Managers play a critical role in delivering pay decisions, engaging with employees on topics like raises, bonuses, and salary structures.

Without adequate preparation, these discussions can lead to misunderstandings or erode trust.

People Leaders can give managers the tools, confidence, and data they need to communicate clearly — helping build a fair and transparent workplace.

Why Training Matters

Managers often face pay conversations without full insight. For instance, a manager might need to explain a modest raise due to budget limits or organizational priorities but lack the framework to do so clearly.

Without training, they may provide inconsistent responses, such as vague explanations, which can result in employee disengagement or frustration.

Preparing managers ensures they align company objectives with employee expectations, creating a stronger connection.
It also reduces the risk of miscommunication, especially as employees increasingly seek clarity on pay processes today.

Provide Practical Tools

Managers need resources to navigate pay decisions with ease. People teams can offer:

• 📗 Decision Guides: Provide templates that include performance metrics, market trends data, and budget considerations. These tools allow managers to evaluate factors systematically, ensuring decisions reflect a balance of individual contributions and organizational constraints.
• 🗣️ Conversation Examples: Supply scripts for common scenarios, such as addressing a smaller-than-expected raise or responding to pay equity questions. These examples include tailored language for different employee situations. This resource also helps managers with consistent messaging across discussions and increases clarity and transparency.

These tools enable managers to handle conversations independently, reducing the need for constant People Team intervention and building their ownership of the process.

Build Confidence

Confidence is essential for managers to deliver pay decisions effectively. Training can foster this through:

• 🎬 Practice Sessions: Host role-playing exercises where managers can practice pay conversations in a supportive setting. They’ll get constructive feedback to build confidence, handle tough questions thoughtfully, and clearly explain how pay programs are designed and why.
• 📊 Data Skills: Offer sessions that help managers interpret pay bands — understanding the market benchmarks used and how internal pay trends factor in — so they can make and explain pay decisions with confidence.
• 🤜 Support System: Establish a process for managers to consult the People Team after decisions, providing ongoing guidance as they grow more comfortable. This could involve scheduled check-ins or an open-door policy, ensuring support is accessible.

This structured support helps managers gain clarity, enabling them to lead discussions with confidence.

Simplify Communication

Clear, empathetic communication makes pay conversations more constructive — and less stressful for everyone. Managers can be coached to:

• 🤔 Acknowledge Reactions: Help them respond thoughtfully when employees are surprised or disappointed. For example, “I understand this might be unexpected — here’s the context behind the decision.” Recognizing emotions and validating feelings builds trust.
• 📍 Use Clear Language: Encourage plain, jargon-free explanations like, “Your pay reflects your role, experience, and current market data.” Practice sessions can help managers turn complex compensation terms into everyday language that feels transparent and fair.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Promote Transparency: With pay transparency laws expanding, managers should be ready to explain salary ranges and how pay decisions are made. Providing sample questions and model responses helps them handle these discussions confidently.

This kind of preparation helps managers communicate with clarity and empathy — so employees walk away feeling respected, informed, and valued.

The Outcome

When managers are well-prepared, they build trust and clarity across the organization — benefiting both employees and the People Team. In a time when fairness and transparency matter more than ever, this training helps create a more open, engaged, and trusting workplace.