Subordinates & Your Salary

We already know the wage gap still exists. Despite that Civil Rights Act passed back in 1964, Newsweek concludes that not much has changed – women today still earn about 20 percent less than their male counterparts. (Ouch!) But there’s good news: The secret to earning a bigger paycheck could be in creating better relationships with your subordinates.

Contrary to popular belief, how close you are with those you manage counts even more than how close you are with your boss, according to a recent study by Villanova School of Business. “Subordinate networks mattered most,” say study authors.

What’s the reason? They’re a vital asset and resource to help women leaders achieve goals on which they are judged. Where close ties exist, subordinates reciprocate with increased efforts and share information leading “to higher performance, better reputations,” and better wages for female supervisors over time.

What can we do?

The key is establishing a relationship of trust and common goals, suggests Occupational Health & Safety Magazine, as well as providing feedback and creating strategies to improve performance together.

The Journal of Applied Psychology and AllBusiness.com say mutual feelings of support between you and your team will help you reach objectives together, since “subordinates view the support they receive from supervisors as representative of the organization’s favorable or unfavorable [feelings] toward them.”

“Trusting in a leader will motivate one to perform better and to feel positive attitudes,” generating better performance, organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction, according to an Entrepreneur.com study.

Bonus PINK Link: Are you close to your subordinates? Relationship management in the workplace may be the key to closing the pay gap.

Minute Mentoring Video: Southern Company’s Marsha Johnson gives advice on keeping track of salary trends in your industry and how to get what you are worth.

“The more they applaud, the bigger your salary will be.”
Ann Held