I remember the first time I got a pay increase as a twenty something year old after college. It was meaningful because it wasn’t a merit increase but an out of cycle increase.

My manager said something like, “I’m excited to share with you that you are getting a pay raise of X%, and this means your annual salary is going from $X to $Y. You’ve consistently been performing in your job and have exceeded my expectations. I wanted to ensure that we are paying you more competitively. ”

Immediately I was super excited because I was being recognized and was already thinking about how to celebrate after work.

And then my manager said, “I know it’s not much, but it will cover your monthly bus pass.”

What?!

It was like a balloon popped at a toddler’s birthday party. I immediately went from feeling elated to disappointed. I didn’t feel like celebrating anymore. I certainly didn’t feel motivated to keep pushing to exceed my manager’s expectations.

Now, this was in the 1990’s and my monthly bus pass in Seattle was less than $50 a month. So, yes, this was a small pay increase on a monthly basis, but it was recognition.

Instead of stating it was small, my manager could have let me assign the meaning to that pay increase.

Be careful when you are communicating about pay. Know your audience. Let them make the determination as to whether they are excited or disappointed.

Then listen and empathize with their perspective. Do not pop their happy balloon.

#communications #pay #rewards #compensation #humanresources #salaryincrease