Should I include a salary guide in job adverts?
In today’s highly competitive job market when firms are fighting for qualified employees, the addition of a salary can create interest in your position. If you are sure you have a ‘competitive salary’ candidates will expect you to show it. They also have access to a lot more salary information allowing them to benchmark your offers.
Raising the salary question
Candidates have become increasingly aware of salary benchmarking, and a genuinely competitive salary will boost job response. The insertion of a salary can help to increase the application rate. It also helps mark a clear line for the candidate and sets the tone for their response in a business-like way. They can assess if they are worth the amount displayed. Where hiring competition is tight, nominating a key salary figure (with other benefits) may simply be the only way for your position to be taken seriously. The salary then gives your company a powerful negotiating position, expecting the most suitable applicant to be the best and demanding more from them.
Jobs with no salary get fewer applications
Jobseekers view vacancies without salary ranges with suspicion as it sends out a signal that the company in question isn’t really sure what they want to pay either – or that they know their salary isn’t really competitive.
You may prefer to place your advert without a specific salary. Usually, this is done by using key phrases such as ‘competitive salary’, or excellent rewards for the right person. This places the responsibility on the applicant to decide whether to apply because the applicant has to first formulate their worth before applying. It can lead to you spending time interviewing excellent candidates, who are never going to accept an offer at what you are prepared to pay, and it can also put off candidates who might have been quite happy with the pay range so you never hear from them.
Internally, of course, you also have to make the call as to what your company can pay and it may be that you are rather hoping for the best person at not too great a cost – but not including salary information will make it longer and costlier to hire, and won’t give you the same choice of talent.
Some alternatives to a single salary figure
Salary need not be the only way to add value to your job posting, perks and incentives are an obvious alternative. Such added value can also add a friendlier and more progressive tone to recruitment advertising. Salary is just one of 6 core values that make up your employer brand. Download our free Employer Branding Guide.
It may help to clearly examine your own internal motives for either not posting a salary figure or posting one within your advertisement.
Generally, if the economy is on an upward trend, the salary becomes an increasingly important part of the applicant’s decision. The answer, therefore, can be to have the best of both worlds with a ‘salary range’. Beware, however, of too wide a range which can be off-putting. Be prepared for candidates to ask for the logic behind the range. If you make an offer at the lower end they may ask: “What do I not have that you were looking for to pay at the top end of the range?”
A quick word about online recruitment adverts
Online job adverts are aimed at two audiences – the human and the machine. If writing online advertising copy, you need to think in terms of keywords to optimise exposure to search engines. Writing keyword-driven ad copy is a great way to get your ads featured higher up these lists. Use multiple job titles to appeal to different search approaches. Think of how candidates might search for your vacancy then use these keywords in your ad copy. Your advert needs to work best for the online placement. In traditional advertising media, such as newspapers and magazines, style and execution can be much more creative and expressive – but you still need to follow the basic structure above. You might find it helpful to start with one of our free job description templates.