# Explain a pay or promotion decision to a disappointed employee

Prepares an honest, specific explanation of a pay or promotion outcome with a clear path forward and talking points.

- Topic: Leadership & Management
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: HR & Hiring, Career, Leadership, Analyze, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/explain-a-pay-or-promotion-decision-to-a-disappointed-employee

## Prompt

```text
Help me (or a manager I'm supporting) explain a pay or promotion decision to an employee who is disappointed.

**Decision:** [e.g. not promoted, smaller raise than expected, no bonus, different level than hoped]
**How the decision was made:** [criteria, process, calibration, budget constraints]
**Where the employee fell short or what limited the outcome:** [SPECIFIC evidence against criteria]
**What the employee expected and why:** [THEIR VIEW - e.g. promised by a former manager, compared with a peer]
**What we can offer:** [development plan, timeline for review, stretch project, nothing more this cycle]
**What we can't disclose:** [e.g. other people's pay]

Give me:
1. **Key message** - the decision and the main reason, in two honest sentences.
2. **Conversation outline** - acknowledge, explain the criteria and how they applied, invite their view, agree on a path forward, close.
3. **Answers to hard questions** - "Why did my peer get it?", "My old manager promised me", "Is this about pay budget?", "Should I be looking elsewhere?" - without disclosing others' confidential info.
4. **Development path** - 2-3 specific, observable things they'd need to show, and when it will be reviewed.
5. **Follow-up email** summarizing what was discussed.

Rules: no vague reasons ("not ready yet") without examples, no promises of a future outcome, and flag if the explanation reveals inconsistency in how criteria were applied that HR should review.
```

## What to fill in

- criteria, process, calibration, budget constraints
- SPECIFIC evidence against criteria
- e.g. other people's pay

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