How to approach the subject of wage in recruitment interview?

Estimate your salary claims

Make sure you have previously studied the economic situation of the job market in Luxembourg in order to best estimate your salary expectations. The remuneration is in line with the cost of living standards of the country in which you would be required to work. They should not be given at random.

Be specific about your salary requirements

There is a difference between gross and net wages. The gross salary includes all of the salary before tax and social withholding (social security contributions, taxes, etc.) and the net salary includes all of the salary after tax withholding. It is therefore important to speak the same language from the start as your interlocutor in order to avoid any disagreements.

Average salaries are often indicated in annual gross. If this seems abstract to you, you can use the tax calculator to get an idea of the net salary. Remember to specify your salary claims clearly in order to avoid any misunderstandings between the recruiter and you.

It may depend not only on your geographic area but also on the trade or sector of activity in which you wish to work. The salary will not be the same for a marketing position as it is for finance. On the lesfrontaliers.lu website, you can get an idea of the average gross monthly salary by job and by years of experience.

Be realistic and honest

Sometimes during an interview, some candidates may inflate their salary expectations in order to negotiate a higher salary or want to oversell themselves. Recruiters know their job and are not fooled. You could pretend to be an unrealistic person to your interlocutor and that is not the goal! It is therefore better to be honest and to be based on your latest pay slips. This would be more appreciated by the recruiter.

Be persuasive when negotiating

You shouldn't be confused about talking about money. Salary negotiation can be done ... but be careful! It is necessary to know how to approach it, otherwise, this could be interpreted as a negative point.

To negotiate your salary and benefits judiciously, it is imperative to count on your strengths, put forward your skills as well as your professional and human experiences. You must be persuasive and defend your arguments. Be like a salesperson looking to sell their product to a customer.

It is also possible to discuss the variable part, the 13th month bonus as well as the other bonuses. The benefits in kind are not to be overlooked: company car, restaurant tickets, reimbursement of the transport ticket, employee representative committee... Sometimes having a good job with good colleagues and a good atmosphere is worth more than a few extra euros.

Find out the ranking of compagnies where it feels good to work in Luxembourg: Great Place to Work Ranking

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