Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is apologizing for his comments earlier this week that seemed to state women in the workforce shouldn't ask for a raise but should, instead, have faith the corporate system will pay them well.
The comments were made at a women's tech conference and soon afterwards Twitter exploded in outrage at the suggestion that women should not ask for raises.
"I believe men and women should get equal pay for equal work," said Nadella in a statement. "And when it comes to career advice on getting a raise when you think it's deserved, Maria [Klawe, interviewer]'s advice was the right advice. If you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask."
After the comments were made, Maria Klawe, the interviewer at the event, quickly disagreed with Nadella, saying women should do their homework on salary levels and practice asking for pay raises. Klawe is president of Harvey Mudd College and a member of Microsoft's board of directors.
"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," said Nadella during the interview. "Women who don't ask for raises" have a "superpower ... because that's good karma, that'll come back ... that's the kind of person that I want to trust."
While Nadella did apologize for his remarks, the comments once again raised the thorny issue about pay equality in the tech industry and in general.
"It is shameful that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella would tell women -- especially in an industry that already has a serious problem recruiting and retaining female talent -- not to ask for raises," said Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of online workplace group UltraViolet.
While the comments sparked outrage, many believe Nadella was talking from an honest place and it was more misinterpretation and badly worded remarks that started the imbroglio.
"The question was indeed gender specific but I don't know if his answer was," said Jim Koch, membership development adviser at American HealthCare Services Association. "It seemed like his outlook on the workplace culture. I thought he might answer a question about men similarly."
The comments highlight the growing concern over inequality in the tech industry. At Microsoft, women only make up around 29 percent of the workforce and around 17 percent of the company's leadership.
"Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly support programs at Microsoft and in the industry that bring more women into technology and close the pay gap," continued Nadella.
