Black Women: This Is What You Can Do If You Were Passed Over For A Raise Or Promotion

Within many organizations, the beginning of the year represents the time when employee performance is evaluated. February can often be a time when employees reflect on their performance reviews and whether they received the raises and promotions they had hoped for. For an employee who feels passed over for a raise or a promotion, the conversation with the necessary parties to address the situation can sometimes be difficult. But for Black women, in particular, this conversation can present considerable challenges.

The unique form of gendered racism that Black women experience, misogynoir, can create several barriers for Black women in the workplace. The angry Black woman trope means that Black women are often stereotyped as being aggressive and irrational and can go from being well-liked within a work environment to being ostracized by peers (the Pet to Threat phenomenon). A fascinating 2023 study from Harvard Kennedy School indicates that Black women on all-white teams experience worse job outcomes than their counterparts. In the working paper, researchers found that Black women on whiter teams had higher turnover rates, were less likely to be promoted, and were more likely to be rated as “low performers” on their first performance reviews.

There is a plethora of things that workplaces can do to attract, retain, support, and advance Black women but what can Black women do if they feel like they were passed over for a raise or promotion? “Many times, we feel like we were passed over for a promotion because we likely were but may not have done our part to remain in control of our experiences,” shared senior manager of DEI and engagement Latisha Hanna. “Don’t let your job application process be the last time you review your job description...bucket your tasks based on each bullet of your role and responsibilities that way you are able to clearly?view anything outside of the scope of your role. Documenting your work in this way will showcase growth and add value to your role which in turn you can utilize as leverage when discussing your promotional opportunities. The key to advancement...is not waiting for the midyear [or] end-of-year review to hear from your employer on whether or not you will be promoted...you must begin this process from the moment you are hired.”

Latesha Byrd, CEO of boutique DEI and talent development consulting agency Perfeqta, shared in an email that it’s best to approach the conversation with curiosity and confidence. “As an executive coach, my clients are Black women...[and] I recommend using the 3A Framework I created called Ask, Advocate, and Align. Make sure you show up to the conversation prepared, and if you can practice it out loud with a friend, family member, or even with yourself before, it makes a difference! Visualize yourself owning that conversation before you go into it.” When breaking down her 3A framework in more detail Byrd explained “[Ask involves] stepping into your power. Approach the conversation not as a confrontation but as an opportunity for growth and understanding. Lead with curiosity and confidence, showing a genuine desire to understand the path to advancement. [When it comes to advocating] Black women in the workplace often face the challenge of having their contributions overlooked or undervalued. Counteract this by coming prepared with undeniable evidence of your achievements, document your successes, highlight the impact of your work, and be ready to present your case with clarity and confidence, [and to align] the goal...is not just to highlight past?accomplishments, but to pave a clear path forward, [so] work with your supervisor to identify specific actions, projects, or skills that will bridge any gaps between where you are and where you want to be.”

Niani Tolbert is the founder of HIRE BLACK NOW, an organization designed to help 10,000 Black women get trained, hired, and promoted into corporate positions. Tolbert shared the importance of tracking your accomplishments and accolades in a “brag book,” explaining that it is a “personal document that houses your skill assessments, personality tests, career stories, and KPIs.” She went on to share “This documentation and file can help [Black women] prepare for negotiations, and also remind us of who we are when we need a boost to our esteem. One of the most important sections of the brag book is making sure that you have ‘receipts’ tracked and the progress that you’ve made in your KPIs.” Tolbert teaches women how to “brag big to get big bags” in her program, The Brag Book Method.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, in 2023, for every dollar that a white man made, a Black woman only earned 67 cents. When broaching the conversation about pay disparities or a raise you feel you were passed over for, Byrd explains that it’s important to recognize the market value rate of your job role. “Before going into the conversation, research market rates that take into account your experience, skills, and location. There’s tons of resources online that provide industry-specific benchmarks. This benchmarking will help you build your case. Use your brag sheet as evidence of how much value you've added to the company. Tie your accomplishments to the success of the company.”

“In terms of when to have this conversation,” Byrd says, “it's never the perfect time but if you can consider having it when the company is going through performance reviews or at the beginning of budget planning cycles that would be ideal. Make sure this meeting is a formal scheduled meeting and not a casual conversation. Be direct and diplomatic. Come into the conversation with gratitude, grace, and openness. Also, make it clear why you want to have the conversation and that your goal is to be set up for success at the company for the long term.”

This article was originally published in Forbes.

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