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When Jillian Climie started her career in corporate compensation, she quickly learned a harsh truth: most people don’t negotiate their first salary – and that one decision can shape their financial future for decades.
 
 

“Compensation typically works in percentage increases, not dollar increases,” says Ms. Climie, co-founder of The Thoughtful Co., a Canadian consultancy that supports women in negotiating their compensation. “So every dollar you don’t negotiate for at the beginning means you’re losing out on every raise, bonus and promotion that builds on top of it.”
 
 

According to research by Linda Babcock, author of Women Don’t Ask, only 7 per cent of female graduating university students attempted to negotiate their first salary compared to 57 per cent of men. Over a 40-year career, that decision can amount to a staggering $1.5-million in lost income. And, as Ms. Climie points out, that number is likely even higher today, especially in specialized industries.
 
 

So why don’t more people, especially women, speak up at the offer stage?
 
 

Ms. Climie says it’s not just about confidence, it’s about systemic bias.

 
 
 

“There’s this very real thing called the likability bias,” she explains. “Women are expected to be nice, agreeable and team players. But at the same time, we’re also expected to be assertive leaders. That contradiction creates a tightrope – and when women negotiate, they can be perceived as aggressive or difficult, rather than competent.”
 
 

Even when women do negotiate, the outcomes often differ. A recent study found women are now negotiating at similar rates to men, but still receive lower offers. And many women, Ms. Climie says, are still likely to ask for less than their male peers.

 
 

“They want to prove themselves first or they feel lucky to have the offer in the first place,” she says. “I hear that all the time.”
 
 

But missing that first negotiation doesn’t mean all is lost.
 
 

“It’s never too late,” says Ms. Climie. “We should always be negotiating. It’s a completely normal part of the employer-employee relationship.”
 
 

Whether you’re five months or 15 years into your career, she recommends four practical steps to help close the financial gap:
 
 
  1. Audit your entire compensation package: “Salary matters, but don’t forget things like bonuses, stock options, time off, parental leave and professional development,” says Ms. Climie.
  2. Do your market research: Use salary transparency laws (such as those in British Columbia or California) to benchmark similar roles. “Just get a rough gut check of where the market is. Talk to your network, mentors or industry associations,” she says.
  3. Prepare, prepare, prepare: Write a script, rehearse and be clear on what you’re asking for. “Practice real-time with someone. Frame your ask clearly and link it to your impact.”
  4. Schedule a respectful conversation: “Give your manager a heads-up,” Ms. Climie suggests. “Say, ‘I’d love to talk about compensation next week, can we set up some time?’ That respect usually sets the tone for the meeting.”
 
 

Above all, Ms. Climie emphasizes one thing: if you don’t ask, you probably won’t get it.
 
 

“Negotiation is a skill and, like any skill, you can improve with practice,” she says. “The first time is the hardest. But the more you do it, the better you get. And it’s never too late to start.”
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

27 per cent
 
 

That’s how many workers admit to having felt offended by an emoji in a work message, according to a study by localization and translation management platform company Lokalise.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Once you’ve made a new hire, the next critical priority is ensuring they ramp up quickly and have a seamless, high-impact onboarding experience. When onboarding is mismanaged, it not only slows momentum, it risks disengagement, frustration and costly turnover.
 
 

Experts suggest focusing on three main areas to create a strong, supportive onboarding process: keeping communication consistent, dedicating time for setup and being transparent about the role.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

“Truly nipping ghosting in the bud requires nothing less than a reset in this corner of professional standards, where the practice has become so common it has led to policy intervention. But the most important recalibration is the expectation of job seekers. I’ve been applying for jobs since my teenage years and always considered that no postinterview or post-follow-up response was the answer. Somewhere along the way people started expecting more from these HR interactions than we once did,” writes Globe columnist Rob Csernyik in this piece about being ghosted on job applications.

 
 

Here, Mr. Csernyik looks at the nuance of ghosting on the employer and employee side, and challenges the idea that more – or mandated – communication is necessary.