Gender Wage Gap — An Experience Design Case Study

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Bootcamp

16 min readJan 20, 2024

This is an internal group project, under the guidance of Professor Najla Mouchrek from Northeastern University (Boston).

Team Members: Yuti Vora (Experience Design, NEU), Cansu Canca (Experience Design, NEU), Xuming Zhu (Experience Design, NEU), Zihan Wang (Experience Design, NEU).

Abstract

This research aims to find a design solution to combat the gender wage gap focusing on the female graduate students’ experiences at Northeastern University. The gender wage gap is a well-established and persistent problem in the broader domain of gender inequality. It describes the phenomenon where male employees receive higher pay for completing the same tasks with the same level of success as their female colleagues. In our research, we found that as female students enter or re-enter the job market, they do not receive adequate information and guidance to navigate the job market and the intricate process of negotiation, thus potentially resulting in a disadvantage from the beginning of their career. We propose a two-fold design solution to combat the lack of transparency and support: An add-on to LinkedIn to share accurate and fine-grained information about salaries and a revision on the university career services webpage highlighting relevant resources.

Authors Keywords: Gender Equality; Gender Wage Gap; Salary Transparency; Career Education.

CSS Concepts: Sustainable Development Goals → Gender Equality → Gender Wage Gap

Introduction

In 2015, the United Nations created the Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted by 193 countries. One of these goals is achieving Gender Equality. Gender equality has many aspects ranging from achieving adequate female representation in politics to protecting women from intimate partner violence. Within the scope of this goal, we decided to target the problem of the gender wage gap (also known as, the gender pay gap). The gender wage gap is defined as “the difference in average gross hourly earnings between women and men”. In other words, women earn less than men for completing the same tasks and holding the same positions. Global research shows that the gender pay gap is an issue around the world. On average, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. While Korea has the highest gap in the world, the United States remains well above the OECD and EU averages (Figure 1). Notably, the gender wage gap persists throughout all education levels, impacting most of those with advanced degrees (Figure 2). The gender wage gap within the United States remained stable over the last 20 years, despite all the efforts to achieve equal opportunities for men and women in the workplace.

Focus Question

For this project, we decided to focus on preventing the gender pay gap from the very start, as students enter or re-enter the workforce. Our focus question is “How do we help students plan for and achieve pay equity?” Assuming that salaries build on previous earnings and career track, we decided that it is important to investigate if we can help students start on fair terms.

Target Group

With this focus question in mind, we decided to have the female Northeastern University (NEU) students who will be applying for a job for the first time or who will be switching to a new field as our primary target audience.

Background

Our starting point is based on our own experiences as current Northeastern graduate students who have varying degrees of work experience. In our own experiences around the job market and negotiation, we realize that there is very little information available on the standard salary grades for given positions. The question is further complicated when one considers the relevant factors such as one’s work experience, the location where the position is based, the company, and the benefits that may be offered alongside the base salary. We simply do not know what the range is for any given position. When we ask the question to ourselves about how we would go about finding out this salary-related information and learning more about tips and recommendations to avoid falling victim to the gender pay gap, the resource we immediately turn towards is the university’s career services. However, not only we have not heard about any resources related to such services but a quick search proved that these resources were not readily available. In fact, in direct communication with a co-op advisor at our university, we learned that they also were not aware of any relevant resources.

Significance

The topic of gender inequality raises many different issues. We find that the gender wage gap is a particularly interesting one as it seems relatively straightforward however persistent. Unlike questions related to gender distribution in different fields, the gender wage gap is not subject to the argument that the inequality might be the result of women’s choices. Recent research shows that women negotiate more than men yet they still do not receive the same salary. The problem of the gender wage gap is also relatively self-contained. Unlike the problem of intimate partner violence, the gender wage gap is not entangled in the complex emotional and physical dynamics within close relationships. However, the problem of the gender wage gap is arguably conducive to both of these problems: if women systematically receive lower pay, then their incentives to choose certain disciplines that are especially male-dominated would be less and their choices to avoid abusive domestic circumstances would be more limited. Therefore, the problem of the gender wage gap is of significant importance.

