That sounds true. In practice I've been talking with people about their paybands for years and everyone understands that sometimes they will be below their payb

That sounds true. In practice I've been talking with people about their paybands for years and everyone understands that sometimes they will be below their payband's midpoint. In dozens of conversations like this that hasn't been a problem even once. The key is though to be able to explain why someone is placed in the payband where they are. Understanding where your employees stand and what they need to work on to progress is a key manager competency.