Five reasons to take the salary survey

A short time ago, Tekna’s salary survey was sent out to all currently employed members. By taking this survey, you’ll create the best possible salary statistics for Tekna members. In return, you’ll get a tool that might help you earn a higher salary.

– The salary survey is one of our most important and sought-after benefits for members who are looking for a new job and Tekna representatives who are negotiating salaries as well as members who are going into a salary discussion with their boss, says Katrine Olsson, Tekna advisor on employment law.

– Look at it as helping out your teammates. In under ten minutes, which is the time it takes to answer the survey, you can help create better and fairer working conditions, she says.

Knowing salary statistics is an important bargaining chip, and if it’s to keep being this, the response rate has to be as high as possible. So you need to get moving and take the survey, which is now in your inbox.

Here are five good reasons to take this year’s survey:

Your Tekna representatives will have a stronger starting point for negotiating salaries.

The representatives’ task is to negotiate salaries on behalf of all Tekna members in the organization, so these statistics are an important bargaining chip for them.

– Tekna representatives use these statistics as a tool when negotiating with the company’s top-level management. These number are often used for explaining why members deserve a raise, says Olsson, who goes on to say:

– A high response rate makes the statistics more credible, and it’s more likely that employers will take the survey more seriously.

Recent graduates get a better start on their careers.

Quite often, our youngest members feel vulnerable and slightly uncomfortable negotiating their starting salaries. So statistics are extremely important for them.  

– It’s very important that you get a decent starting salary when heading out into the workforce. If you don’t, it can take you a long time to reach the salary level that we recommend, says Olsson.

This is why Tekna uses the salary survey to make recommendations about starting salaries. Olsson states that companies often determine their starting salaries in accordance with this survey.

– We see that several people are offered the same salary level that we recommend, which might be a sign that a lot of company heads read our statistics.

Helps employers understand your market value

It’s important for employers that their employees perform well and are satisfied with their workplace. Tekna members also have expertise that many employers value highly.

– In addition to skills development and other benefits, one way to reward employees is to offer them a good salary. ‘Salary losers’, meaning those who earn less than others in the same job/industry, will get frustrated or look around for something new, explains Olsson.

Statistics give the employer insight into how Tekna members are doing at work, and they often want to adapt as much as they can.

Gives an indication

Salary statistics give you the chance to check your own development in relation to others with the same experience. You can also see the differences among various sectors and industries.

If you see that you’re far behind other people, you can speak with your company representative and get an answer why this is happening.

– Maybe increasing your skills or taking on a new assignment will put you in a stronger position during your next salary discussion.  

But it’s also important to remember that salary statistics aren’t the result of an agreement reached through collective bargaining.

– Sometimes a company just isn’t able to offer higher salaries, and there are also differences in sectors and location that affect salary levels.

Even if you don’t negotiate your own salary, you have the right to have a salary discussion with your supervisor where you talk about your competency and the possibility of getting a salary increase. In this case, statistics are a foundation that can help you learn your own market value.

Tekna provides the best tips

Katrine Olsson reveals that her department actively uses these statistics every single day.

– I use it to advise representatives who are about to start negotiations, and when speaking with members who’ve landed a new job and are calling me to find out if the job offer they’ve gotten is reasonable, adding:  

– All our members can send us their contracts when they’re changing jobs. If this do this, we’ll be able to give them some good tips, making sure that what they say ‘yes’ to is good enough, she emphasizes.