Inna Izmailova, Senior Talent Delivery Manager, Intellias – an AI-enabled product engineering and digital solutions partner.
With over 15 years of experience in IT recruitment across both outsourcing and in-house environments, Inna Izmailova has built deep expertise in talent acquisition within the eCommerce, FinTech, Automotive/Mobility, and NLP/AI/ML sectors.
Over the past three years, her primary focus has been global recruitment, successfully hiring across Europe, South Asia, and the Americas. Inna has played a key role in establishing recruitment functions from the ground up across nine international locations, supporting rapid business growth and expansion.
More women are building careers in tech than ever before.
Yet when it comes to pay, the gap has not fully closed. For many, salary discussions still feel awkward or unclear, and it’s not always easy to know what is fair, how much to ask for, or how to make your case without doubt creeping in.
The good news is that negotiation does not need to feel like a confrontation. With the right preparation, it can become a calm and constructive conversation. The aim is simple: to make sure your pay reflects the value you bring.
Start with a clear sense of your market value
Before any negotiation, you need a realistic benchmark. Look at salary ranges for your role, level, and location. Speak to peers, check trusted industry reports, and use reputable salary guides.
Try to gather a range rather than a single number. This helps you understand what is typical and where you might sit within that range based on your experience. Going into a conversation with this context makes it much easier to speak with confidence.
Be ready to talk about your impact
Many people – especially women – tend to downplay their achievements. This often comes from a mix of social expectations, confidence gaps, and past experiences where speaking up may not have been encouraged or rewarded. Over time, it can become a habit to minimise your own contribution or assume your work will speak for itself.
In a salary conversation, this can hold you back.
Instead, it’s important to focus on what you have delivered. Think about:
- projects you have led or contributed to,
- problems you have solved,
- measurable results, such as time saved, revenue gained, or systems improved.
Keep your examples clear and factual. You do not need to exaggerate, simply stating your impact in a straightforward way is often more powerful.
Decide your ask ahead of time
One of the hardest parts of negotiation is being put on the spot. This is where preparation helps. It’s worth deciding in advance:
- What is your ideal salary?
- What is the lowest offer you would accept?
- Are there any non-negotiables?
Having these in mind removes pressure during the conversation. It also helps you respond calmly rather than reacting in the moment.
Look beyond base salary
Salary is important, but it’s not the full picture. Benefits can make a real difference to your overall package and quality of life.
Consider:
- structure of benefits,
- flexible working hours or remote work options,
- learning and development budgets,
- equity or stock options,
- extra leave.
If there’s limited room to move on salary, these areas may offer more flexibility.
Use your network to sense-check
Talking about pay can feel uncomfortable, but it’s one of the most useful ways to stay informed. Trusted peers, mentors, and communities can help you understand what is normal.
If you are not sure where to start, begin with people you trust. This could be a colleague in a similar role, a former teammate, or someone in your wider network. You do not need exact numbers, even general ranges or shared experiences can be helpful.
Over time, these small conversations build a more realistic picture of the market. They help remove uncertainty, challenge assumptions, and give you a clearer sense of what you can reasonably expect.
Keep the conversation open and professional
Negotiation works best when it feels collaborative rather than combative. Frame your request clearly and explain your reasoning. For example, link your ask back to market data and your contributions.
If the answer is not what you hoped for, ask questions:
- “What would need to change to reach that level?”
- “When could the conversation be revisited?”
This shows that you are thinking long term and are open to dialogue.
Build confidence through preparation
Confidence does not come from saying the perfect words. It comes from knowing you are prepared. When you understand your value, have evidence of your impact, and know what you want, the conversation becomes much easier.
Negotiation is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice. Each conversation helps you build more clarity and confidence for the next one.
In tech – where demand for talent is high – your skills have real value. Being able to advocate for that value is not just important for your own career, but also for helping to close the wider gap.
