“Trust Karma”, said Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, at a conference in October for women in computing.

In the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference last month, Microsoft CEO was asked what advice he could give to a woman who was hesitant to ask for a raise. His reply sparked both outrage and immediate backlash on news outlets and the general twitterverse as he said, “It’s not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along. That’s good karma. It will come back”. In the greater business world and especially the technology sector, there exists a pay gap between the genders that is not only difficult for women to cross but also frowned upon by executives who are dominantly while and male.

Satya Nadella is an influential figure in both the business world and the tech community and I am personally surprised and offended that this comment was made to discourage women from being as assertive as their counterparts are and that they are instead told to “trust karma”. It is unlikely that Nadella himself found himself as CEO of Microsoft by “having faith in the system”. Despite his public apology, I believe that this scandal will serve as a humble reminder for him and other tech executives that the overwhelming lack of diversity must be addressed and dealt with.

References:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102090245

http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/10/satya-nadellas-karma-advice-to-women-comes-back-to-haunt-him.html

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/10/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-women-dont-ask-for-a-raise