Management Today media opp

Recruiting is not for the faint of heart. It can be time-consuming and frustrating for hiring teams and jobseekers alike. Jobseekers don't want to waste their time applying for roles where salaries and perks don't meet what they're after. Likewise, employers can waste valuable time evaluating candidates, conducting interviews and performing background checks, only to find out that the ideal candidate will not agree to the salary on offer. For the purposes of transparency, employers should include realistic salary ranges on their job adverts to attract the right talent and avoid setbacks during the recruitment process. In an ideal world, before applying applicants and employers should arm themselves with market data on average salaries for the position, industry and size of the company, keeping in mind that certain parts of the country pay more than others. Applicants shouldn’t think of the advertised salary as the final word on what they’ll make, but as an opener to begin negotiating. They should also factor in their own level of experience and unique skills that they bring to the table. It is possible that a highly-valued candidate can command even more than the advertised rate. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s usually more to compensation packages than just salary. If perks and benefits aren't advertised, applicants should remember to ask for benefits as part of their salary discussion.

As someone who works with job seekers on a daily basis, I see how much time and commitment goes into every single job application. From simply tailoring a CV to completing multi-page application forms, covering letters and personal statements, not to mention the phone sift and several rounds of interviews, there's an expectation that applicants will put in the legwork (often in response to a poorly-thought-out, copy & paste advert). No-one's expecting an exact figure, but a basic (realistic) salary range would indicate whether the application was worth the time and head-space investment. Without it, the company risks wasting their own time when applicants pull out part-way through the recruitment process, missing out on qualified talent who decide not to waste their time applying and receiving an influx of unsuitable CVs from candidates way outside the upper and lower limits of their pay scale.

"Companies should always include a salary bracket when posting job adverts. If they don’t, then candidates will have concerns about how they structure their pay internally. There are only two reasons why a company would hide their pay:either they have unequal pay across the business and want to hide the information from current employees, or they’re worried about overpaying for a new employee. A salary bracket will ensure fairness in applicants, depending on whether they’re experienced in the role or taking a step up in their career. Employers don’t spend enough time crafting job adverts as it is, with little understanding between a job spec and a job ad. The last thing they want to do is alienate potential applicants and reduce their candidate attraction rate. The most important thing for employers to remember is that showcasing a salary is imperative right now. With the cost of living so high, people need to know if they can physically afford to live on the wage you’re offering them."

Research suggests that stating a salary will increase applicant rates by over 30%, so if you are serious about attracting good talent into your business right now, you most definitely should be posting a salary range on any job adverts. Not having one on the ad suggests that you perhaps have something to hide and in a tight labour market you need to be looking for ways to attract talent, no salary may lead them to simply scroll on by, remember your role is to make it easy for the candidate to choose you as their preferred choice, by demonstrating ‘why’ they should join you. And if you're not confident about what salary to advertise? our advice would be to talk about other benefits of working for your business (flexible working, company benefits, memberships, training packages, wellbeing support) or suggest a ‘no obligation’ call to discuss their requirements.

Transparency is key to pay equity and essential for employees and job seekers making their own informed career decisions. Glassdoor research found that 72 percent of employees would be more likely to apply for a job that indicates an approximate salary. In addition, employers that switch from pay secrecy to a policy of open compensation experienced large and long-lasting boosts in productivity. Workplace transparency can also help boost the number of female applicants for jobs. Studies also find job transparency can help close the salary “negotiation gap” between men and women, leading women to be just as likely to negotiate over wages as men.

I firmly believe that salaries should always be included on job adverts. It not only increases the amount of applications, most notably from minority backgrounds, it also demonstrates a company’s transparency. It is also an effective tool in building trust with a prospective employee from the earliest point. Clearly having a salary advertised saves time for the candidate in establishing whether a role is the right fit for them. From a hiring manager perspective, it can ensure that a successful candidate is comfortable with the salary on offer. Not including a salary because of an undecided experience level can be easily remedied by creating two adverts at differing levels with different salaries on offer. Also, no wanting current employees to know the salary bandings in a role they may be currently doing usually points to them being underpaid which should be a red flag to any potential new employee