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Equip Managers to Conduct Effective Pay Conversations

Use this training deck to conduct management training sessions on compensation conversations.

  • Compensation is a sensitive topic. A lack of clarity around compensation structures and decisions can be demotivating and even lead to turnover.
  • Managers often don’t fully understand compensation philosophy, principles, and compensation plans themselves, which can lead to unclear communication with employees.
  • Managers find compensation conversations difficult and tend to fall back on “that is what HR told me to do” to avoid conflict rather than taking on a leadership role in compensation discussions.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Managers play a key role in compensation communication. Managers must understand and be able to clearly communicate the compensation philosophy and structure and effectively communicate compensation decisions.
  • Clear up the confusion around compensation by upskilling managers. Provide managers with the necessary training so that they are comfortable having effective pay conversations. Reduce confusion and wasted time by ensuring that the first conversation is clear.
  • Remind managers that it is not all about base pay. All too often managers and employees think only of base pay. Emphasize the entire Total Rewards package from variable pay to non-cash benefits to recognition.

Impact and Result

  • Improve managers’ understanding of pay practice and how compensation decisions are made.
  • Increase managers’ comfort level in having compensation conversations with staff and improve the effectiveness of those conversations.


Equip Managers to Conduct Effective Pay Conversations Research & Tools

1. Equip managers to conduct effective pay conversations

Use this training deck to conduct management training sessions on compensation conversations.

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About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 1 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

  • Call 1: Use this training deck to conduct management training sessions on compensation conversations.

Contributors

  • Dr. Elena Belogolovsky, Assistant Professor, Cornell University, Department of Human Resources Studies, ILR school, Cornell University and co-author of “The Impact of Pay Secrecy on Individual Task Performance
  • Samantha Harak, CCP, Manager, Compensation at Softchoice
  • Syma Khan, CHRP, Senior Manager, Compensation at Loblaw Companies Limited and Director, Total Rewards for the Peel Chapter of the Human Resources Professional Association
  • Dr. Anita Orozco, Director, Human Resources, Sonneborne LLC.