Dana, HR manager at a small company, must communicate to an employee that his request for a raise cannot be fulfilled, considering his productivity rates. Which of the following lines would best serve as a buffer for this message?
A) We would love to grant your request but your productivity is really not up to the mark this year.
B) We have decided that, considering your productivity rate, we cannot give you the raise that you had requested.
C) You are doing a great job out there and we would like to commend you on your performance.
D) After receiving your request for a raise, we did a careful evaluation of your productivity levels over the course of the last year.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option D is the best buffer as it starts neutrally by acknowledging the request and explaining that a careful evaluation was done, without immediately jumping to a negative conclusion or focusing on poor performance.

Dana, HR Manager at a Small Company, Must Communicate to an Employee