How to keep pay communications clear and concise
Becky Hewson-Haworth, MA HRM, has worked at the heart of reward for over 20 years in both in-house reward roles and as an EU pay transparency communications consultant. Creator of the EU Pay Transparency Communications Toolkit, she helps organisations explain pay clearly, confidently and compliantly.
Here’s something I’ve noticed in recent months: clients want shorter communications. ‘Smart brevity’ is having a moment in internal comms because time is tight and attention is scarce. No one has the capacity to skim a wall‑of‑words HR email or a 100‑page handbook. Urgh.
Pay transparency is no different. People want to know why they’re paid what they’re paid. They don’t want an essay on data sources, equations or the inner workings of performance indices. They need the top line - and what they need to do - fast.
With this in mind, here’s how to keep your pay communications clear, concise and useful:
1.Create strong headlines to do the heavy lifting
Write scannable copy. Use bold, punchy headlines and subheads so people can get the gist at a glance - or while the kettle boils.
2.Tone of voice that sounds like a human
Ditch the corporate waffle and the legalese. Use plain English. Think chatting over coffee, not defending a thesis. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, it’s often a good idea not to write it down.
3.Design that earns attention
Break up text with visuals. Use graphics to make complex concepts and scary numbers understandable. Make it easy on the eyes and people will stick around.
4.Key messages and repeatable soundbites
Executives and managers need one‑liners they can confidently repeat. Give them short, sticky phrases they can use without sounding like robots.
5.One‑pagers and talking points
Detailed guides have a place. But at decision time, managers need quick, actionable cheat sheets: what to say, what to avoid, and when to loop in HR.
6.Style matters (keep it lively)
Keep it engaging, personal and relevant. The average adult attention span is nine seconds - use smart segues to hold it and tell a story.
7.Don’t bury the lede
Lead with outcomes and benefits. Answer the only question they care about, immediately: “What does this mean for me?”
8.Use the Know–Feel–Do framework
Be ruthless about intent:
Know: the essential facts
Feel: the tone you want to set
Do: the action you want next
If it doesn’t serve one of these, cut it.
9.Simplicity wins
Short sentences. No filler. No Latin. No “heretofore.” Never assume prior knowledge.
Example 1: the “sideways move”
Communicating about reward is emotional - especially when someone feels they’re losing out. Always:
Reiterate the why
Show empathy
Offer a positive path
Try this: “Career paths aren’t only straight up. A sideways move builds new skills and experience. Sometimes it comes with a slightly lower salary range - I know that can be disappointing. Here’s the upside: your current pay will stay the same. And you can still grow your pay through strong performance. Here’s how…”
Example 2:
If your copy reads like this:
In accordance with applicable directives, managers must ensure adherence to communication requirements.
Then use the eight tips above to rework it to something like this:
Here’s what to say and what to avoid.
What to say: “Your salary sits in the middle of the range for your role. That’s because…”
What to avoid: promising an amount before you’ve checked the range and progression criteria.
The first is complex – legal, vague, corporate. The second is easy to understand, actionable and human.
Smart brevity for the win
Think smart brevity when it comes to your pay transparency communications.
Get this right and you’ll:
Boost perceptions of fairness
Strengthen link between pay and performance
Increase engagement
Avoid accusations of discrimination
Help with pay communications
I help UK and global organisations make pay communications clear, compliant and human.
If you’re struggling to communicate about pay transparency, contact me today for ways to move your pay communications forward.