Pay rises can’t outrun inflation – so the narrative must
Why HR leaders are turning to Pinacl-matched coaches to help C-suite voices land the pay story
April’s CPIH print came in at 4.1 % while the median UK pay award stayed anchored at 3 %.¹ That just-over-one-percentage-point gap looks small on a spreadsheet yet feels huge to employees whose real earnings have drifted lower for more than a year now.
Across the Atlantic the story is similar, US employers are budgeting only ≈3.6 % total salary increases.
At Pinacl, we hear the same question time and again: “How do we keep top talent on board when the maths won’t?”
Inflation widens the trust gap, not just the pay gap
Employees seldom leave over a single percentage point, but they do leave when the explanation feels thin.
Before the figures go public HR must ask:
- Is it fair?
- Is there a path to growth?
- Are leaders sharing the squeeze?
Bringing in a Pinacl coach gives the CEO, CFO and business-unit heads a rehearsal room where those tests happen in private, before the message meets the wider workforce.
HR owns the facts; coaching shapes the delivery.
Engagement narrative
Despite companies such as John Lewis and Deloitte driving the ‘return to office’ mandate, only 42 % of UK workers say they would comply with a five-day office order, down from 54 % in 2022.
Pair that reluctance with a below-inflation pay rise and engagement can unravel. A coached narrative lets leaders stitch the flexibility story to the reward story so neither feels like a stealth cut.
What will your pay story say about trust when inflation still outruns cash and commutes lengthen?
Why bring Pinacl into the room?
- Independence: our bench of more than 350 senior-level coaches has no stake in the payroll line and can challenge assumptions HR insiders may share.
- Precision pairing: we match each executive with a coach whose sector insight and communication style fit the moment.
- Confidential pressure-testing: tough questions surface in coaching, not in front of 5 000 employees on Teams.
Organisations report that 86 % of Pinacl coaching engagements repay their investment,⁴ but the deeper dividend is credibility: a modest award becomes proof of honesty, not a morale dip. For HR, the value is simple: if a pay story cracks in coaching, it can still be fixed; if it cracks live, trust is gone.
Next step
To explore how Pinacl’s bespoke match-making can help your leadership team craft a reward narrative that withstands scrutiny, get in touch.