Let’s Talk Numbers
At some point in every European startup, a high-performing employee knocks (gently, nervously) on their manager’s Slack DMs with a message that basically means:
“Hi. I’d like to talk about my salary. Please don’t hate me.”
And just like that, we’re off to the races:
The manager panics.
The People team is looped in with a polite “any idea what we can offer?”
And the whole process becomes a hush-hush mix of improvisation, market guesswork, and social discomfort.
Meanwhile, the employee spends three days practicing how to not sound “ungrateful,” even though their scope has doubled and their pay hasn’t.
Why Is This Still So Hard?
Because unlike the US, where negotiation is a muscle, Europe prefers the art of quiet resentment.
We don’t teach people how to talk about money at work - only how to wait until they’re offered more.
And in startups, where budgets are tight, transparency is aspirational, and HR processes are often duct-taped together, salary conversations can feel like you’re breaking an unspoken rule:
“We’re here for the mission. Why are you talking about money?”
Which is ironic, considering the same company is aiming for a billion-euro exit.
Source: Tenor
The 3 Most Common Raise Scenarios (And What’s Wrong With Them)
1. The Annual Performance Review Lottery
You don’t ask. You wait. You get 3.5% and a PDF that says “strong collaboration.”
Raises are calculated by spreadsheet, not actual performance.
2. The 'Surprise and Delight' Offer
You weren’t expecting a raise, but they offered one out of nowhere. You're thrilled... until you realise your less-tenured peer is earning more and just negotiated better.
3. The “Now’s Not a Good Time” Loop
You ask. They nod empathetically. And tell you to revisit “after the next funding round,” “after headcount stabilises,” or “after OKRs are restructured.”
Spoiler: it’s never a good time.
What Employees Need (But Rarely Get)
A Raise Process That Exists
Not just vibes or manager discretion. A documented path with timelines, expectations, and criteria. Even if it’s flexible—make it real.Access to Actual Benchmarks
Not hearsay. Not a VC’s Twitter thread. Use EU-specific tools like Figures, Ravio, or Pave with European data. Be transparent about ranges—even internally.A Way to Talk About Money Without Feeling Like You’re Breaking the Culture
Money isn’t awkward. Secrecy is. Normalize comp check-ins like performance check-ins. Schedule them. Encourage them.
Managers & Founders: How to Make Raises Less Painful
Even if you can’t give everyone a 15% bump tomorrow, here’s how to build trust:
✅ Have a Philosophy, Not Just a Budget
Are you paying for performance? Loyalty? Market competitiveness? Spell it out. Otherwise, every raise becomes a one-off argument.
✅ Document the “How”
How are decisions made? Who signs off? Is it timing-based or performance-based? Can employees initiate it? (Hint: they should.)
✅ Reward Progress, Not Just Titles
Startups shift fast. People take on huge scope without title changes. If you only give raises when someone becomes a “Lead,” you’ll end up with ten “Leads” and one bitter culture.
And If You’re the One Asking for a Raise…
Don’t lead with guilt. Lead with facts.
Scope: What has changed in your role? What impact have you made?
Benchmark: Where do your peers stand in similar orgs?
Timing: Don’t wait for a perfect moment—there isn’t one. Ask clearly, and follow up professionally.
Pro tip: You’re not “difficult” for asking. You’re financially literate.
What Europe Can Do Differently
Let’s stop pretending salary is taboo, ungrateful, or somehow American.
Raises are part of the talent lifecycle. People evolve. Roles evolve. Pay should too.
When we avoid the conversation, we don’t protect culture—we corrode it.
When we pretend everyone’s on the same page but keep comp in a locked drawer, we don’t build trust—we build turnover.
European startups are mature enough to have serious discussions about capital, growth, burn rate, and market expansion. We should be mature enough to talk about salaries, too.
It’s time to:
Make salary conversations safe, structured, and normal
Train managers to have them with clarity and care
And stop rewarding silence more than transparency
Because “we’re all in this together” hits different when everyone knows what “this” actually pays.
If you’re done whispering about salaries in side chats and want to build (or push for) a compensation culture that’s fair, grown-up, and actually works - share this with your founder, your HR lead, or your manager who still thinks “let’s revisit this in Q4” is a strategy.
