Step 3:
Build a Communications Plan

Make a Plan for Internal and External Communications

How you choose to communicate internally and externally about your pay equity work will depend on your workplace culture and advice from your legal advisor. As California and other state pay equity laws require more transparency, and workplaces become more global and intergenerational, employees are talking more openly about pay. Develop a communication approach that balances your organization's values and workforce culture with the need to protect legally privileged information.

Strategies from California Employers

An image of a small postcard that reads, "The pay gap ends with us."

Talent have new
expectations around
pay transparency

According to a 2023 study by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), 70% of organizations that list pay ranges in job advertisements said it led to more applicants, and 66% said that the quality of applicants increased.

According to a 2022 LinkedIn report, 82% of job seekers said seeing a salary range in a job post would give them a more positive impression of a company.

An image of a small postcard that reads, "Equal work deserves equal pay."

Employees are

already talking
about pay

A 2022 Gartner survey found that 43% of employees discuss their pay with colleagues in the same role, and only 32% believe their pay is fair.

According to a 2021 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey, approximately 1 in 4 workers said they had discovered someone of a different gender, race, or ethnicity was paid more for performing the same job with the same level of experience. Nearly half of the time, they learned about the wage difference through speaking with colleagues.

Beginner

Start by reflecting on your corporate culture. The more open and transparent you are as an organization, the more employees may instinctively expect similar transparency when it comes to pay equity.

What might this look like? Imagine a concrete manufacturer that has established a high degree of transparency and trust with its employees by openly and proactively sharing pay ranges for all positions. After consulting with legal counsel, the company makes an informed decision to honor its culture of transparency by sharing information about pay equity adjustments with impacted employees.

Advanced

Partner with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and other affinity or resource groups to include their voice in company messaging and collaborate on events that can promote awareness and understanding across your workforce.

What might this look like? Imagine a property management company wants to let employees know about a new pay equity initiative. Rather than taking a top-down approach, they invite input from employee resource groups in the development of company-wide communications and training sessions about why pay equity matters, and unconscious bias and its impact on pay.

Intermediate

Create a Pay Equity Advisory Council that reviews pay practices, policies and processes annually or bi-annually.

What might this look like? Imagine a pharmaceutical company empowers its HR lead to address pay equity concerns. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach, the HR lead forms a Pay Equity Advisory Council composed of legal, financial, and HR experts with diverse backgrounds, including mothers and women of color. By incorporating diverse perspectives, the council fosters a more informed pay equity and communication strategy.

Here are some resources to reference as you build your pay communications strategy

Tools to Build a Communications Plan

Pay Equity Communications Planner by Trusaic: Six steps for sharing your pay equity progress in a thoughtful and actionable way (form completion required for download).

Pay Equity Communications Playbook by Syndio: A deep dive into steps and key considerations when developing your communications plan.

Step 3: Build a Communications Plan