Thought Leadership

Written by: Jillian Climie Compensation negotiation is such a fascinating, and often mysterious, process. Some people just seem to get it. They know what to ask for, how to position their requests, and when to push back. Others, equally capable and deserving, feel completely in the dark. Throughout my career working in-house on compensation teams and now supporting women in negotiating, I’ve seen these knowledge gaps play out time and time again. They often seem to follow lin

Written By: Jillian Climie. Equity compensation can be one of the most valuable parts of a job offer, but also one of the hardest to understand. Between different types, vesting schedules, grant cadences, expiry dates, and unique program structures, it’s a lot to navigate. If you’re joining a new company and equity is part of your package, here are 10 key questions to ask before signing on. 1. What is the grant date dollar value? Oftentimes if you’re being granted restricted

Written By: Jillian Climie. At The Thoughtful Co, we’ve been hearing a lot of fear around salary negotiations lately. With economic uncertainty in the headlines and layoffs happening in some organizations, it’s natural to feel hesitant. While these realities are important to consider, they shouldn’t stop you from making the ask.  Below we’ve outlined why it’s still worth negotiating in a tough economy, and how to approach it in a way that positions you for success. Tough time

Written by: Sophie Warwick One of the most common questions we get in our workshops is, “Where can I find reliable market data?” Finding data that is recent, accurate, and directly relevant to your role can be difficult. Many available resources report only on base salary or combine performance-based compensation with base salary. As a result, it can be challenging to understand how to apply that data to your unique situation. Another challenge is learning how to use market d

Written by: Sophie Warwick Are you uncomfortable discussing your compensation with your loved ones? Many of us feel a strong sense of discomfort talking about our salary even with our closest friends and family. We can share everything else, so why is it so hard to talk about pay? There is a strong tendency to tie personal value to financial success. This mindset leads to the fear that if you were to learn a close friend makes more than you, are they more successful? Are they

Written By: Jillian Climie. When I support clients in the nonprofit sector with negotiating their pay, I often hear the same thing: “Budgets are tight, I can’t ask for that…” And yes, nonprofit organizations are often financially constrained, especially in tough funding environments. But here’s the thing: all organizations are financially constrained in some way. Startups operate on limited funding or bootstrap just to stay alive. For-profit companies try to keep talent costs