Own your worth - Earn what you deserve!
posted 20 Feb 25
There’s no denying that the 2025 job market is going to be a challenge to navigate, but the market favours a proactive approach from employees. If you show you are interested and making moves within your role, your peers and managers are likely to notice.
And that’s where salary negotiation comes in. Negotiating your salary isn’t simply about the money, but about knowing your worth as employee, including your skills, contributions, and potential.
According to a 2025 report by Procurement Tactics, 73% of employers anticipate a salary negotiation from job applicants, but when only 55% of job candidates don’t try to negotiate their salary, they take the risk on a lower pay.
We have a complete guide to what you should be earning in our 2025 Salary Guide, as well as this guide to the practical tools to negotiating your salary right here.
Understand your value
The first step is to know what you should be asking for – and that means knowing your value. You’ll have to start with a little research into your industry standard. Our 2025 Salary Guide details a range of roles and salaries across our specialisms, including Business Support, Call & Contact Centre, Construction & Property, Driving, Energy, Engineering & Manufacturing, Health & Social Care, Hospitality, Industrial, Logistics, Nursing, Personal Assistant & Executive Assistant, Social Work, and Finance roles.
Look at resources like job boards and consult with recruiters to understand what aspects of your role are valuable and should be pushed forward as a strength.
It would also be helpful to look at roles beyond your own. You might have gotten to a point where you’re taking on responsibilities above your current role, and it would be useful to understand the roles and salaries adjacent to your own.
All of this is in service of backing you up with data. You will come across as informed, confident, and ready to demonstrate why you are worthy of your requested salary.
Quantify your achievements
Don’t be afraid to brag. Keep a “brag folder” with all your accomplishments, such as successful projects, awards, client testimonials, and any other measurable outcomes. If you think you have had a positive effect on something in your role, put it into numbers.
Even if you aren’t actively looking, update your CV and brag folder regularly to keep track of points you might want to bring up in a job search, promotion or salary negotiation.
Your points should be as specific and data driven as possible to lessen the chance of anyone dismissing your value.
Nail your approach
Prepare for a salary negotiation as you would for an interview: by planning what to say and how to say it.
Think about when you should be having this discussion. Sure, you can request a meeting with your higher ups, but it would be best to bring it up during performance reviews, after a major project success or during hiring negotiations to give yourself the best chance.
Additionally, focus on your contributions to the company more than external factors. Don’t say you need a raise due to inflation or cost of living crises. You need a salary increase because you deserve a salary increase, as evidenced by X, Y or Z.
You might want to run through these points with a friend or mentor to get the approach right and know what won’t work. Once you get it right, you’ll be confident and tactful, which shows you are professional who knows their worth.
Prepare for pushback
Don’t let it stop you, but there’s always a chance they say no. This is a negotiation, after all. Be ready for the reasons that employers say they can’t meet your requests and have alternatives ready. For instance, if the numbers you’re asking for aren’t possible, you can offer a lower number, or other benefits like flexible hours, training opportunities, bonuses or increased annual leave.
However, it’s important that you stay calm. Don’t get angry or upset, at least visibly, and be wary of vague responses. For instance, if an employer asks to revisit the topic or circle back, ask for concrete timelines or next steps.
Even if you don’t have an immediately positive outcome, you have the set the foundation for more conversations down the road.
Strengthen your skills
In 2025, upskilling is crucial to thriving – even to your salary negotiations. Keep pace with industry trends, certifications and qualifications that are wanted by employers to put yourself in a better position for your negotiations. Look for two or three new skills that could lead to a salary bump and ask around to try filling those gaps with training or mentorship. You can also look at leadership roles or special projects in your company that might make you vital to the team and ultimately, indispensable.
The more you put into your professional growth, the more you’ll have to negotiate with.
Know when to walk away
Of course, there’s every chance that the money or will simply isn’t there. If your employer consistently underpays or undervalues you, even with repeated negotiations, maybe it’s time to move on.
Avoid staying too long out of loyalty or fear of putting yourself out there. You could be allowing yourself to fall behind market pay rates and simply stagnating on skills and experience by staying where you are. Sometimes knowing your worth means recognising that your employer doesn’t.
Contact recruitment experts for support
And of course, you can always contact Search for insider salary data, industry trends, and guidance on your value on the market. We can help you benchmark your earning potential by pointing out other high-paying roles or even alternative options.
We will act as advocates for you. We can back your case with professional expertise to ensure you thrive in 2025.
