Building a total-compensation view for German packages
Side-by-side comparison fails when one column is “€85k + equity” and the other is a vague feeling that benefits are nicer. Force both offers onto the same grid.
Row 1 — guaranteed cash
Base salary plus any contractually guaranteed Sonderzahlung. Convert everything to annual gross, then — if you already know your tax class — sketch net. If you do not, keep the comparison in gross but stay consistent across offers.
Row 2 — variable that you believe
Use target bonus only if attainment history or written floors exist. Otherwise model a conservative case (for example 50% of target) so optimism does not invent money.
Row 3 — equity with humility
For German GmbH or startup grants, record grant size, vesting, and cliff. Assign a liquidity discount you can defend. If you cannot defend a number, keep equity as a qualitative row rather than a fake euro figure.
Row 4 — benefits converted
Job tickets, employer pension matches, and childcare support deserve euro estimates. A “great culture” line does not — keep culture in your life-fit weights instead.
Three-year view
Year one captures signing and relocation noise. Years two and three reveal vesting cliffs and bonus floors. In our Comparison Lab, clients often change rankings only after the three-year sheet is filled.
Want a facilitator for the grid? See informational fees or read how we structure offer comparison.