#ShowTheSalary
We believe that every job ad should #ShowTheSalary – it’s essential information for any potential job applicant to have when they’re deciding whether to apply for a role.
But salary transparency is at record low levels in the UK. In October 2024, the Adzuna UK Job Market Report showed that just 46.34% of jobs posted included the salary, the lowest proportion since they started tracking this data in 2016.
We’re playing an active part in the #ShowTheSalary movement, and calling on employers across the creative industries and beyond to step up and show the salary on every job ad.
5 reasons to #ShowTheSalary
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Knowing the salary means the applicant can decide if the role is a good financial fit for them, before they put time and effort into an application. Giving this information shows that you respect their time.
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Sharing the salary starts the recruitment process with trust and transparency, communicating that these values are important to your organisation.
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Being clear about the salary, rather than only giving this information to people who contact you to ask for it, is a key part of an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
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Showing the salary shows a commitment to levelling the playing field on pay gaps, by removing the expectation for the applicant to reveal their current salary during the application process. In 2020, Harvard Business Review found that banning employers from asking job applicants about prior pay led to substantial pay increases for Black (+13%) and female (+8%) candidates who took new jobs.
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Not showing the salary will be a red flag for some potential applicants – meaning you’ll miss out on talent. 2024 data from Reed shows that job ads with salaries receive 60% more applications.
Application deadlines matter too
You've probably noticed that application deadlines are somewhat hit and miss on job ads at the moment, too. Some employers include a specific deadline and stick to it, keeping the job open for applications right up to the deadline. Some employers include a deadline, but say they reserve the right to close applications early if they have enough applications and/or have found the right candidate. Other employers choose to leave out any deadline info.
For a fair and inclusive recruitment process, the right approach is to set a deadline and keep applications open up to that deadline. Any other approach leaves the applicant rushing to get their application in asap, or potentially working on their application but then finding that the job has been closed.
