In 2022, Nancy Romanyshyn stood up in front of dozens of her fellow HR industry veterans, swallowed her pride, and did something that scared her: She shared her entire pay history.
She, like others, was daunted by new laws around pay transparency and the start of salary ranges being posted for open jobs—mandates that, she said, made her nauseous at first. But since ignoring the changes was not an option, she wanted her peers in HR to buck the decades-old trend of silence around salaries and prepare for a time when it would become part of business as usual.
“It was extremely uncomfortable, and, in fact, I was sharing it in front of former leaders I had worked for,” said Romanyshyn, who is now a senior director of Total Rewards Strategy and Solutions at the pay-equity software company Syndio. “But that was the point: I wanted everyone to understand just how uncomfortable this was going to be.”
The discomfort with discussing salaries may, in part, be generational, Romanyshyn said: More than 80% of Gen Z employees have discussed salaries with their coworkers, compared to 31% of Boomers and 41% of Gen X, according to a 2023 study done by management consulting firm Robert Half.
Legally, employees have the right to talk about their salaries with coworkers, and many states (such as New York and California) require employers to disclose salary ranges for open positions. But that doesn’t stop HR executives from being nervous about the practice—and likely confronting pay inequities that might exist. Jessica Pillow, global head of total rewards at HR tech company Deel, advises leaders to get ahead of it: Build a transparent framework, communicate your approach, and give employees the context they deserve when comparisons inevitably happen.
“Let’s be honest, employees are talking about pay. Even if you discourage it, they’re comparing notes, Googling salaries, and asking ChatGPT,” she said. “Pay transparency amongst employees doesn’t create gaps, it exposes them.”
Romanyshyn encourages HR staff to lean in. If an employee comes to you asking why another employee is paid more or less, “make sure that you can authentically answer and get into the details that explain why you pay what you pay,” she said. It may include explaining that another part of the business has a bigger budget than one sector, or a worker may bring in a unique set of skills or experiences, Romanyshyn added. She recommends a mix of one-on-one outreach and bigger, town hall-style meetings describing company pay policies and structure.
And she encourages them to get over the feeling that discussing money is taboo or impolite. “I’ll be on Instagram and give you great detail about a health condition,” she said, “but God forbid I tell you about money.”
Kristin Stoller
Editorial Director, Fortune Live Media
kristin.stoller@fortune.com
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