Salary transparency is becoming a major UK recruitment issue. People4U explains why clear pay information helps employers attract better candidates and reduce wasted time.
The debate around salary transparency is gathering pace in the UK — and for employers, it is worth paying attention.
The days of vague job adverts hiding behind “competitive salary” may finally be numbered.
The UK Government is now consulting on whether employers should be required to publish pay information either in job adverts, or in writing before interview where there is no advert. The consultation also sits within a wider push to strengthen equal pay protections and reduce pay discrimination.
This is not law yet — but employers would be foolish to ignore the direction of travel.
For years, candidates have been expected to invest time in applications, interviews and screening calls without knowing whether the salary is even close to their expectations. That has never been a good recruitment process. It wastes time, weakens trust and often filters out good people before a conversation has even started.
The timing is also important. Recent reporting using Adzuna data found that only 41.6% of UK job adverts included salary details in June, down from 59.5% a decade ago. In other words, salary transparency appears to be going backwards at exactly the moment candidate expectations and potential regulation are moving forwards.
That should make employers stop and think.
If your advert still says “competitive salary”, the question candidates increasingly ask is simple:
Competitive with what?
Salary transparency will not solve every recruitment problem. But hiding pay is becoming harder to justify. Clear salary information helps candidates make informed decisions, improves trust, reduces wasted conversations and gives employers a better chance of attracting people whose expectations are properly aligned from the outset.
In a market where every hire matters, clarity is not a nice-to-have. It is part of a credible recruitment strategy.
Why salary transparency matters
When a job advert does not include salary information, candidates are often left guessing whether the role is right for them.
That creates several problems:
Good candidates may not apply because the advert feels vague.
Applicants may go through several stages before discovering the salary is not suitable.
Employers waste time reviewing people whose expectations were never aligned.
Trust can be weakened before the first proper conversation has even taken place.
In a market where candidates are more selective and employers are watching costs carefully, clarity matters.
Salary is not the only reason people move jobs. Culture, flexibility, progression, location, leadership and job security all matter. But pay is still a major part of the decision. Pretending otherwise does not help anyone.
The market is cautious — but good candidates still have choices
The wider UK recruitment market remains mixed. Permanent hiring is still cautious, while temporary recruitment has been stronger as employers look for flexibility. Vacancies remain below the levels seen during the post-pandemic hiring boom.
That does not mean good candidates are easy to secure.
In specialist areas such as Health & Safety, Fire Safety, Compliance, Engineering and Facilities Management, employers still need people with the right technical skills, judgement and attitude. Those candidates are rarely sitting around waiting for a vague advert with no salary attached.
If an employer wants to attract strong applicants, the advert needs to give people enough information to make a sensible decision.
“Competitive salary” is not a strategy
One of the most common phrases in recruitment is still “competitive salary”.
The problem is simple: if the salary is genuinely competitive, say what it is.
Candidates are not unreasonable for wanting to know whether a role matches their expectations before investing time in the process. In fact, clear salary information can often improve the quality of applications because people can self-select properly.
That does not mean every advert needs one fixed figure. A sensible range can work well, especially where experience levels may vary.
For example:
“£45,000–£55,000 depending on experience”
is far more useful than:
“Competitive salary”
It sets expectations, reduces wasted conversations and starts the process with more trust.
Transparency does not remove flexibility
Some employers worry that publishing salary information will reduce room for negotiation.
It does not have to.
A well-written advert can still explain that salary depends on experience, qualifications, sector knowledge or level of responsibility. But there should still be enough information for a candidate to understand whether the opportunity is realistic.
The stronger approach is not to hide the salary. It is to explain the value of the full package clearly.
That may include:
base salary
bonus or commission
pension
car allowance
hybrid working
professional development
training support
progression opportunities
holiday allowance
private healthcare or other benefits
A good advert sells the whole opportunity, not just the salary.
What employers should do now
Even before any legal requirement is introduced, employers can improve their recruitment results by reviewing how they present pay.
A strong job advert should answer four basic questions:
What does the role involve?
What skills and experience are genuinely required?
What will the person be paid?
Why should the right candidate be interested?
If those questions are not answered clearly, the advert is weaker than it needs to be.
In a cautious hiring market, employers cannot afford weak adverts. Every vacancy needs to work harder.
Our view
At People4U, we believe recruitment works best when expectations are clear from the beginning.
That means honest conversations about salary, role requirements, culture, timescales and candidate fit.
Salary transparency will not solve every recruitment problem. But it can reduce wasted time, improve candidate trust and help employers attract people whose expectations are properly aligned with the role.
The best recruitment processes are built on clarity — not surprises.
If you are struggling to attract the right candidates, the issue may not be the market alone. It may be the way the opportunity is being presented.
Share this post: