By coinnews 
00:00 Speaker A
Wage growth has slowed as we get further away from the post-pandemic job market boom. Annual wage growth slowed to 3.6% in April 2025 from a peak of over 9% in 2022, according to Indeed’s Wage Tracker. And according to the conference board measure of CEO confidence in collaboration with the Business Council, the share of CEOs planning to raise wages by 3% or more in the next year fell to 58% in Q2, down from 71% in Q1. Joining me now, we’ve got Priyavat, who is the Indeed career trends expert. Priya, good to have you here with us. I mean, most people are focused on increasing their wages, but you say that they should look at their total compensation. Just break down what this means.
01:47 Priya
Yeah, so as you mentioned, Brad, wage increases just aren’t happening as much in today’s economic climate. And so, there are other things that employees can do to enhance their compensation. Things like asking for additional PTO, better 401k contributions or stock options, perhaps a learning or a wellness stipend, and you know, retirement matching. So, there’s a lot of different benefits that employees can ask for in lieu of wage increases. And right now, many employers are open to these benefits instead of direct and permanent salary increases.
03:10 Speaker A
So how can you quantify your total compensation?
03:20 Priya
So, I think look, I think you need to do your research ahead of time and understand what is important to you and what’s available out there. So tools like the Indeed wage tracker and job postings with listed benefits are going to help give you a sense of what’s typical for your role. And then you have to understand, Brad, what is important to you right now? Is it growth? Is it time? Is it health? Is it money? And from there, you want to pick one to two high-impact asks and be clear and how they’ll help you grow your role. So I think quantifying your overall compensation is really dependent on what makes sense for you as an individual. And then you have to get be prepared to go in and negotiate for those asks.
04:52 Speaker A
And so what are your tips for negotiating a raise?
05:00 Priya
Yes. So preparation is the name of the game. You want to use tools like the Indeed wage tracker. You want to look at job postings. And then you want to also understand that in the economic climate we’re in today, many employers and managers have an expectation that you will negotiate things other than salary. So they’re generally open to the discussion, which can help employees go in with a higher level of confidence. And then be prepared. Lead with gratitude, share your enthusiasm for the role in the company, and position your ask as a way to set you up for long-term success. So for example, I’m really excited about continuing at this company. As we finalize my compensation going into next year, I’d love to explore whether there’s flexibility on professional development since continued learning is important to me. So again, be prepared to ask for what you want and be prepared to discuss how that’s going to enhance your role at the company.
06:52 Speaker A
And so what are the tips for negotiating more benefits if you don’t exactly get a financially specific raise?
07:14 Priya
So, I think again, you’re going to want to think about what makes you feel supported and productive. Is it time, money, health, or growth? And understand what your stage of life and circumstances are right now. So, again, for instance, Gen Z wants more flexibility and feels more burnt out. So someone in that case might ask for more flexibility, might ask for more paid time off. Conversely, if you’re approaching retirement, you might say, I want to maximize my 401k contributions or I want extended health care benefits. And so you really need to figure out what is important for you and then understand what benefits your company offers and be prepared to discuss how what you want will relate directly to your continued productivity at the company.
08:45 Speaker A
What is the best time of year to negotiate and to start those conversations knowing when companies typically have their seasonal discussions and and resource planning so that they can best prepare for both financially as well as head count allocation, what is going to be possible?
09:20 Priya
Yes, so that’s that’s a great question, Brad. I would say a couple of things. One is, a lot of companies work off of wage increases or benefit increases based on your review cycle. So really understanding when is it that your performance is going to get reviewed and how you go into those performance review discussions prepared with what you would like to ask for. I think also as companies head towards the end of their fiscal years, now that can be the end of the year or some people end their fiscal years in March. You want to go prepared into that final review discussion of the year, understanding what you want because that is when the company is making decisions about what they’re allocating for the next year. So again, think about your review cycle and the company’s fiscal year and go prepared as such.
10:43 Speaker A
Priya, good to see you. Thanks so much for this very helpful advice. Appreciate it.