Do you share the salary range upfront in your job ads?
If not, you may be losing talent without realising it.
More often than not, companies use words like ‘competitive salary’ or ‘market rate’, or leave that section blank altogether. They believe this provides them with flexibility or safeguards internal equity.
The problem is that those vague ads often scare off the very people you want: high-calibre folks who have options.
So, the question is: are you losing great candidates simply because they don’t know if the role fits their financial reality?
The evidence
Let’s look at what the data tells us:
- In most markets, about 36% of job ads don’t include any salary info. (People Managing People)
- In construction-related roles, some studies show as much as 94% omit pay information. (People Managing People)
- Other research suggests that when you don’t post a salary, you might reduce your applicant volume by 25–50%, because people assume it’s low or not worth applying. (morepeople.co.uk)
- On the flip side, organisations that do post salary ranges attract better-qualified candidates, reduce misalignment, and cut down on time wasted screening. (Forbes)
- Also, internal fairness matters: transparency helps with employer brand. (Hays)
The evidence is strong: hiding salary costs you talent, time, and trust.
Alright, so you’re convinced sharing pay isn’t a dumb idea. Here’s how to do it well:
- Benchmark internally first. Don’t rush. You need solid market data so your ranges are defensible. If your internal rates are inconsistent, showing a range could backfire.
- Use ranges, not single fixed numbers. E.g. “$120,000–$150,000” gives you flexibility. Also, clearly label that the range is for the role’s level, not every candidate.
- Tie ranges to criteria. Show what earns someone the top of the band (experience, performance, certifications). It’s not arbitrary.
- Communicate internally before doing it publicly. Your existing staff might ask questions. Be prepared with a narrative that emphasises fairness, market alignment, and transparency.
- Handle negotiation carefully. If everyone sees the upper end, many candidates will push for it. Consider anchoring your offer, establishing clear rules, and protecting your margins.
- Make exceptions with care. In rare cases (e.g. highly custom roles, very senior executive roles), you might start the discussion later, but you still should provide a baseline.
- Monitor and iterate. Track whether including salaries increases conversion, cuts down mismatches, or affects internal morale. Adjust your ranges accordingly.
This week
Do a quick audit of your open roles. How many of them actually tell candidates what they’ll earn?
Try adjusting just one, post a transparent range and see what happens. You might be surprised by the lift in engagement.