Hi Everybody,

Recently I had faced an employee evaluation meeting with my German boss and HR guys. I told them the list of my achievements including a new business opportunity with a Silicon valley company in USA.

Luckily,my boss gave me "outstanding " and "excellent " grades in 90% categories.

Then came the salary issue. I told them that I had been underpaid so far. So, my current salary need to be adjusted according to the market average. So, with my three year experience, I claimed around 4000 euro which is about
500 euro more from my current salary.

By, the management wants me to increase my salary only by 100 euro !!

This has made me sad and surprised. I have been exploited so far in the last three years. Now I am expecting a fair salary. But , the reaction of the management seems to be exploitative as well as racist. Besides, the current recession has not affected our company since we have projects from Govt customers.

In the same company one fresh German engineer has been earning 3600 euro from the very beginning. And, I can not catch him even after three years of excellent performance !!!

Isn't it a double standard ?

Being disgusted, I told my boss that I would like to have the salary negotiation meeting on another day. Now I am thinking how I can present my arguments in the next meeting.

I have a feeling that the management views me as a cheap labor !! OK ! YOU are outstanding . So what ? We are extending your job contract. That should be enough for you !!

But I think that the management will not get a easy replacement for me as my skill is rare in Germany.

What should I do now ? Please give me advice.

Hello,

It all depends on how the conversation and relation between you and your employer (firstly your boss). If you feel like comfirtable and confident on your position and requirement of your position in the project(s), and if you are confident that you are value added to the company and even compared to fellow local german colleagues, then

- you try to first repeat your performance summary in your boss words, that is you did excellent etc.. and they also would know that the market value for such a job with such a performance, ask them to give fare amount for valuable work.. Ask them why do they see a problem if they consider your work is excellent and on par with others..

- another idea is, if they are not ready to offer direct increase in salary in terms of liquid money and if you feel like having, you could ask for other resources like company car. some times they would be ready to offer a car instead of equivalent money.

Try to handle smoothly and farely. There should not be any hide&seek game here. To me, it should be fair from both parties to go smoothly.

if you are not thinking of a change over, also keep in mind that, what ever the outcome of your conversation, you are going to see them every day and work with them for next duration.. so you should also maintain good relationship.

Hope this helps..

do share the outcome!!& All the Best.

-RK

Hi RK,

Thanks for your response. If my boss becomes adamant , then should I say that I am getting discriminated ? Should I mention explicitly that another German colleague is getting higher salary ?

I dont have charm for money anymore so evenif i give u any suggestion ,u will close ur brain doors for that.
About racialism ...its like when a thief go on the street and if someone see him he always get the guilty and fear to get caught because his brain fuction with that mindset.

If u feel racialism then u will see everyone as racist evenif its not racial u will see it as racial.because ur brain has adopted the mindset and behaviour and ur just acting the way ur getting instruction from brain.

Me im dark non german ,have loads of here friends here talk to everone and they respond well because my mindset is not supposed to accept any racial or negative shit anymore evenif it happen i dont notice the behaviour from others.

Hi Buenito,
Actually you might have started with low salary as to a German probably and that keeps you low comparatively. But after some time they normally average the team according to age/experience but most of the time they don't unless you talk and ask for it.
Raising 400 might be like a big raise as they see and you would have already got regular raises(by asking them to review etc) and now all they see as reasonable is this 100euros.

What you can do is to ask them and tell them the market average and that you are not happy as there are some people in the company with less experience and more money(don't say the names). If you don't have any visa issues/dependecies just go ahead and give a hint that you might look for prospects outside..

Then the issue will be resolved immediately if you are really important for them.
cheers

@buetino

Beggers are not choosers!!

The management knows very well that, what you are earning in germany is a big amount for someone from third-world-country like India.

Instead of giving you any advice, I would like to give you an example:

If your wife demands a five-star holiday for 2 weeks in Caribbean, you are most likely to say NO to your wife, simply because she is not going to leave you just because you denied her the holiday.

Now consider the same demand is made by your girlfriend then you would consider your options carefully. There is a constant risk that she might leave you if you don't meet her demand. You are more likely to give in and spend the money.

@akshay

that was a good one :-)

@deathnic

i agree with you, its just how our mindset is.

a word of advice.......a bird in hand is far better then the two in nest, just hang on to this job, give your colleagues a "sleeping on the issue" kind of vibes, be normal, be friendly, be a team player as before or work even hard for even longer times and at the same time explore your options, only a new job can give you more money and this time please clarify all issues before signing the contract i.e. salaries, perks, increments bla bla bla.

@Akshay
this mindset is even better.Its me and my life and i go for holiday only if i want, I dont have fear of loss,if she goes ,her problem for me 1000s more are available:-)

@deathnic

seems you are not married :-)

That was for ppl with GFs and irritating wifes

In your situation it would be better to look for a change.

