Hey everyone, welcome back to My Weird Prompts. I am Corn, and I am sitting here in our living room in Jerusalem with my brother, as always.
Herman Poppleberry at your service. It is a beautiful day outside, but we are staying in to tackle a topic that is frankly a bit of a minefield for a lot of people.
It really is. Our housemate Daniel sent us a voice note about this earlier today. He has been thinking a lot about the job market here in Israel, specifically that incredibly awkward moment in every interview process where you have to talk about money.
The salary expectation talk. It is the ultimate high-stakes game of chicken. If you go first, you might lowball yourself. If you wait too long, you might find out you are completely misaligned with the company. And doing it here in Israel adds a whole extra layer of cultural complexity that you do not necessarily find in London or New York.
Exactly. Daniel was asking about how to navigate this without scaring off employers, but also without leaving money on the table. And he pointed out something really important, which is that the tools we usually rely on, like Glassdoor, just are not as robust here. You might find a few reviews for the massive multinational companies like Intel or Google, but for the average Israeli startup or mid-sized firm, the data is often thin or non-existent.
That is such a good point. Glassdoor thrives on a high volume of anonymous reviews, and while Israel has a huge tech scene, the circles are very small. Everyone knows everyone. People are often a bit more hesitant to post detailed salary info online because they are worried it might be traced back to them. Plus, as Daniel mentioned, the defamation laws here, what we call Lashon Hara, are quite strict. Companies have been known to be very protective of their reputation, which makes people cautious about what they put in writing on public forums.
So, if we cannot trust the usual websites, where do we start? How does a professional in Israel actually figure out what they are worth in today's market, especially now in early twenty twenty-six?
Well, the first thing to realize is that the data does exist, but it is tucked away in different places. In Israel, the big recruitment firms are the gatekeepers of salary data. Companies like Ethosia, Gotfriends, and Nisha publish salary tables regularly. They are essentially the gold standard for what is considered mekubal, or accepted, in the industry. For example, recent reports show the average tech salary has climbed significantly, with variations based on specialization and experience.
That sounds like a substantial increase from a few years ago.
It is, but it is heavily skewed by what we are calling the AI premium. If you are a developer specializing in Large Language Models or Retrieval-Augmented Generation, you are looking at higher compensation. If you are in a more traditional backend role with three to five years of experience, the range is more competitive.
So, if I am looking at one of those tables and it gives me a range, that is my starting point for the conversation?
Precisely. But you have to remember that in Israel, we talk about gross monthly salary, or Bruto, not annual. That is a huge distinction for anyone coming from abroad. If you say you want one hundred thousand, the recruiter is going to think you are asking for one hundred thousand shekels a month, which would be a very pleasant surprise for your bank account but might end the interview pretty quickly.
Right, and we should probably explain for our international listeners that the cost of living here is astronomical, as we have discussed before. The shekel has been incredibly strong lately, which actually puts pressure on startups that raise money in dollars but pay their expenses in shekels. Everything from cottage cheese to rent is more expensive here, so those salary numbers have to be viewed through that lens. But back to Daniel's point about the conversation itself. The culture of bargaining, the shuk mentality, is very real in Israeli business.
I love that you brought up the shuk. For those who have not visited, the shuk is the open-air market where you haggle over the price of tomatoes or a rug. Is that really how it feels in a high-tech office in Tel Aviv?
It is more subtle, but the DNA is the same. There is an expectation of a back-and-forth. If a company asks for your expectations and you give a number, and they say okay immediately, you almost feel a sense of regret, like you should have asked for more. The negotiation is almost a sign of mutual respect. It shows you know your value and you are willing to stand up for it. In Hebrew, we call it being a freier if you take the first offer without pushing back. Nobody wants to be the freier.
That feels so counter-intuitive to someone who prefers a more straightforward, corporate approach. But for those of us who are not professional negotiators, how do we handle that first phone call with human resources?
This is where the strategy of anchoring comes in. Anchoring is a cognitive bias where the first number mentioned in a negotiation sets the ballpark. If the recruiter asks for your range and you say thirty thousand, that thirty thousand is now the anchor. It is very hard to move the needle significantly higher than that later on.
So, should you try to make them say a number first?
In an ideal world, yes. You can try to pivot by saying something like, I am more interested in the overall fit and the challenge of the role right now, what is the budget you have allocated for this position? But I have to be honest, Corn, Israeli recruiters are very direct. They will often push back and say, we really need a range from your side to see if we are in the same ballpark.
So if you are forced to give a number, what is the move? Do you aim high?
You aim high, but you justify it with data. You say, based on my research of the current market rates for this role and my specific experience with cloud architecture and AI integration, I am looking for a range between thirty-six and forty thousand shekels.
Why a range instead of a single number?
A range gives you flexibility. But here is the secret: the recruiter usually only hears the bottom number of your range. So if you say thirty-six to forty, they are thinking thirty-six. That means your bottom number should actually be the number you are genuinely happy with.
That is a great tip. So the bottom of my range is my actual target, and the top of my range is my dream scenario. What about the other benefits? In Israel, it is never just about the base salary.
Exactly. This is where you look at the total compensation. Let's talk about the Keren Hishtalmut. It is technically a training fund, but in practice, it is a tax-free savings account. You contribute two point five percent of your salary, and the employer contributes seven point five percent. After six years, you can withdraw the entire lump sum completely tax-free.
And there is a ceiling on that, right?
