule, is chosen for a plum assignment, or earns a reputation as a positive team player. For individuals like Aretha, Georgia, and Shelly, Negotiation Works’ supportive community serves as a stepping stone to learn cognitive competencies that can pave a path for their success. The communication, problem-solving, and complex thinking competencies that we stress in our programs offer tools community members can use for smoother and more effective resolution of everyday housing, family, medical, and other situations. Equally important, these competencies serve to strengthen and improve individuals’ employment performance and their financial stability.