Satya Nadella pay inequity comments

At the 2014 Grace Hopper Celebration, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was asked what women should do if they are reluctant to ask for a raise. He replied:

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. And that I think might be one of the additional superpowers that quite frankly women who don't ask for raises have. Because that's good karma, that'll come back.

This is unequivocally bad advice. Despite the fact that women are much more likely than men to be perceived negatively for asking for a raise, people of all genders who do not negotiate salary end up being paid less than those who do.

Online reaction to Nadella's statements was swift, and the story quickly received extensive media coverage around the world.

Nadella took to twitter shortly after the session, saying that his remarks had been "inarticulate". He later sent out a company-wide email at Microsoft, characterizing his response to the salary question as "completely wrong".

Media coverage

• Selena Larson @ RWW: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Women: Don't Ask For A Raise, Trust Karma -- "This is not good advice"
• Kara Swisher @ Recode: Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Microsoft CEO Tells Women Techies to Trust “Karma” on Pay Inequity

Analysis

• Claire Cain Miller @ NYT: Why Microsoft’s Nadella Is Wrong About Women and Raises
• Bryce Covert @ ThinkProgress: Microsoft CEO Tells Women In Tech Not To Ask For Raises, Then Backpedals

Resources

• Women Don't Ask