Yes, for twenty twenty-six, the tax-exempt ceiling is around fifteen thousand seven hundred shekels. If you make thirty thousand, you want to negotiate for the company to cover your full salary, not just up to the ceiling. That is essentially a massive hidden raise because of the tax benefits.
What about the other mandatory stuff? I always get confused by the pension and the convalescence pay.
Pension is mandatory. Usually, it is six percent from you and six point five percent from the employer, plus another eight point three three percent for severance pay, or Pitzuim. And then there is Dmey Havra-ah, or recuperation pay. It is a few thousand shekels a year that companies are legally required to pay you to go on vacation. It is a quirky Israeli law that dates back decades, but every shekel counts.
And then there is the food. We cannot talk about Israeli work culture without mentioning the Cibus or the Ten-bis cards.
The lunch cards. Having a thousand shekels a month to spend on restaurants is a nice perk. But when you are at the negotiation table, do not get distracted by the lunch card. Focus on the base, the Keren Hishtalmut, and the R-S-Us, or restricted stock units, first. In the startup world here, that is where the real wealth is created.
I want to go back to the research part. If Glassdoor is not reliable, what about the power of the network?
It is the best way. Reach out to people on LinkedIn who have the job you want at similar companies. People in Israel are surprisingly open about money if you ask them privately. There are also great Facebook groups like Happy Runners or various developer communities where people post real-time salary surveys. Those are often much more up-to-date than the big recruitment firm tables.
What if they ask the dreaded question: What are you making in your current role?
You do not have to give an exact number. You can say, my current compensation is in line with the market, but I am looking for an increase that reflects the new responsibilities of this role. Or, you can give a number that includes all your benefits. If your base is twenty-five but with your Keren Hishtalmut and bonus you are effectively at thirty-two, you say thirty-two. It is not a lie; it is just framing your total value.
Let's talk about the timing. Daniel mentioned that sometimes this happens in the very first call with H-R. Is that too early?
It is a double-edged sword. I think it is better to have a ballpark conversation early on. If they can only pay twenty and you need thirty-five, no amount of charming the team is going to bridge that gap. But remember, the negotiation does not end until the contract is signed. Even after you get an offer, you can still negotiate. That is when you have the most leverage because they have already decided they want you.
What are some things you can ask for at that stage if they cannot budge on the base salary?
Ask for a signing bonus. It is a one-time expense for them. Or ask for a review in six months with a pre-agreed raise if you hit certain milestones. It shows you are confident in your performance.
It feels like the recurring theme here is that you cannot be passive. You have to have chutzpah.
Absolutely. In a salary negotiation, you need a healthy dose of chutzpah. Not in an arrogant way, but in a way that says, I know my worth. Israeli employers actually respect that. They worry that if you cannot negotiate for yourself, you won't be able to negotiate for the company.
That is a fascinating insight. It is almost like the negotiation is part of the interview itself.
Exactly. Now, to summarize for Daniel and everyone else. Step one, do your homework. Use the recruitment tables but check the Facebook groups for current market data. Step two, understand the total package, especially the Keren Hishtalmut and pension ceilings. Step three, set your anchor carefully. Step four, embrace the culture and don't be afraid of the back-and-forth. And step five, get everything in writing.
That is a crucial piece of advice. A verbal promise is worth the paper it is printed on, as they say. Well, this has been a great deep dive, Herman. I feel like I am ready to go out and negotiate a raise right now.
Good luck with that! I am not sure the budget for My Weird Prompts has much room for maneuver, but you can always try.
Ha! I will have to take it up with our listeners. Speaking of which, if you are finding these episodes helpful, we would really appreciate it if you could leave us a review on Spotify or whatever podcast app you are using. It genuinely helps other people find the show.
It really does. And if you have a prompt of your own, head over to myweirdprompts.com and use the contact form there. We are always looking for new topics to explore.
Thanks again to Daniel for sending this one in. It is such a relatable struggle for so many of us here in Jerusalem and across the country.
Definitely. Good luck to everyone out there in the job hunt. Remember, you've got this. Just a little bit of research and a little bit of chutzpah goes a long way.
Well said. This has been My Weird Prompts. We will see you in the next episode.
Take care, everyone. Bye for now.
So, Herman, before we go, I have to ask. What was your most awkward salary negotiation?
Oh, man. It was early in my career. I was so nervous that when they asked for my expectations, I actually gave them a number that was lower than what I was already making. I was just so desperate to get the job.
No! What happened?
The recruiter actually paused and said, Herman, are you sure? Because our minimum for this role is actually five thousand shekels more than that.
Wow. That recruiter was a saint. It is funny how those early mistakes stay with you. I remember my first job here, I didn't even know what a Keren Hishtalmut was. I just saw the gross number and thought I was rich. Then I saw my first paycheck after taxes and I almost cried.
The Israeli tax system is a whole other episode. Let's save that for another time.
Agreed. Let's go get some lunch. I've got a few shekels left on my Ten-bis card.
Perfect. I'm starving. Thanks for listening, everyone. Check out the website for the full archive at myweirdprompts.com.
See you next time.
Peace out.
Wait, did we mention the website is myweirdprompts.com?
We did, but it doesn't hurt to say it again. You can find the R-S-S feed there too.
Okay, now we are really going. Bye!
Bye!
One last thing. If you are listening on Spotify, make sure to hit that follow button. It helps us stay in your feed.
Okay, Corn, stop being a professional podcaster and let's go eat.
Fine, fine. I'm coming.
Talk soon, everyone.
Cheers.