If its a German company then the reason they recruited you is only because you are a cheap labor and nothing else,how highly skilled you are or how good you perform it does not matter.The company takes a big risk when they recruit a foreigner as you can pack up and return to India anytime in the middle of a project or you can bring loss to the company and without any problem fly away as the law and contract which you sign is not valid in India even if it is who cares there whereas if its a German then they can trust him as if does something wrong or leave the project in middle and makes vacation in Mallorca finally he returns here and the employer can catch hold of him.

Also be aware that today there are many East Europeans especially Russians who are highly skilled as we Indians and ready to work for less than us so those days are gone when Germany had problem finding highly skilled workers.

If a guy settled in Mumbai works in Bangalore and if another person who is from Bangalore with less experience is paid more then you will term it Partiality but the same happens here then you call it Racism why? All employers first prefer localites and then only outsiders as the risk involved is less.

@akshay

Not all women like sissy guys. So, your advice has a very narrow bandwidth.

A genuine woman , not blemished with feminism, loves and respects a man who has the nerve to say 'No'.

Ignore Akshay's comments....he needs to throw his cheap 2 cents view into almost anything...He has got terrible inferiority complex...the gyus got verbal diarreah...just ignore him...

Cheers

Dear Buetino,

I was into similar situation 2 months back. I can guarantee you its nothing related to racism or anything like that. The fact is that we Indians can not negotiate good. We are too shy and there is hint of truth in what Akshay rightly mentione that, they know our weakness that for us Indians, its still good money.

I would strongly suggest you not to make any reference about race. From my case, I have realized that if they need you, they would raise your salary may be not 400 because a Manager cannot just give in to you, his ego is at stake but for sure more than 100 euro. Keeping the environment co-ordial and fighting with them as kids could fetch you more than any other way. Germans overall are fair people.

I Hope everything goes well..

Thanks,
PS

@aaiyash

Glad to know that atleast you see some truth in my reply, which everyone else reckons as rubbish :-)

Hi All,
I have been working in Germany since 2003. I have worked both in a completely German company and what is commonly known as MNC.
It so happened with me in 2007, that during my yearly review my boss told me that everything I do is outstanding apart from just 1 minor issue and picked this issue as a reason of not promoting me to project lead status.
After a healthy discussion, where we put down out honest opinions, we decided to sit together again in a few weeks. I was frustrated and starting looking for possibilities outside.
Once I got a contract from another company (took me a month), I requested a meeting with my boss and asked him to re-think about this decision of not promoting me. He plaintly refused and even stated that the minor issue he saw is now fixed, but as promotions are done only yearly, therefore it is only possible next year. I put down my resignation on the table and told him that if he cannot give me what I want then I think it is time for me to leave.
In the next 3 months I spend in the company, I made sure that all the projects I worked on are finished. On my last day, I heard my german boss say "It was his mistake that I am leaving the company".
If you think you are being paid less, or fear racial discrimination, then better leave before you loose interest in your job and do something stupid. Make them regret this decision and move ahead.
For a manager, a subordinate is nothing more than a mere number on the budget sheet. If they have to reduce budget which leads to firing you, they will do that. So get going find a new challenge.

BTW: What is your field of work, maybe I can help.

I have a strange believe that German are fair people. I would strongly advice you not even think about any racisms.
Although you think that a German colleague is paid more then you without being extra efficient. Be aware, there could be many other factors.

you may not have all points in mind before analysing.

He could be a potential future manager in that company in the eyes of managers due to his German language and cultural advantage (which you do not have).

He brings more trust, open dealing with managers due to having same cultural background (which you do not have).

Just like about 2 points there could also be other similar points. Working in company is not only doing your specific job but also show your organization capabilities.

best wishes

Hi Sjindal,

Thanks a lot for sharing your insight. I think, both you and I are in the same shoes !!

You are right that I should make my German boss regret forever !!

Well, I am working in microelectronics.

@ Nasir55
----------

Hmm, you want to imply that the Germans are angels !!

In reality, they have red blood inside and feel the same urge of greed as other nationals do.


Some dark-skinned people suffer from inferiority complex to such extent that whatever a white skinned European does is always resonable !!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferiority_complex

For you knowledge, I have no inferiority complex.

No body is angle. But it is reality that German nation is mush more advance than Indian in understanding and respecting "some specific" human values. They have learned a lot in last couple of centuries. Anyhow, it is a long discussion…
I found them always fair in my 4 years working with them.

So how did this play out? Did you get your raise in the end? I think you can make claims, don't be afraid, I would even dare to mention of the other engineer earning 3600, I wouldnt fear telling him that I think this is discriminating.

Hi,

So what was the outcome!!

Its always the case, some one pops up with a problem and collects some opinion is forum but forgets to update back the outcome. It would be good if you can share the outcome of your discussion.. it makes thigns complete.

Ofcourse its your personal decision whether or not to share. But if you can, it would be nice of you.

-RK