You don’t know how to go about getting better pay? Several human resources specialists reveal their secrets.
Every year, millions of workers have a meeting with their superior to take stock of the past year and the year to come. This is the annual maintenance. This one-on-one meeting with your manager (or in the presence of other people such as human resources managers) allows you to discuss various topics of the employee’s daily life, including that of salary. In business, the question of remuneration is generally only put on the table at this point. For an employee, it is therefore better to be prepared to address the subject.
However, between their aspirations, the reality of the company and the room for maneuver of the superior who decides, the equation is not always easy to resolve and the finality is often disappointing. So how do you reach an agreement that satisfies all parties? Linternaute.com interviewed several human resources specialists, who gave their advice for calmly discussing this central point.
First, everyone is unanimous: you must present factual elements to your employer in order to negotiate. This is the essential condition. “The more we detail what we have done and what we are going to do, the more value it has in the negotiation,” introduces Thibaut Vuillon, boss of Elevo, a management software company. Thus, “because I have proven that, because I bear more responsibilities”, are, for example, elements to be highlighted according to Clotilde Merillon, HR Director at Tellent, a company which also publishes management software. For Pierre-Gilles Bouquet, founder of the recruitment firm Voluntae, we must not hesitate to support the point to the point of “arguing by the money we have made for the company.”
Another element must be taken into account when discussing salary: establishing a comparison between one’s remuneration and that in force in the sector, for equal position and equal missions. “Saying ‘I find that I am below the market’ gives a strong signal” in the eyes of Thibaut Vuillon. “The manager can then say to himself: ‘If he performs well, he will leave because he knows he can be at that salary level.'”
But sometimes, it happens that the question of remuneration is not even discussed and that the amount of the increase (or a status quo) is directly announced by the superior. Are you disappointed? Don’t panic, you can still discuss it. You have to do it step by step. “The first thing to say is thank you,” HR specialists unanimously recall. Clotilde Merillon suggests continuing with: “But I won’t hide the fact that I’m a little disappointed. I was hoping for that for such and such a reason.” Also, do not hesitate to ask how this increase was decided, explains Thibaut Vuillon. “It can give the employee elements” to negotiate during a future meeting.
Because in this case, everyone recommends (unless there is immediate agreement of course) to delay and propose another interview, solely dedicated to salary negotiation. During the discussion, don’t hesitate to say “I’m not expecting a response right away” or “I’d like to discuss this again.” This makes it possible to understand his desire to postpone his decision. Enough to take the time to think, especially since an increase cannot be decided solely by the employer. The employee must always give his consent.