Research Question

The reason why we decided to focus our research question on Northeastern students is also about the specific circumstances of Northeastern University: Northeastern University is an institution that is particularly strong in its connection to industry and its attention to help provide students with industry experiences. It is also a private university that has resources and the flexibility to structure its resources to meet the student’s needs. And finally, it is a university that prides itself on having its graduates take important roles in their choice of industry.

Research and Findings

Research Plan

Our research approach consisted of surveys and interviews to understand the students’ perspectives — in particular, their awareness of the gender wage gap, their awareness of NEU resources, and their experience in salary negotiations. To collect data, we utilized Google Surveys. We also conducted interviews to get a more in-depth understanding of their perspectives. We documented our findings using Google Docs and Miro. We prepared weekly reports using Google Slides on our research progress and received feedback from our classmates and our professor. Google Drive and Miro served as a central hub for our team’s notes and relevant information. By doing so, we were enable to share and synchronize our progress, ensuring that all team members were aligned and on the same page.

Simultaneously as we conducted surveys and interviews, we also conducted a literature review to understand the causes of the gender wage gap and potential avenues for intervention. This review includes investigating successful strategies already in place, community approaches, and available tools for salary transparency, negotiation techniques, and knowledge exchange.

Research Goals

Our initial ideas to explore included (1) raising awareness, (2) creating transparency, (3) building support, and (4) encouraging solidarity. To that end, we assessed the level of awareness among students regarding the gender wage gap and considered ways to increase their understanding. Next, we looked into ways to make salaries transparent for better decision-making. Moreover, we explored how career services provide support and can better prepare students for negotiations with the awareness of the gender wage gap and achieving fair pay. Lastly, we reviewed methods to unite and support both male and female students/employees, aiming to foster a more supportive and equitable system.

Some of our questions to that end included; is the pay gap well understood and known by students or is there a need for raising awareness, how can we improve salary transparency to allow informed negotiation and decision-making, how can career services prepare and equip students for pay equity, and how can we build a system that creates or nudges for solidarity among male and female students/employees?

Questionnaires

As we proceeded with the initial academic and market review regarding the literature, tools, and best practices, we also started conducting our interviews and surveys on campus. As our target audience is female students, we first want to understand their perspective through surveys. We disseminated our surveys through the student groups that we were a part of. While we specified that the survey was mainly targeting female students, we did not restrict it to only female students as we wanted to understand the male perspective as well.

To complement the student’s perspective, most of whom we assume do not have prior work experience (and thus, no prior salary negotiation experience), we also surveyed early-career female NEU faculty.

Interviews

In addition to the survey, we also conducted interviews with female and male NEU graduate students. Our goal is to gain insights into female students’ points of view and experiences about pay equity (or better yet, in preparation for pay equity). Yet, we also believe that the male students’ perspective and awareness may be crucial in creating change. Therefore, we interviewed them to gain some insights into their awareness and assumptions as well.

Research Findings

We had 15 students respond to our survey. 11 of these students were male, and 4 of them were female. We had overwhelmingly (12 students) graduate students respond. And the age distribution was higher for between 23–27 year-olds (10 responses), followed by 18–22 year-olds (3 responses) and only 2 responses from those who are above 33.

The rest of our survey results are visualized in Figure 3.

Insights and Ideations

Gathering Insights

To understand the key takeaways and running themes of our research findings better, we created an affinity map. Although we initially surveyed early-career female faculty members as well, we decided that we did not have enough insights into their perspectives. Thus, looking into our affinity map, we decided to narrow our focus on female and male students and their experiences. As shown in Figure 4, we found out that the main themes that emerged were negotiation (in terms of skills for negotiation and likelihood of negotiation) and awareness (in terms of awareness of the gender pay gap and awareness of salary information).

User Personas

We created three personas to present three distinct types of student profiles that we have encountered. Since the topic impacts women more, our insights are also more detailed concerning female student experiences. Thus, we created two female personas (Figures 5 and 6) and one male persona (Figure 7). Similarly, as most students have some work experience, we decided to align two personas with various degrees of work experience and have one without full-time work experience.

