Including salary in job adverts: guide and regulations

Posting a job advert without mentioning pay is still standard practice in many companies. However, hiding the salary often leads to losing qualified candidates and wastes the recruitment team's time. When someone applies for a role and only discovers the financial offer in the final stage, the risk of them rejecting the offer because it does not match their expectations is very high. Resolving this misalignment from the very first contact benefits both the company and interested professionals.

Benefits of including the salary in your job adverts

Transparency in job postings is not just a goodwill gesture; it is a strategic decision that optimises recruitment resources. In small and medium-sized enterprises, where time spent on each hire is limited, defining the remuneration helps keep the process on track from the start.

• Direct candidate filter: applicants looking for higher earnings will not waste time in the process or waste yours.
• Attracting talent with clear expectations: the most qualified professionals value clarity and honesty right from the advert.
• Shorter hiring times: by eliminating late-stage conversations about expectations outside the budget, the process moves faster.
• Improved employer reputation: transparent companies convey trust and professionalism compared to their competitors.

Furthermore, when remuneration is specified from the beginning, interviews focus on evaluating technical suitability, experience, and cultural fit, rather than revolving around a late salary negotiation that can derail weeks of recruitment work.

Regulatory updates: pay transparency rules

The regulatory context in the European Union and internationally is shifting towards greater demands for pay transparency. The EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive EU 2023/970) sets clear guidelines to reduce the gender pay gap and ensure fairness in the workplace.

Among the key measures is the obligation to provide candidates with information on starting pay or the salary range before the first interview. Employers will not be allowed to ask applicants about their previous salary history, which makes it necessary to define salary bands prior to publishing any vacancy.

Getting ahead of these regulatory changes allows companies to adapt their internal remuneration policies calmly, reviewing their salary structures and ensuring internal equity before legal obligations come fully into force.

How to draft a salary range without compromising your budget

Many hiring managers fear that putting the salary in the advert will leave them less room to negotiate or create internal friction with existing staff. The solution is not to publish a rigid, fixed figure, but to use a reasonable salary range.

• Define a realistic range: set a floor and a ceiling based on industry standards, job responsibilities, and department budgets.
• Keep the range narrow: avoid overly broad bands, as they breed distrust and undermine the initial filtering effect.
• Distinguish fixed pay from variable pay: state the fixed base salary clearly and list commission, incentives, or benefits separately.
• Specify gross annual figures: always state the gross annual salary to avoid confusion regarding tax deductions or monthly payments.

A practical example of clear wording would be: Gross annual salary between £28,000 and £32,000 depending on experience, plus performance bonus. This approach leaves room to assess candidate value without misleading applicants.

Aligning your job adverts with recruitment management

Publishing pay clearly helps attract suitable candidates, but this practice must be supported by a well-organised selection process. Tools like JOBO allow SMEs to manage vacancies efficiently, centralising applications and maintaining clear communication with candidates at every stage.

Clearly defining what is offered and coordinating every hiring phase ensures faster processes, well-founded decisions, and a better experience for everyone involved.