It’s time to Include job salary in the job description

Including the salary range in your job listing descriptions is a hot topic right now, and it’s been a hot debate among those in the recruitment industry for a while. Whilst there are certainly some cons to sharing your salary offerings (competitors, top talent not applying if they don’t think there is room for negotiation, and more) the pros far outweigh them.

You can spend all the time you like writing a fancy job description, but when it comes to effectively attracting candidates, you need some hard data. Some of this data will make or break whether or not a given candidate wants to apply to a job. Is the position in a location they’re willing to work at or re-locate to? Does it have specific experience requirements that the majority of candidates don’t have?

Some of this data is more optional than other data — the location and type of role are both essential, but one such piece of data might not be. Specifically, we’re talking about the salary range.

It used to be that hiding the salary range on a job posting was commonplace. But it’s 2021 and more and more businesses are embracing the benefits of transparency. Some of the trailblazers include Glitch, Buffer and Basecamp.

According to Reed.co.uk, 2 in 3 job seekers are more likely to apply when a salary is disclosed in a job advertisement. LinkedIn has said that 70% of professionals want to hear about salary in the first communications with a recruiter. Posting it in the job advert provides potential job seekers with the information they require and will increase the chance of them reaching out.

Many talented recruits will scroll past and ignore job adverts that don’t have the salary displayed. Why? Because they don’t want to waste their time putting their effort into applying for a job and going through the interview process only to find that the salary doesn’t meet their expectation or isn’t negotiable.

Putting salary ranges in job advertisements may give employers a competitive advantage when trying to attract candidates. That’s because most job seekers look first at a position’s compensation and benefits when scanning a job posting, then at the job’s required qualifications and duties, according to new research from LinkedIn.

If candidates were better informed about how their pay and career could progress during the initial job search and recruiting process, they would be less likely to take a job that turns out to be a bad fit.

And also there is almost always going to be a rival firm that could potentially pay your best people more, but many kinds of research confirms that company culture matters more than pay as a driver of long-term employee satisfaction and commitment.

Here is a quick list of Pros and Cons.

Including a salary range in your job listings can be beneficial, but it can also be detrimental. You need to make a decision on whether or not you want to list it, and as such, you need to know the pros and cons of both sides. While these are certain factors to consider, it’s also worth looking at the other side of the coin. The benefits may far outweigh the shortcomings…

Pro: Some Candidates Won’t Apply if Salary is Missing

Pro: Diversity, equity and inclusion

Pro: Many People Value Job Transparency Today

Pro: Candidates don’t often leave jobs to be paid at the same level

Pro: You Can Focus More on Important Candidate Attributes

Pro: Salary Range May Be Available Regardless

Pro: Millenials want it that way

Pro: Helps Minimize Bias and Keep Salary Ranges Fair

Pro: It is becoming more normalized

Pro: It’s one of the first things job seekers look for

Pro: Standing out from the pack

Con: Some Candidates Won’t Apply to Low Salary Positions

Con: Existing Employees Might Feel Slighted

Con: It’s Harder to Attract Candidates With More Qualifications

Con: High-End Positions Assume Salary Negotiations

Con: Salaries with Commissions Aren’t Reflective of Total Pay

Con: Negotiations Give You an Advantage

Con: Deciding on Salary Range Requires Time and Monitoring

It’s understandable that some companies would be hesitant to include a salary range in their job postings. Smaller or niche businesses may not be able to compete with the larger enterprises and don’t want to seem like a secondary tier. And, while money is of course a big motivator for job seekers, it isn’t always the primary impetus. Non-cash benefits like superior cultures and remote opportunities can also sway opinion. But, the transparency and ease that including a salary range affords cannot be overlooked. At the end of the day a candidate will only accept what they’re worth, so why deceive?