What are appropriate KPIs for compensation based pay for email deliverability roles?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 3 May 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
7 min read
Determining appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for compensation-based pay in email deliverability roles is a nuanced challenge. Unlike sales, where metrics are often straightforward, deliverability success can depend on numerous factors, many of which are outside a specialist's direct control. It's a role that often acts as a bridge between technical email infrastructure and marketing's outreach goals, making it complex to isolate individual impact.
The core issue lies in the influence a deliverability professional has versus direct control. They might recommend critical changes, but implementation, ongoing list hygiene, and content quality often fall to other teams. Tying compensation directly to metrics like email open rates or click-through rates, which are heavily influenced by marketing's efforts, can lead to misaligned incentives and frustration.
Instead, the focus should shift to KPIs that reflect the deliverability specialist's expertise, proactive efforts, and the successful execution of their responsibilities. This approach ensures fairness and incentivizes the behaviors that truly contribute to long-term email program health, even if the ultimate conversion rate is outside their immediate sphere of influence.
Controllable versus influenced KPIs
When structuring compensation for deliverability roles, it is vital to distinguish between metrics the individual directly controls and those they merely influence. Directly controllable KPIs relate to the technical configurations, troubleshooting efforts, and strategic recommendations they provide. Metrics influenced by their work, such as overall deliverability rates or inbox placement, are also important but should be considered with the understanding that other factors play a role.
For instance, a deliverability expert can directly ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and monitored. They are also responsible for swiftly addressing blocklist (or blacklist) listings and ensuring proper authentication protocols are in place. These are measurable actions that directly reflect their technical competency and responsiveness.
Conversely, metrics like open rates or complaint rates are heavily influenced by the quality of the email list, the relevance of content, and the frequency of sends, which are typically managed by marketing teams. While a deliverability specialist advises on these, they don't have direct control over the execution of the marketing strategy itself. Therefore, aligning compensation solely with these broader metrics can be problematic.
A good compensation model will balance base pay with performance incentives tied to KPIs that are within the deliverability professional's direct influence, supplemented by recognition for their impact on broader deliverability metrics.
Directly controllable KPIs
Let's delve into specific KPIs that can be used effectively for deliverability compensation, focusing on both the proactive and reactive aspects of the role. These metrics provide a clear picture of a specialist's performance and their contribution to maintaining a healthy sending reputation and maximizing inbox placement.
Technical compliance rate: This measures the percentage of emails that successfully pass authentication checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) upon sending. A high rate indicates proper setup and maintenance.
Blocklist (or blacklist) days averted or resolved: This KPI tracks how quickly the deliverability specialist addresses and resolves any blocklist listings, minimizing potential disruption to email flow. It also considers proactive measures that prevent listings.
Bounce rate reduction: While some bounces are normal, a significant reduction in technical bounces (e.g., due to configuration errors or invalid recipient addresses from their advice) showcases the specialist's effectiveness.
Feedback loop enrollment and monitoring: Ensuring all relevant feedback loops with ISPs are set up and actively monitored helps in early detection of issues and proactive list cleaning.
Engagement with mailbox providers (MBPs): This can be tracked by timely responses to Google Postmaster Tools alerts, participation in industry groups, or direct communications with providers to resolve delivery issues.
These KPIs measure the deliverability professional's technical proficiency and diligence, which are the cornerstones of their role.
Influenced KPIs and overall program health
While direct influence is key, the deliverability role certainly impacts broader email metrics. It is reasonable to include these influenced KPIs in a compensation discussion, but perhaps as a secondary tier or with a weighting that reflects the shared responsibility for these outcomes. This ensures the specialist is invested in the overall success without being unfairly penalized for factors beyond their control.
Consider these influenced metrics as part of a holistic performance review:
Inbox placement rate: This is a critical metric measuring how many emails reach the inbox versus spam folders or are blocked entirely. It reflects the cumulative effect of good deliverability practices. You can often track this through specialized tools.
Spam complaint rate: While marketing content and list hygiene are primary drivers, a deliverability expert's advice on list segmentation and suppression contributes to keeping this low. Yahoo and Google both penalize high complaint rates.
Reputation scores: Monitoring sender reputation scores in tools like Google Postmaster Tools can provide a high-level view of email health. The deliverability specialist's actions directly contribute to improving or maintaining these scores.
