“How would you describe the workplace culture of this hospital?” Although this question may be asked in a variety of ways, the topic of workplace culture inevitably arises during the interview process—and for good reason. Culture in the workplace is an important determinant of employee happiness and success. The goal of the applicant during the interview process is to answer the question: “Is this the best place for me?” While there are many intangibles that influence this answer, there are also important tangible factors that can help candidates decide. For faculty entering academic medicine, some of these tangibles include starting salary, protected time, bonus opportunities, and parental leave. For female physicians, in particular, this list also includes clinical accommodations to support nursing mothers, rates of promotion compared to male colleagues, percentage of women in leadership positions, and the presence of an appointed officer for diversity, equality and inclusion involved in search, hiring, and promotion processes. Lactation policies are of particular importance in pediatrics, given that the pediatric workforce has shifted in its demographic composition to predominantly women in their childbearing ages1. These metrics and policies are much less frequently discussed during the hiring process but are an important reflection of workplace culture.

Perhaps one of the best ways to evaluate workplace culture,specifically the emphasis an institution places on gender equity, is through salary compensation. Historically, salaries in academic medicine have had a great deal of variation across the United States and even within institutions, often to the detriment of female physicians2. Women are less likely to negotiate salaries and thus, because “they didn’t ask,” are more likely to start at a lower pay grade than their male counterparts3. A lower starting salary is particularly impactful for female pediatricians, as pediatrics is already the lowest paying medical specialty4,5. In addition, many applicants do not feel comfortable asking about benefits, such as paid family medical leave (PFML), for fear of being viewed as less committed or not a hard worker. However, adequate PFML contributes to the mental health of both new mothers and fathers, and it is an important component of compensation that speaks to an institution’s concern for the wellbeing of its employees6.

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