Should We Advertise Salary or Not?

It’s the age old question in recruitment – should we include the salary in the advert or not? And it really depends on the role and the climate in which you’re advertising! If you feel candidates will be in hot demand, or if you’re trying to poach a member of staff from a competitor then you might want to consider it, however it can also limit your flexibility.

Here are a few things to consider…

What does it say about your business?

Publishing a salary says a lot about your business. It says that you take recruitment seriously, and tells candidates what you’re willing to pay for the best talent. However it could also limit applications, from candidates who are looking for more than offered, or that feel the salary is too far out of their reach. If you’re hiring for a role that’s new to your business, and you’re not sure of the going rate, an unrealistically low advertised salary, could damage your reputation.

Be realistic with brackets

If you’re going to give a salary bracket, you need to be willing to go to the top of the band for the right candidate. Cost-saving when it comes to offering a competitive salary can be a dangerous area and often leave you with a vacant position. Strong talent know their worth, so one of the benefits of not advertising the salary, is that candidates that are a little more expensive will still apply, leaving you with more options.

‘Competitive Salary’

This can be a great phrase to use if you’re unsure how much you’re willing to offer for the position. It means that the candidate must come with an idea of what they think they’re worth. Sometimes in recruitment you set out with an idea of the level of experience you’re looking for, and then perhaps an outstanding candidate with a little less experience blows you away. In situations like that it helps to have some flexibility with the salary offered.

Consider your other employees

One factor you need to consider when advertising a salary band is how this could be seen by other members of the company. If you have a disgruntled team member who feels they’re underpaid, will publishing a salary bracket add to their case? Essentially you need to ask yourself – can I justify the difference in salary? If you’re worried it will raise more questions than it answers amongst your team, it might be worth not including it.

Promote benefits

Whether you decide to publish the salary or not, you need to think about the other benefits that your company offer, and whether you could use these to attract the best talent. For example if you offer flexi-time, healthcare or leisure benefits, these can really sway a candidate who might, for example, be looking for a role that offers a better work-life balance.

Peter Forshaw – Managing Director, Maxwell Stephens