Figure 5 (Left), Figure 6 (Center) , Figure 7 (Right)

As we detailed our personas and tried to present some of the characteristics that we have seen in our interview subjects, we realized that the most informative persona for our research will be Yanzi, a 27-year-old female international graduate student at NEU with a 3-year working experience and future career ambitions.

Experience Diagram

Focusing on Yanzi and her perspective, we created an experience journey (Figure 8). The experience journey spans Yanzi’s decision to apply for a job, taking us through her experience with resources available at NEU for career consulting, the process of job application and interviews, and finally the negotiation process for the salary and benefits.

The challenges we identified include the frustration and confusion around navigating the complexities of the job market, which is by design opaque and impenetrable. For those who have limited work experience and who do not come from the culture where they are seeking jobs, it is particularly difficult to understand the intricacies of various incentives and behind-closed-doors negotiations. Thus, lack of transparency poses a main issue.

As we explored Yanzi’s experience, we kept returning to the resources and orientation that can be provided by the university. The university has a unique opportunity to engage with students throughout the whole process and its incentives are aligned with the students’ — that is, both the university (for its success metrics) and the students (for their good) want the students to do well at the job market. As students spend considerable time at the university before starting their job search, there are many opportunities to make career services and resources well-known to students. Therefore, the lack of support and guidance that causes frustrations for Yanzi can be addressed through university career services.

How Might We

These two main pain points we identified (i.e., the lack of transparency and lack of support and guidance) led us to concentrate on how to address these two related but distinct issues comprehensively. To do that, we came up with two main directions of solutions:

(1) How might we empower female and minority students with effective negotiation skills to reduce the gender wage pay gap as they transition into the workforce?

(2) How might we develop tools and platforms that enhance salary transparency and provide support and guidance to enable job seekers to make informed choices in a less stressful environment?

We decided to focus our research on the second question, as one might argue that if we can provide effective solutions to get transparency and guidance, this would arm the students with more information and result in significant empowerment during negotiations anyway.

Ideation Brainstorm

At this stage, we conducted an ideation session to explore paths for addressing the issue of transparency and support (Figure 9). In addressing the multifaceted issue of the gender wage gap, it is imperative to implement a comprehensive approach encompassing various strategies. Firstly, the establishment of easy-to-use tools and readily available resources dedicated to salary transparency becomes a foundational element. This involves providing the most recent and clear information regarding salaries across diverse job fields, empowering individuals with the knowledge needed for informed negotiations.

Simultaneously, fostering skill development is crucial, and this is achieved through training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities specifically designed to enhance general negotiation skills. Creating a supportive environment is another pivotal aspect, and educational programs coupled with advisory sessions contribute to greater awareness and guidance regarding the gender wage gap.

Lastly, the establishment of mentorship programs and networking opportunities serves to bridge the gap between students and seasoned professionals, providing valuable insights and connections that can prove instrumental in navigating the complexities of the workforce.

Through the integration of these initiatives, a holistic approach to combating the gender wage gap is forged, promoting empowerment, skill enhancement, and a supportive community.

LinkedIn Add-on Tool for Salary Transparency

LinkedIn is a very strong online platform that provides different sorts of information when it comes to job hunting. We decided that instead of creating yet another website or app for students to use and, perhaps most importantly, trust with their data, we should take advantage of LinkedIn’s established community of job seekers, employees, employers, and companies. LinkedIn already provides analytics regarding companies and their human resources by using the data put in by individual users. Our goal was to build on this existing structure by designing an add-on to LinkedIn to have people anonymously share their salaries. By sharing their salaries alongside their positions, locations, and companies, individuals would be providing the necessary data needed to create salary transparency.

Using LinkedIn also allows us to rely on the platform’s established privacy and trust relation with its users, as salary is sensitive information.

Low Fidelity Prototype

Following the development of our concepts, it’s now the opportune moment to materialize them into a tangible prototype. To commence this process, we have chosen to create a low-fidelity prototype. Using Figma, we crafted wireframes that highlight the LinkedIn add-on feature, allowing users to share their salary on LinkedIn. This allows individuals to explore salary details for various job positions offered by different companies.

Feedback

We presented our lo-fi prototype to gather feedback, and one recurring concern was about privacy, specifically regarding the complete anonymity of salary information. On the design front, there wasn’t much feedback, but users generally saw the potential value in the concept as a helpful tool. Additionally, users expressed interest in seeing how this feature would appear on LinkedIn.

