Let’s talk money: is salary the most important part of a job?

Salary and motivation at work

Oh wow!Money, money, money.I love it!Are these real?

No.Could've used real ones.You can't?Let's talk money."Is salary the most important part of a job?" I always say people work to fill their fridge,not for glory.

We're the leads in our own lives,with our own standards and our own values.

So, is money the most important thing nowadays?Yes and no.

When you already see, right from the start,that a candidate won't understand the job scope listed in the ads,it's a problem.

They won't apply, studies show it,I don't have the data here, my friends will do better.

At Artemys,we pride ourselves on talking about pay from the moment the candidate applies.

I've got salary ranges,for me, it's vital to know what situation the person's in,and we approach it naturally in the process.

These days, I don't like asking candidates what their previous salary was.

There's a question I like to ask, "When it comes to salary, pay, money,whatever you use,what's your level?" "What are you aiming for now?" This question is more relevant.

I don't care if you earned 2, 3, 45 or 50 thousand.

What I want to know today is how they've built their employability, precisely to reach the salary they want.

Posting offers at Artemys is arbitrary.Still, by 2026, it'll become mandatory.

It's really important.Nowadays, when I talk about money, I'm also talking about projection can I set a salary for the next ten years?

Not at all.I work in an ESN, a digital services company, and every year we're forced to review our salary policy because everything moves so fast, incredibly fast.

Here I'm talking about the contractual side, but money,throughout the development of an employee you're about to hire an employee with a certain price tag.

You also need to keep funds aside precisely to give them what they deserve.

At Artemys, we've made a decision.We operate on meritocracy.

We don't have a fixed budget that says, "This year,everyone gets two percent,and next year, no raise." We run on meritocracy.

I've already seen great raises,six, seven, even eight thousand euros,because the employee had developed,as he gained certification,new skills transferable to their role.

And you align this career path with the policy we're building at Artemys, a policy centered on pay.

At Artemys, we're creating a pay policy that sets a clear salary in advance for each consultant.

From confirmed consultant to senior consultant, and so on,with a distinction between managers and experts.

You'll say, "That's not an answer." "Your answers annoy me." I think money is key.

Some years ago, when people talked about purpose, I never joined.

I always talked about myself.What pays my bills and fills my fridge, really?

So I know I feel like saying whether salary is the most important part.

It's not the most important, because we also need...

I think it's important to wake up in the morning and feel that what we do has an impact.

Today, I'm proud to have a daily impact on current and future generations.

We often challenge the status quo, but not for free,I do it for money.

So I'd mix it all together, for me, it's all connected.

But that's just my opinion.We talk about salary early on with every team member,and when I post a job offering between 42 and 45, and someone tells me, "I want 52, 55," and their only goal is the pay.

I feel very comfortable saying that, in fact, it's not going to work,because nowadays, no one's hired just for the money.

If their only motivation is money, I'll say, "Listen,let's stay in touch, come and see me regularly." I don't think it makes sense to hire someone whose only motivation is money.

I think that motivation needs to be joined by another one.