Switching jobs in India: what hike to ask for and how to justify it

"What is your current CTC?" is the most awkward question in Indian hiring. "What is your expected CTC?" comes next.

You do not need a magic percentage. You need a method. This post gives you one.

Step 1: know your own break-up

CTC is a total. It hides several parts. Pull your latest payslip and offer letter. Write down:

• Fixed pay: the amount paid every month.
• Variable pay: the part that depends on targets. Note how much you were paid, not how much was promised.
• Provident fund: the employer's share.
• Benefits: insurance, allowances, reimbursements.
• One-time items: joining or retention bonus.

Compare fixed to fixed. A higher CTC with a lower fixed pay is not a raise.

Step 2: find the market range for the new role

Do not guess. Collect three sources.

1. The job post. If it gives a range, that is your starting point.
2. People in similar roles. Ask two or three peers what the role pays in your city. Ask for a range, not an exact number.
3. Your recruiter or the hiring manager. Ask: "What is the budgeted range for this role?" Many will tell you.

We do not quote a percentage here. A figure without a public source is a guess, and guesses cost you money. Work from your own range.

Step 3: build your case

A raise is easier to give when it is tied to the role. Make a short list.

• The new role is bigger: more people, a larger budget, a wider region.
• You bring a skill the team lacks, named in the job.
• Your current pay is below the range for the work you do now.
• You are giving up something: an unpaid bonus, an unvested stock grant, a long notice period you will serve in full.

Use facts you can show. Avoid "I deserve more".

Step 4: answer the CTC question

If they ask your current CTC, tell the truth. Do not inflate it. It can be checked in the background verification.

If you do not want to anchor on it, move the talk to the role.

My current pay has a fixed and a variable part, which I can share. For this role, based on the scope and the market, I am looking for a fixed pay between X and Y.

Give a range where the bottom is a number you would accept. Never name a figure you would refuse.

Step 5: ask for the offer in writing

Ask for the break-up: fixed, variable, joining bonus, benefits, review dates. Read the variable clause closely. "Up to" is not "guaranteed".

When they say the budget is fixed

Ask what else can move.

• Joining bonus.
• A salary review after six months.
• A better title.
• More paid leave or a remote day.
• Covering your notice buyout.

See how to negotiate your notice period.

What not to do

• Do not resign before you hold the signed offer.
• Do not use another offer as a threat unless it is real and written.
• Do not accept a number on the call. Say you will review the break-up and reply by a set date.
• Do not hide a variable pay shortfall. Sort it out with the numbers in front of you.

If your current employer counters

A counter-offer can be tempting. Read should you take the counter-offer before you answer.

Before the negotiation, build the list

You negotiate best when you have more than one real option. Why you applied to 50 jobs and heard back from none shows how to build a short list of matches.

An example comparison

These numbers are examples to show the method. They are not market data.

Your current pay: fixed 12 lakh, variable 2 lakh target, of which you received 1 lakh last year.

The new offer: fixed 14 lakh, variable 1 lakh target, joining bonus 1 lakh paid once.

Compare:

• Fixed to fixed: 12 to 14. A clear gain.
• Variable: you received 1 lakh, the new target is 1 lakh. Equal.
• Joining bonus: one time, so do not count it as yearly pay.

The honest raise sits in the fixed pay. If someone says "your CTC rose a lot", do this sum first.

Questions to ask before you accept

• When is the first review, and what does it depend on?
• How is variable pay set, and who sets the target?
• What happens to the joining bonus if I leave within a year?
• Is the notice buyout covered?
• Are insurance and other benefits the same?

Write the answers in your notes. Ask for them in the offer letter.

Do not forget the job itself

A higher number in a job you do not want is a poor trade. Compare the work, the team and the next two years. Pay is one part of the choice.

Where Jobsift fits

Jobsift shows ten jobs that fit what you want, in your city. Looking is free. The listings do not promise a salary, so ask the range early. When you pick one, Jobsift rewrites your CV for it using only what is in your CV.

It cannot get you the raise. It can help you walk into the talk with real options.