'With pay transparency, the genie is out of the bottle and there is no going back', says Maggie Hulce, Indeed’s executive vice president and general manager for enterprise. 'By setting clearer pay expectations upfront between a job seeker and employer, better matches happen faster. Pay transparency can also help close pay gaps that still exist across gender, race [and] ethnicity and other factors'.

While the requirements vary, disclosing pay information can present new questions and obstacles for organisations. But there are some efficient ways to incorporate this into your recruitment process, not just to stay in compliance, but to get better recruitment results.

Transparency and successful recruitment go hand in hand

In a Glassdoor survey on what employed and job-seeking professionals are looking for, 81% of employees emphasized the importance of fair and equitable pay. When pay is public knowledge, this helps level the playing field, committing to pay transparency also demonstrates your commitment to pay equity.

In turn, this commitment drives greater interest in applying to your jobs. Fifty-seven percent of employees in the UK would consider switching jobs for one with greater pay transparency. Overall, 69% of Brits think employers need to be more transparent about pay in their job ads, with 31% considering salary information to be the most important component of a job description.

How employers can embrace pay transparency

Navigating changes in recruitment is never easy, but there are ways to streamline the process and keep pay transparency top of mind:

  • Act now. update existing job posts with pay ranges as soon as possible. This way, if or when there are legal requirements to do so, you are all set. 
  • Follow pay transparency requirements when posting jobs. When posting new jobs through Indeed’s job posting funnel where a law exists requiring employers to include pay information, Indeed requires employers to do so when posting jobs to Indeed, or to indicate that the law does not apply to their post. This will help ensure your jobs can receive applicants.
  • Give accurate and helpful information. Qualified applicants are informed about the compensation they deserve. 
  • Stay competitive. Indeed Hiring Insights can provide guidelines on what other employers are offering on Indeed. With this tool, you can search the job title you are recruiting for and its location to see the average salary for similar roles.

Let’s work to close the pay gap together

'Wanting more insight into expected salary ranges of [jobs] is one of the top pieces of feedback that we receive from job seekers', says Priscilla Koranteng, Indeed’s chief people officer.

By using these strategies to make pay transparency one of your organisation’s priorities, you can attract more talent within a challenging recruitment environment.