Salary negotiations safely managed

Career prospects with Alumni: Fifteen alumni become salary negotiation professionals

Salary negotiations – a fascinating and above all important topic for a successful career, we thought. Therefore, on February 17, fifteen alumni came together to become professionals at salary negotiations under the instruction of Michael Blochberger and Heidrun Dahlmann. The day started with a round of introductions, through which the participants and their coaches could get to know each other better. This formed a solid basis for the trusting relationship during the entire workshop. A large part of the seminar was dedicated to self-reflection in order to work out one’s personal professional situation and to decide whether or not it is even the right time for salary negotiations. That way, first convincing arguments for possible negotiations were drafted, which were then further strengthened and expanded by means of a skills catalogue. All participants first estimated their own skills in areas such as communication, quality of work, performance orientation, and team spirit before comparing themselves with a self-chosen model. This gave everyone the opportunity to reflect and be made aware of their own strengths and weaknesses – a good basis for arguments that can be helpful during salary negotiations. At the end, everyone received an overview on quality criteria for a successful conversation: What are the goals, and what should absolutely be avoided? The coaches also offered the participating alumni exemplary statements to open negotiations as well as an overview on an employer’s possible counterarguments. All of it was eventually used and put into practice in role plays simulating salary negotiations. Despite previous skepticism towards these role plays, everyone agreed that the workshop had given them self-confidence and courage to tackle salary negotiations in the future. “It was an incredibly interesting day. Although I don’t even work in a position in which salary negotiations are possible, I gained insights to negotiations in general on the job and in my day-to-day life,” one participant stated accurately. The conversation simulations in particular were a great exercise for that.