Experts talked about the working arguments when talking about a salary increase
Salary negotiations in IT have changed significantly in recent years. Previously, it was enough for an employee to refer to the growth of the market, high demand for specialists or an offer from competitors, but today employers have become much more attentive to assessing the value of each person for the business. Against the background of a reduction in the number of vacancies, increased competition and an increase in the tax burden, companies are increasingly looking not at the desires of employees, but at their real contribution to the result. Selecty consultant Alexandra Martemyanova and HR director Daria Kudryavtseva told Izvestia on June 23 that the main question today is not "how much a person wants to receive," but "how much they really cost more than they receive now."
Not the market, but the value: why the old arguments no longer work
In 2026, the situation in the IT market has become noticeably more difficult for candidates. There are fewer vacancies, employers have the opportunity to choose between several strong specialists, and the hiring process in many companies has slowed down. Previously, staff shortages allowed employees to bargain more actively for conditions, but now employers are much more cautious about salary revisions.
The increase in the tax burden had an additional impact. Companies have become more attentive to the payroll, more often abandon automatic indexing and less often agree to significant income increases.
Daria Kudryavtseva, Selecty HR Director
The growing tax burden forces companies to optimize costs, so the entire structure of salary negotiations is changing. It might have worked before: "You hired an employee with a salary 20% higher than mine — give me the same amount" or "I'm considering an international project. The income there will be in euros, I will work from warm countries — offer more so that I stay." Now new employees are being hired for the same money (or even less), but things are no better in international affairs — there are no too bright prospects there.
According to her, therefore, arguments like "the market has grown," "specialists of my level receive more," or "I was offered an offer from another company" no longer have the same effect. Employers evaluate employees much more pragmatically and primarily look at their current business value.
The main sign of an undervalued employee
According to experts, many employees make the same mistake: they come to ask for a raise based on personal circumstances. Rising costs, mortgages, inflation, or dissatisfaction with colleagues' salaries are not arguments for business in themselves.
It is important for an employer to understand not why a person needs money, but why his work has become more expensive.
Alexandra Martemyanova, Selecty Consultant
Business focuses not on personal circumstances, but on the result: what kind of expertise a person has, area of responsibility, quality of work and impact on the project. If there are no facts in this pool, and the only arguments are "I work hard, but I'm not appreciated," it's difficult for the manager to agree on a promotion. Especially now, when budgets are being cut, projects are being frozen, and companies are taking a closer look at photos.
This is where the main criterion appears, according to which it can be understood that an employee is worth more to the company than his salary. If the amount of responsibility has increased significantly, but the income level has remained the same, this may be a signal that the value of the specialist has changed.
For example, a person used to be responsible for one area of work, but now oversees several areas. Or he began to train newcomers, make architectural decisions, perform higher-level tasks, participate in strategic discussions, and actually close the functions of senior specialists. If the salary does not change at the same time, there is a gap between the employee's role and his compensation.
Experts called another indicator a situation when a specialist becomes an important element of a project, without which the work of the team slows down or becomes more complicated. Such employees often turn out to be much more valuable to the business than is reflected in their salary.
Which arguments really work?
Selecty experts point out that a strong negotiating position is based on facts. The more specifically an employee can show the results of their work, the more likely they are to be heard.
Proper argumentation is usually built around three questions: what has changed in responsibilities, what result has it brought to the team or business, and why the new level of responsibility corresponds to higher pay. In some cases, market data can also be used. However, this should be done only when it comes to areas that are really in demand.
According to the Selecty study, the most noticeable increase in salary offers was recorded among middle Python developers - the average growth was 40.9%. At the same time, offers for many other categories of specialists, especially seniors, on the contrary, have decreased. This means that a reference to the market can be useful only when it is confirmed by specific figures and trends in the employee's specialization.
An additional argument, allegedly, is the willingness to take on new tasks. Companies are more willing to invest in employees who are able to close new areas of work, help with onboarding, master in-demand technologies, or develop into leadership roles.
Why do employers sometimes lose valuable employees?
Even if management recognizes the importance of a specialist, this does not always mean that they are willing to significantly increase their salary. In many companies, internal revenue growth is slower than market changes.
Alexandra Martemyanova, Selecty Consultant
Within a company, salaries often grow slower than the market. An employer can recognize a specialist's contribution and say that the project is based on it, but limit themselves to a small increase: companies save money and are not always ready to pay current employees a market salary. The paradox is that after such a person leaves, the employer has to look for a replacement at a higher fork.
That is why the high value of an employee for a company does not always automatically lead to an increase in income. Sometimes an employer understands the importance of a particular specialist, but is limited by the budget or internal salary review rules.
According to experts, if an employee is rejected, you should not take this as a final verdict. It is much more useful to clarify the reasons for the decision and request specific criteria, the fulfillment of which will allow us to return to the discussion later.
How to prepare for a conversation about money
Experts advise starting preparations in advance. It is useful to compile a list of your own achievements, analyze changes in the area of responsibility, and prepare specific examples of how the employee's work has brought benefits to the team or business.
The arguments supported by numbers look particularly convincing: completed projects, improved performance, accelerated processes, or additional functions that a person has taken on recently.
It is also important to understand the situation on the market and within your own company. Before talking, you should study the salary level in your field, find out the schedule for reviewing income, and choose the right moment to discuss it — for example, during a performance review or immediately after the successful completion of an important project.
Experts emphasize that salary negotiations have become much more rational today. Therefore, the best way to prove that an employee is worth more than his current salary is not to show personal needs, but the real benefits that he brings to the business every day.
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