90% women hesitate to ask for a raise at work: Harappa survey

These are the findings from the survey ‘What Women in Leadership Need’ by Harappa Education

While almost all (99%) women professionals believe that it is important for them to build networks and alliances, only 47% actively pursue opportunities for professional growth and learning. What’s more, a staggering 90% of female respondents hesitate to ask for a raise at work, and 85% feel that at least once in their career they have been perceived as ‘bossy’ or ‘dominating’, when they were just being assertive.

These are the findings from the survey ‘What Women in Leadership Need’ by Harappa Education, the online educational institution founded by Pramath Raj Sinha and Shreyasi Singh, released today, on the International Labour Day.

“As we commemorate the labour movement that ushered in various reforms, it’s also crucial to look at the gaps in our workplaces from a gender lens,” said Singh, co-founder & CEO.

The survey, which includes responses from more than 500 women, notes that close to 72% of women consider communication to be the top skill that continues to help them in their professional journey, followed by confidence (65%) and self-awareness (41%).

From women professionals with less than 20 years of work experience, 52% state that they feel inadequate or under-qualified for their positions, despite their multiple years of experience. This figure displayed a gradual decrease for women with more than 20 years of corporate experience (37%). Surprisingly, a mere 21% of women felt continuously supported by their male peers at workplaces.

However, the outlook for women at workplaces looks bright, as the survey notes that 87% of women respondents believe that the future for women in leadership looks promising in the coming three years.

On March 8, 2021, Harappa Education had launched the Women’s Leadership Program, which, Singh said, is aimed at empowering high potential women managers.