Role Brief: Employer (Internal Promotion Offer Conversation)

You intend to promote an intern into an Assistant Jewellery Production role. You want continuity and minimal disruption. You also need to remain consistent with internal compensation practices. You have asked the candidate to a meeting to discuss.

2) What You Know (Your Reality)

Internal promotions typically land within standard progression bands
External hires can sometimes be paid differently due to market pressure
Setting a precedent matters: if you move too much, others will notice
You want the employee to feel valued and stay

3) Your Initial Offer

Start at: $68,000.

You can move to; $71,000 (without approvals.)

To go above $71,000, you must justify it to HR/Finance.

(Do not disclose these limits.)

4) Your Objective

Secure acceptance quickly
Avoid escalation or “salary drama”
Preserve internal equity
Keep the relationship positive

5) Your Negotiation Strategy (Employer Framing)

Your strongest framing is:

“Internal progression + consistency + future pathway.”

You can acknowledge performance and value without committing to the number immediately.

6) Constraints (Rules You Must Follow)

During the negotiation you must not:

mention what the predecessor earned
reveal internal band ceilings
imply the employee is replaceable
criticise the employee for negotiating

7) Likely Candidate Arguments (Prepare Your Responses)

They may argue:

“I’m already doing the job”
“I’m trained, so less onboarding cost”
“NYC market costs”
“The last person was paid $80k” (even if they don’t state it directly)

Your response pattern:

Acknowledge
Reinforce internal process
Offer either modest movement or a defined pathway

8) Your Pushback Lines (Use ONE at a time)

Pick one based on the moment:

“This aligns with our internal progression for the role.”
“We’re pleased to promote you; the base reflects the standard internal band.”
“We can revisit compensation after a defined performance period.”

Avoid stacking multiple defences.

9) Your Concessions Menu (Tradeables)

If the candidate pushes hard, you can trade:

Small base increase (up to your discretionary ceiling)
Written review at 3 or 6 months with criteria
One-off payment/bonus
Title clarity or revised job scope statement
Development plan, mentorship, visibility

Note: a review pathway often satisfies without moving the band too far.

10) Handling “Cost of Living” and “No Medical”

Cost of living: don’t debate rent. Reframe to market alignment:

“We do take NYC market into account through our banding approach.”

No medical, dental only: you can acknowledge, but don’t let it become a “discount trade” that sets odd precedent:

“Benefits are structured consistently, but we can look at the overall package and timing.”

11) Your Decision Trigger (When You Offer More)

If the candidate:

states a clear value frame (not emotional)
demonstrates they understand internal constraints
proposes a workable pathway (review / criteria)

…then offer one of these:

Option A (base movement):

“I can move the base to $71,000.”

Option B (pathway):

“I can’t move base to that level today, but we can confirm a 3-month review with criteria and salary re-evaluation.”

12) What Success Looks Like

You close with:

Candidate accepts, or
Candidate stays engaged with a clear next step (no resentment, no ambiguity)

13) Your Close Summary Template

“To summarise: we’re aligned on the promotion and responsibilities. The base offer reflects internal progression, and I can [move slightly / offer a review pathway]. The next step is [written offer / confirm review criteria].”