Negotiate your salary when changes are made to your job
Our jobs change and develop. Sometimes there are major changes, like a promotion. Sometimes they occur more gradually within your existing role. Such changes bring opportunities for you to negotiate about your employment conditions.
Time to negotiate your salary
Have you been promoted? Or has the content of your job changed significantly? If so, you may be able to negotiate a higher salary.
In the event of major changes in your work tasks or a promotion, you should take the opportunity to negotiate your salary.
Major changes in your current position
Your tasks and your level of competence are not static. They develop to remain relevant and in line with your employer’s direction and goals. As an employee, this means that your areas of responsibility change, higher demands are placed on you and more complex tasks need to be carried out.
Sometimes changes come gradually, and after a while the content of your job may have developed so much that your salary should also be increased. Perhaps you have received even greater responsibility in your specialist position or there are increased expectations regarding a specific competence? Tell your manager that you would like to renegotiate your salary when your job content changes. Don't wait until the annual salary dialogue.
Salary statistics when changing jobs in 2024
The salary statistics from Engineers of Sweden for 2024 show that those who changed jobs within the private sector, to another employer, received an average salary increase of 10.2 percent. Those who changed positions within the same company had an average salary increase of 11 percent. This can be compared to an average salary increase of 5.5 percent for those who did not change jobs.
In the public sector, the differences were even greater, with 11.9 percent for those who changed jobs externally compared to 8.6 percent for those who changed internally. Within municipalities and regions, the salary increases were lower, but even here the salary increase was higher for those who changed jobs.
Give yourself a strong negotiating position - prepare
If you are allocated more qualified tasks, are given a new role or are promoted to a new position, you are probably a valuable resource for your employer and have sought-after and important competence that the organisation needs. So you should be well rewarded.
There is of course no hard and fast line here. If you change to another position with a new employment contract, it is much clearer that you have a new role. However, if the content of your position changes gradually, and new tasks are added over time, it is not always as clear. We have a broad work obligation within our positions and there is no razor-sharp boundary.
But if you feel that the content of your job has changed significantly without your salary being adjusted to the same extent, and you feel that you should have a higher salary, you should bring the matter up with your manager, preferably when new tasks are being discussed. Don't wait until your annual salary dialogue.
When the content of your work changes and there are major changes in your role, you have a great opportunity to negotiate a new salary. This will show that you see a clear link between changes to the job and an expectation of a higher salary.
You should therefore bring up the issue of a salary adjustment when you and your manager discuss new tasks. Put simply, higher demands mean higher pay.
If you are promoted to a new position, a new employment contract needs to be drawn up. This is a good opportunity for you to negotiate a new salary before signing the contract. Make sure you also know which year's salary level your new salary is set at, as this affects which year's salary review you will be covered by.
If all salary adjustments are saved for the annual salary review, there is a danger that your total salary increase will be lower. It is therefore important to differentiate between the annual salary review and salary increases due to major changes in your position or a promotion. Think salary all year round.
The salary dialogue is about your performance during the year. It is where you can give feedback on your employer's assessment of your performance and goal fulfilment linked to the salary criteria at the workplace. You can read more about salary dialogues here.
Did you take the opportunity to negotiate a new salary in connection with the changes to your work? If not, do it now. Bring up the subject of salary in connection with changes to your job content.
Be sure to document your new duties. Specific examples of greater responsibility and what has changed are a good basis for discussing your salary.