The push for salary transparency in Australia

Workers want salary transparency in Australia

Australian workers are no longer willing to apply for roles that do not include an advertised salary.

96% of Australian workers say that salary details are key when deciding to apply for a job. 82% want to see legislation mandating that job advertisements include an advertised salary.

Studies reveal that missing salary information is the number one peeve of job seekers.

Despite this, 65% of employers leave out salary information on their job advertisements.

So, what is behind this trend, and what can you do about it?

Why do employers omit salary details?

While it’s understandable to assume that roles without a listed salary might be low-paid, recruiters caution that this assumption could lead to missed opportunities.

Remember, a job ad without a listed salary doesn’t necessarily mean the job doesn’t offer competitive pay, a positive work culture, and opportunities for career growth. Recruiters say you should keep an open mind and apply for roles regardless of whether or not they provide a salary indication.

Some of the main reasons employers don’t include salary information in job ads include:

• Offers greater flexibility: In some cases, employers are looking to cast a wide net of jobseekers. This gives them flexibility to increase the expected pay for the right candidate.
• Provides room to negotiate: Similarly, in some cases pay will be negotiated based on a candidate’s skills, experience and their salary expectations. Employers are often unwilling to lock themselves into a specific salary for a role before getting an idea of the value prospective candidates could bring. Additionally, many employers like to get an idea of a candidate’s salary expectations, before negotiating salary offer from there.
• Maintains a competitive advantage: Many companies do not want their competitors to have an advantage when negotiating pay with potential talent.
• Filters candidate motivation: Most companies don’t want prospective candidates to apply based on prospective salary alone.
• Newly created role: If a role is newly created, employers may avoid listing a salary as they gauge the salary expectations of prospective candidates.

In some companies, policy prohibits transparency around salary. This could be because there are several employees performing the same role for different levels of pay. Therefore, the company doesn’t want employees who may be performing a similar role to know what the new role is paying.

What can you do?

Many people may feel uncomfortable asking a prospective employer about pay. However, experts say if salary isn’t listed, it’s OK to call the company or recruiter and ask about pay as part of a wider conversation about the job opening.

After all, money plays a crucial role in most people’s motivation to do a job. Therefore, there’s no point getting to the second or third interview stage and realising a position doesn’t offer the remuneration you are seeking.

Alternatively, sites such as Hays and Glassdoor offer salary guides. These can provide an indication of what a role could pay based on the experience and competencies required for the role.

What about the public service?

There’s good news for those considering a career in the public service. Almost all advertised positions will include an advertised salary or salary range.

For those seeking a career in the public service, Public Service Resumes has your needs covered. We offer various services including our expert resume writing and LinkedIn profile writing service.