These metrics are indicators of overall email program health, which a deliverability specialist works to improve indirectly through their technical expertise and guidance.
Structuring compensation for deliverability roles
A balanced compensation plan for an email deliverability role should therefore combine a solid base salary with performance incentives tied to a mix of directly controllable and indirectly influenced KPIs. This ensures fair compensation while motivating the specialist to achieve optimal results.
Compensation based purely on outcomes
Linking a deliverability specialist's entire bonus or commission to metrics like open rates or sales conversions can be demotivating. These metrics are influenced by many factors beyond their control, such as content quality, audience relevance, and even external market conditions. This approach risks penalizing them for issues they cannot fix on their own.
Ignoring the advisory nature of the role
Deliverability professionals often act as consultants, providing expert advice and recommendations. If their compensation is solely tied to whether their advice is implemented and leads to an immediate, quantifiable improvement in broad marketing KPIs, it overlooks the value of their knowledge and guidance, regardless of follow-through from other teams.
Balanced approach to incentives
A more effective approach combines a competitive base salary with a bonus structure. A significant portion of the bonus should be tied to their direct actions (e.g., proactive monitoring, timely issue resolution, successful technical implementations). A smaller portion could be tied to overall deliverability health metrics, acknowledging their influence without making it the sole determinant.
Focus on process and proactive management
Compensation should reward consistent efforts in maintaining email hygiene, monitoring infrastructure, and providing clear, actionable recommendations. This includes reporting on trends from Microsoft SNDS and other platforms, as well as developing internal best practices.
By structuring compensation in this way, companies can attract and retain top deliverability talent, ensuring their email programs remain robust and effective without creating unfair or demotivating pay structures.
Conclusion
The long-term success of an email program relies heavily on sustained deliverability, which means investing in roles that ensure emails reliably reach the inbox. Compensation based on appropriate KPIs reinforces the strategic importance of deliverability.
Ultimately, fair and transparent compensation encourages deliverability professionals to prioritize technical excellence, proactive problem-solving, and effective communication, leading to a stronger email channel for the organization. Recognizing their unique contribution through well-defined KPIs is key to maximizing return on this specialized role.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Tie compensation to technical compliance: Reward for correctly configured authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and their consistent validation.
Incentivize proactive monitoring: Compensate for the regular checking of blocklists and reputation scores, preventing major issues.
Reward swift incident response: Bonuses can be tied to the speed and effectiveness of delisting processes or issue resolution.
Focus on advisory quality: Include qualitative assessments of their recommendations and success in getting them adopted by other teams.
Measure communication effectiveness: Evaluate how well the deliverability expert communicates complex technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.
Common pitfalls
Solely basing pay on broad marketing metrics like open or click rates, which are not entirely within the deliverability specialist's control.
Not clearly defining responsibilities, leading to confusion about what the deliverability role is accountable for.
Failing to account for external factors: ISP policy changes, recipient behavior, or sudden market shifts can impact outcomes unfairly.
Ignoring the advisory role: Overlooking the value of expert recommendations if they are not fully implemented by other departments.
Lack of access to necessary data: If the specialist cannot easily monitor all relevant metrics, tying compensation to them is unfair.
Expert tips
Implement a tiered bonus structure: A larger portion of the bonus tied to directly controllable, technical KPIs and a smaller portion to overall deliverability trends.
Conduct regular performance reviews: Discuss achievements and challenges, allowing for qualitative feedback beyond just numbers.
Provide access to comprehensive tools: Ensure the deliverability specialist has the right platforms to monitor and report on their KPIs effectively.
Foster cross-functional collaboration: Encourage shared goals with marketing and IT teams, acknowledging that deliverability is a team effort.
Benchmark against historical performance: Measure improvements relative to the company's past performance rather than arbitrary industry standards.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says tying compensation to email deliverability is a dangerous path because many factors are outside the consultant's control. Compensation works best for absolute targets like sales quotas, which differ from deliverability.
2023-08-01 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they would never base their pay on whether a sender implements their recommendations, as that is outside their control.
Google Postmaster Tools alerts, participation in industry groups, or direct communications with providers to resolve delivery issues.
Yahoo and Google both penalize high complaint rates.
Microsoft SNDS and other platforms, as well as developing internal best practices.
