"Ask for more money—because if you don’t, you’re starting behind." That was the advice from Monique Lalonde, a panelist at the Women in Tech discussion held at The Human Insight Summit.

In this week’s Insights Unlocked, we revisit that conversation held back in October. Panelists highlighted actionable advice to address pay equity and salary negotiations, career mentorship, work/life balance, and empowering women. The panel included:

• Stacy Sherman, author and advisor, Doing CX Right
• Alita Joyce, UX Researcher at Google Cloud 
• Lija Hogan, Principal, Experience Research Strategy at UserTesting
• Monique Lalonde, Director, Product Design at REI

Monique’s point was addressing an unfortunately all-too familiar statistic: despite progress in workplace equality, women still earn only 84% of what men earn. That’s a gap that has remained stagnant for the past decade.

“When I hire, men almost always ask for more money,” Monique said. “Women? Maybe one out of five. That difference compounds over time because merit increases are based on percentages.” Her message was clear: women need to recognize their value and advocate for themselves right from the first offer.

In addition to individual action, Monique emphasized the role of company policies, highlighting how states like Washington are enforcing pay equity laws. She recounted a story about a former colleague who successfully requested a market pay evaluation, resulting in a 10% raise. “Sometimes all it takes is asking HR to reassess your pay against the market,” she said.

Leadership also has a role to play. Lija shared how implementing clear pay banding and core competencies across her teams ensured equity in promotions and compensation. “Consistency and transparency are key to fixing these gaps,” Lija said.

“You don’t have to wait for a formal mentorship program. Create your own opportunities, build connections, and take ownership of your growth.” — Stacy Sherman

For women aiming to make a change, the advice was clear: negotiate, ask questions, and hold companies accountable. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” Stacy said. “Make sure you’re advocating for yourself every step of the way.”

As the discussion wrapped up, Stacey left the audience with an empowering reminder: “You don’t have to be perfect—believe in yourself, go for it, and take up space.”