Job Adverts: Why It's Important to Publish The Salary

There's been quite the fuss on social media in past months around advertising salaries on job vacancies.

Made even greater when, on International Women's Day, the government launched a pay transparency pilot.

Why is it only a pilot? Who knows? But it's a step in the right direction.

I and my team have spent many years promoting salary transparency, trying to educate clients who refuse to publish salaries, for reasons which are almost exclusively around the fear of upsetting current employees.

But why is it so important?

Equality

It was no coincidence that the government's pay transparency pilot was launched on International Women's Day.

Evidence shows listing a salary range on a job advert, and not asking applicants to disclose salary history, provides a firm footing for women to negotiate pay on a fairer basis.

This could have a significant impact on closing salary gaps and tackling pay inequality.

Every employer needs to play their part in pay equality and if we don't do it willingly, we can expect more legislation.

Improved Application Quality & Quantity

The best applicants are likely to be pretty selective about what they apply for.

In fact, in 2022 when the number of active job seekers is low, those with highly desirable skills and experience won't need to apply for jobs because they are being approached actively all the time.

If I don't know how much you're paying, how do I know if I'm wasting my time applying?

Do you have something to hide, perhaps? And I apply in good faith when your intention is to get me cheap, hoping that down the process, I'll love your company so much I'll be willing to work for less than I'm worth?

Any obstacle to attraction is an obstacle that jobseekers will simply avoid. Scroll past and look elsewhere.

I hear things like "Yes, Clare, but if people aren't prepared to put in the effort at the application stage, then they are not for us."

That problem is yours, not theirs.

Because a business up the road that appreciates that individuals like transparency and are not keen on jumping through unnecessary hoops will be hiring people just fine, thank you very much. Whilst you are struggling to fill your vacancies.

We also know that men and women approach job adverts in very different ways, with men more likely to click 'apply' if they only have some of the skills listed whereas women are far less likely to apply if they cannot do everything that's listed.

In my opinion, that might mean that women are more likely to hesitate if critical information, like salary, is missing.

This affects your ability to reach a substantial number of the working population.

Prevent Time Wasted

Tell me.

What is the point of trawling job applications and sitting in interviews with people you cannot afford to employ?

Beanbags and ping pong tables are no substitute for market-rate pay.

So, save everybody's time and ADVERTISE THE DAMNED SALARY

Clare Wight is the founder and Managing Director of Clarity Appointments, an independent recruitment specialist. She served as a Regional Director for The Employment Agents Movement, supporting other independent recruiters.

She remains an active member of Recconnect (formerly Members Only), a recruitment leadership network promoting high ethical standards, collaboration, diversity, equity and inclusion.

She believes business owners are more fulfilled and higher-performing when they provide emotional and professional business support to other business owners, even those they deem to be competitors. She does this actively, whilst challenging and updating her skills and knowledge of the recruitment sector, enabling her to offer the best advice to firms looking to make their next hire.