In this episode of the Critical Careers podcast, Lizzy McDowell is joined by Andy Davis from DataX Connect and Sarah Davenport from Capstone Recruitment for a conversation about the value gap, and why salary is only one part of how people understand their worth at work.
Drawing on insights from the DataX Connect salary survey and their experience recruiting across the data centre industry, Andy and Sarah explore how pay, progression, recognition and opportunity shape career confidence. They discuss why women can be negatively impacted by salary discrepancies and career breaks, particularly when progression stalls after parental leave or when people remain in roles longer without regular pay reviews.
Together, the conversation explores pay transparency, sponsorship, mentorship, self-advocacy, progression, retention, representation, and the need to widen the talent pool beyond the data centre industry. At its heart, this episode is about understanding value more broadly: not just what someone is paid, but whether they are seen, supported, recognised and given the opportunity to grow.
“I think worth, knowing your worth and salary aren’t always aligned.” - Sarah Davenport
“You have to be the CEO of your own career. You have to make your ambition known.” - Sarah Davenport
“How can we give people the platform so they can be the role models for the next generation?” - Andy Davis
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Key Takeaways
- The value gap is about more than salary. It also includes recognition, confidence, progression, opportunity and whether people feel genuinely valued at work.
- Salary discrepancies can widen at senior levels, particularly when people are promoted internally without regular pay reviews or external benchmarking.
- Career breaks, maternity leave and part-time working can affect progression and earning potential, but deeper issues around representation and promotion also play a role.
- Women may stay in roles longer and value stability, project complexity and strategic exposure, which can make regular salary reviews and progression conversations even more important.
- Employers need to understand what “feeling valued” means for underrepresented groups, rather than assuming salary is the only marker.
- Mentorship, sponsorship and external perspective can help women understand their value, build confidence and position themselves for the next stage of their careers.
- Self-advocacy matters. People should document their impact, make their ambitions known and be clear about the extra work they are doing beyond their formal role.
- Progression does not always mean promotion. It can also mean broader experience, lateral moves, new challenges or exposure to different parts of the business.
- Representation needs to move beyond the same voices appearing at the same events. More women need platforms to share their expertise, not only to speak about being women in the industry.
- Employers and employees share responsibility for career development: organisations must create supportive environments, but individuals also need to make themselves known.
- Bringing talent in from outside the data centre sector remains essential, particularly from related industries such as construction, telecoms, logistics, power and other asset classes.
- Demystifying the industry is critical. Data centres need engineers, but they also need people in finance, marketing, project management, commercial, recruitment and many other roles.
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Thank you to our founding partner, Kao Data, and our season sponsors: CBRE, AVK, JLL, Eversheds Sutherland, and Mace Construct.
