From apprenticeships and qualifications to professional development and employability skills. Supporting learners, partners, and centres with tools to deliver, assess, and grow.
Join a professional community committed to excellence in management and leadership. Access exclusive resources, and recognition pathways including Chartered Manager.
Connect, celebrate, and lead with CMI’s vibrant community. From events and awards to networks and campaigns, get involved and help shape the future of management.
Stay informed with expert insights, thought leadership, and the latest in management. From in-depth features to practical guidance, explore the ideas shaping today’s workplace.
Learn about CMI’s mission, values, and impact. From our Royal Charter to governance, careers, and sustainability commitments, discover who we are and what drives us.
10 October 2014 -
Matt Packer
Microsoft honcho Satya Nadella has been left red faced after suggesting that women should trust the “system” and rely upon “karma” to get them the pay deals they want. Ironically, Nadella was speaking at a celebratory conference to honour the memory of Grace Hopper – a pioneer in the field of computer science, who developed key innovations while serving in the US Navy.
In conversation with Maria Klawe – president of the California-based Harvey Mudd College – Nadella, said that, for women seeking higher pay, “It’s not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along.”
He added: “that, I think, might be one of the additional superpowers that, quite frankly, women who don’t ask for a raise have. Because that’s good karma. It’ll come back because somebody’s going to know that’s the kind of person that I want to trust. That’s the kind of person that I want to really give more responsibility to.”
No sooner had Nadella spoken than Twitter erupted with scorn from female users inside and outside the technology industry. Many of those critics attacked Nadella for urging women to take a laissez-faire stance on pay and their career prospects, and just go along with the tone set by male executives.
In a tweet after his conference session, Nadella acknowledged as much, and backtracked significantly. “Was inarticulate re how women should ask for raise,” he said. “Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias.”
Making doubly sure to cover his tracks, Nadella followed that message with a staff-wide email in which he set out to explain himself. “Today,” he said, “I was interviewed on stage by Maria Klawe at the Grace Hopper Conference – I encourage you to watch the video. It was great to spend time with so many women passionate about technology. I was honoured to be a part of it and I left the conference energised and inspired.
“Towards the end of the interview, Maria asked me what advice I would offer women who are not comfortable asking for pay raises. I answered that question completely wrong. Without a doubt I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap. I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work. And when it comes to career advice on getting a raise when you think it’s deserved … If you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask.”
He concluded: “I said I was looking forward to the Grace Hopper Conference to learn, and I certainly learned a valuable lesson.”
Read CMI’s research on the gender pay gap.
Image of Satya Nadella courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons.
› The persistence of presenteeism and other nuanced nonsense
› A new age of vulnerability: why inclusive leadership matters more than ever
› Ask yourself: "How do I make my employees feel?"
› Finance and the Diversity Dividend
For more information or to request interviews, contact CMI's Press Team on 020 7421 2705 or email press.office@managers.org.uk
› The 5 Greatest Examples of Change Management in Business History
› Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise
› 6 companies that get employee engagement – and what they do right
› 4 Signs That Racism May Be An Issue In Your Workplace
› How to build an Effective Team: focus on just 3 things