Improvement

We’ve decided to integrate this add-on feature directly into the LinkedIn page to ensure that users can easily grasp its functionality. Utilizing Figma, we moved on to create our high-fidelity prototype. In addition, we’ve crafted a statement clarifying our stance: “The information we collect will remain completely anonymous, primarily serving to enhance salary transparency and facilitate access to the salary database.” While we aim to provide a detailed privacy agreement, we acknowledge that it’s likely within LinkedIn’s purview. Nevertheless, this serves as a reassurance for users, alleviating concerns about their information being shared elsewhere. This way, people can have peace of mind, knowing their data is secure. Furthermore, we’ve recognized that individuals without working experience may also be keen on exploring salary information. To accommodate this, we’ve incorporated an option within the salary sharing section that allows users to indicate if they don’t have work experience. LinkedIn will then use an algorithm to verify the accuracy of this information. This ensures that even those without prior work experience can access and benefit from the salary details provided through the feature.

Redesigning NEU’s career resources website & integrating LinkedIn Learning

NEU helps the students by providing different resources and one of them is career advising where they help students with information related to job applications and interviews. The resources might include LinkedIn Learning because it has different insightful videos. This can help students in gaining confidence.

Storyboard

We decided to show our solution with the help of a storyboard which shows the problem and the solution. (Figure 12). This is the story of Yanzi, who came to Boston to pursue her Master’s degree. She used to work in China and is not familiar with the work culture in the USA. She uses the career resources provided by Northeastern University and schedules multiple meetings with the career advisor on the different stages of her job applications and interviews which helped her a lot with the clarifications.

Feedbacks & Improvements

After receiving feedback and suggestions from our peers, we found out that there are already existing resources like LinkedIn Learning which are not shown on the website but are very helpful for students. Also, the current website has too much information which makes it hard to look out for specific things. This is the reason why we decided to redesign the NEU’s career design website and make it more simple. (Figure 13).

We added:

A clear section in the student hub for students to access the LinkedIn learning resources.
A dedicated section in the career service webpage for students to learn the knowledge about salaries.

We also recommend holding seminars to teach students and counsellors how access to these resources.

Discussion & Conclusion

In this article, we presented a full design research process regarding the Gender Equality Issue from the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations in 2015. We started by looking at the broader term “Gender Equality” and started narrowing it down by writing a few keywords individually and decided to focus on the Women who are suffering from these problems of inequality. We brainstormed a few topics like the pink tax, women in tech, the gender pay gap etc. By having some discussion, we mutually agreed to focus on the “Gender Wage Gap”. We started by looking at the online data and how different countries deal with this problem. And also, looked at different resources provided by prestigious universities around Boston and USA.

We developed interview questions and questionnaire surveys to collect broad qualitative and quantitative data from Northeastern University graduate students and faculties. By analyzing the data from the survey, and looking for common patterns in the interviews, we uncovered some common needs and ideas that people have. Based on this rich data, we utilized affinity diagrams, personas, and experience maps to find the opportunities and pain points we can establish and solve.

After locating the real needs, we developed our “how might we” questions and chose to focus on how to increase salary transparency and make better connections for NEU students to access career learning resources.

We developed two prototypes for two issues we uncovered: Lack of transparency and the lack of support and guidance. To address each need, we used an existing platform. We created a LinkedIn Add-on Tool to increase salary transparency and we redesigned NEU’s career resources website to integrate LinkedIn learning.

While we think that these platform design solutions will aid in empowering students for better salary negotiations, utilizing them requires further efforts in education and training.

We understand that the gender wage gap is a highly complex problem that cannot be resolved by add-ons and redesigned websites. However, it is an important first step to provide individuals with a space to share their experiences and find support and guidance.

Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Northeastern University and Professor Najla for their support and guidance throughout this project. The feedback from the professor and classmates has played a vital role in shaping the direction of this project.

Special thanks are extended to the students and fellow mates who contributed to the data collection process. Their honesty during the interviews and surveys has been very helpful in ensuring the reliability and accuracy of our findings.