Why and how should you put the salary on your job posting?
The decision of whether to include salary on a job posting is crucial to your entire hiring process. It can cost you applicants, time and confusion further down the road, so it’s worth putting some thought into salary before you advertise your vacancy.
Should you include the salary on your job posting?
There are differences of opinion when it comes to advertising the salary. The reason why some companies choose to leave it out are:
- It negates the chance for conflict with your current employees. If someone working for you in a similar role sees that you’re offering a better wage to a new hire, they could be upset.
- It can give you more negotiating power down the line – your applicant will have already invested time into the process and so might be more willing to accept less money.
- It opens up the potential candidate pool and doesn’t limit your search to candidates in a certain salary bracket.
These reasons are worth some consideration, but on balance there are so many more reasons why including the salary in a job posting is beneficial. At DigitalGrads we strongly advocate including a salary bracket on your job ad. Here’s why:
- Every applicant will have to evaluate their living costs before they apply. If they make it all the way to salary negotiations before discovering that you aren’t willing to pay them what they need to live, you will have wasted everyone’s time.
- Salary indicates experience and seniority. Those under and over qualified for the position will be able to easily discern that the opportunity is not for them just from the salary. You will spend less time and effort shortlisting applications as more should be relevant if you have the salary at the right level.
- Candidates will be more comfortable going into salary negotiations when they have an indication of salary and what the upper limit is.
- You set expectations from the outset. A candidate who argues they want more than the advertised salary band puts themselves in a very weak position.
- Hiring someone that’s had a positive application experience sets the tone for a positive future at your company.
- Salary transparency is a hot topic in recruitment. If your company is known for confidently advertising a fair salary you will gain a positive public image and more great people will want to work with you.
How should you include the salary on your job posting?
There are a few things you need to be aware of.
1 – ‘Negotiable’ is not a number
It’s obvious, but writing the words ‘salary: negotiable’ on your job advert don’t mean all that much. You’re stating that you will be flexible, but within what range? £18k or £100k?
2 – ‘Competitive’ is confusing
A ‘competitive salary’ is one that’s standard for the industry and role type. As an employer, you probably have an idea of the highest and lowest number you’ll be willing to pay. Your candidates might not. Especially graduates who are fresh to the market.
3 – ‘DOE’ is just as vague
A very similar problem, stating that salary is ‘down to experience’ is vague and subjective.
4 – Pay bracket
The most common and accepted way to see salary advertised on job postings is with a pay range. There’s no room for confusion with this. The key is to then stick to it when making an offer.
Many employers use a mixture of the two terms above to advertise salary. It’s common to see: ‘Salary: £22,000 – £25,000 DOE’.
5 – The law
If you’re hiring juniors, being aware of any national minimum wage increases is vital. Keep up-to-date by regularly checking in with our employer blog.
Where should you post your job advert?
Now that you know all about salaries on job postings it’s time to get one up. For more advice on writing an amazing job advert, click here.
If you’re looking to hire a talented junior, check out our recruitment platform. To take a look at our hand-picked, talented candidates create your employer account today.