Salary Matrix: Growth Plan in an Award-Winning Marketing & Communications Company


Posted on Jun 16, 2022

Sharing Growth Pains

For this fast-growing highly competitive marketing firm, structuring a salary matrix and designing a competency architecture was a big challenge.

8 years into the business, this organization was facing destructive politics and friction between team members working at the same level of roles.
Employee growth, diversification of roles and ranking within the company came with growing pains; historically, team members were able to "negotiate" their way to better pay, leaving others behind regardless of their competency and actual work experience.

Trusting Jalapeno as Preferred People & Culture Partners

Jalapeno consulted both management and employees:

  • For Management: As an Advisor, for strategizing a salary matrix that aligned with the fast pace of the company.
  • For Employees: As a Consultant, for training employees on negotiation and growth conversation skills to develop an understanding of the salary correspondence with their role and skill level

  • What They Asked

    Our client was looking to have a salary pay structure that can tie together compensation and benefits with job duties and competencies. The organization also wanted to build transparency among various roles and their compensation so they could avoid politics and friction in the workplace and focus more on the sustainability of their business.

    What We Offered

    To fulfill our client’s needs, we took the following approach:

    • Competencies: A competency architecture for each possible role in the organization was created in consultation with senior management
    • Growth Trajectory: Competency Structure was run parallel to the creation of a Growth Trajectory for each competency and each job role
    • Company Budgets: A range of salaries was defined to align with the company's budget for payroll expenditures as well as market value
    • Variables: A formula for the matrix considered the following variables:
      • Department
      • Position Level
      • Performance Rating



    Continued Partnership

    This award-winning communications company continues to collaborate with us as preferred partners for their people and culture matters. Our collaborative involvement of both management & employees allowed us to structure a salary matrix with no influence from discrimination or workplace politics. Or, something similar. Furthermore, through our team of certified coaches and consultants, we were able to build transparency without unintended consequences and train employees on how to move up the ladder for both their career and compensation growth




    Are you also looking for a salary matrix and a growth plan that matches both your people and your business operations?

    and we will help you tailor your growth plan. We are here to be a resource for you!