5-point plan for the next salary negotiation
Many skilled workers have probably never asked their boss for a salary increase. Yet it's worth it, as the results of the StepStone Salary Report 2016 show: Those who actively broach the subject of salary earn - at least in Germany, where these figures come from - an average of 21 percent more than those who hold back. So there's no reason to be shy when it comes to salaries.
Here's how to get the most out of your next pay negotiation:
1. classify your salary expectations
Salary is often still a taboo subject. Many professionals do not know how much their colleagues in similar positions earn or have only a rough idea. However, knowing the usual salaries in your field and industry is essential for salary negotiations. In Switzerland, most industry associations or the regularly published Lohnbuch (Salary Book), published by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich, provide information with average salaries broken down by professional experience, industry, occupational group, region, company size and qualifications.
2. choose the right contact person
As a rule, your direct supervisor is the appropriate contact person when it comes to salary negotiations. He or she is in the best position to assess your performance. The HR department usually only acts in the background here, for example by giving your supervisor a budget within which the increase may take place.
3. determine a suitable time
One in three professionals who actively ask for a raise does so once a year, and just under one in five does so every two years. Choosing the right time can determine the outcome of your negotiation attempt. Phases in which your company or industry is in a poor economic position are unfavorable. Company parties are an absolute no-no. Also unprofessional: engaging the boss in a salary discussion in the elevator or in the office corridor.
4. prepare the appointment specifically
Good performance is the best argument for a salary increase. Therefore, prepare the salary interview in a targeted manner. Before the actual salary negotiation, ask your boss for a feedback meeting in which you talk about your contribution to the company's success.
5. pay attention to formulations
In the next step, you arrange the date for the actual salary negotiation with a little distance. Here it is more clever not to call a spade a spade at first. Ask for a discussion about a specific project or a conversation about the strategic orientation of your position. The lead-in to the negotiation is provided by the results of the feedback conversation, e.g.: "In our last conversation, you emphasized that you were very satisfied with my performance on project XY. That's why I would like to talk to you today about my further development. This certainly includes my salary."
Source: StepStone, - red -
