Tips for your next salary interview

When you get a new assignment or skill, for example if you have taken supplementary education, write it down. At the interview, you can then document that you have taken on more assignments and speak about what they should trigger in terms of additional salary.

Use HK’s salary statistics (in Danish), and talk about salary with your colleagues to get a realistic picture of what you should expect. Remember that it is against the law for your boss to say that you and your colleagues may not talk about your salary.

Test your arguments. Talk to your union representative, if you have one, or do a role play with a friend, girlfriend/boyfriend or colleague.

Start with a little small talk. It is much easier to achieve your goals if you create a good atmosphere.
Make it clear that you expect a salary increase but be ready to compromise. Your salary claim must therefore be higher than what you are willing to accept.
As negotiations proceed, do not be afraid to repeat your best arguments over and over.

Do not take no for an answer. Ask the employer why he or she does not think you should be paid more. Also ask what you can do to improve to get a higher salary at the next interview.

Never threaten to give notice to quit. Blackmailing is rarely a good negotiation strategy, and it may subsequently create a bad working environment.

If you cannot have any salary increase in cash, then you might ask your employer for other things of value to you – such as more education or a health scheme. Always remember to repeat what you agreed on before you leave the negotiation.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your salary negotiation, contact your local branch where you can get advice and guidance on what to do next. You can also talk to your union representative, if there is one at your place of work.

When it comes to salary negotiations the role of the union representative depends on your place of work and the type of collective agreement you have there. In municipalities, regions and the state, your union representative will negotiate your salary on your behalf. In the private labour market, things are different.

If there are fixed salary grades in your place of work, it is typically the union representative or the HK branch that negotiate how many percent or DKK the salary grades will increase.

There may also be personal allowances that ,as an employee, you negotiate or are informed of by your management, unless problems arise, in which case the union representative will typically be involved.

If, by contrast, you are paid according to e.g., skills, performance, responsibility, and experience, you will typically negotiate your own salary.

The union representative may have had a say in which criteria are in focus in these negotiations, or in major places of work negotiated the general, total percentage.