What the Comp?! Epi. 9: Promotions & Internal Equity: Why Pay Problems Often Start After the Hire

Promotions should be a good thing. They recognize growth. They create opportunity. They help employees see a future inside the organization. But if promotional pay decisions are not structured, they can quietly create some of the biggest internal equity problems an organization will later have to fix. In this episode of What the Comp?!, Jennifer Loftus, National Director at Astron Solutions, breaks down why many internal pay problems are not created when people are hired — they are created when people are promoted. Hiring offers often get reviewed, negotiated, compared to the market, and approved. Promotions can feel different. They feel internal, positive, earned, and less risky. But when the pay decision attached to a promotion is based on inconsistent factors — current pay, manager advocacy, department budget, urgency, or fear of losing the person — two employees can end up in similar roles with very different pay outcomes that are hard to explain. Jennifer explores why promotions could create internal equity risk. If your organization is reviewing promotions, career paths, salary ranges, or internal equity, this episode is for you. Listen now and send this episode to someone who is trying to keep opportunity and equity aligned. About What the Comp? What the Comp? – The Pay Strategy Podcast is hosted by Jennifer Loftus, National Director at Astron Solutions. Each episode helps human resources, finance, and organizational leaders make compensation clearer, stronger, and easier to explain. Subscribe for practical conversations on pay transparency, salary structure, market data, employee communication, and compensation strategy.