​One of the biggest hiring mistakes companies are still making today is failing to include salary information in their job advertisements.

 Over my 7.5 years in recruitment, I've spoken with thousands of job seekers across a range of industries and seniority levels. One thing has become increasingly clear: candidates want transparency, and salary is often the first piece of information they look for. For many, if the salary isn't disclosed, they simply won't apply.

So, why do we still have roles being advertised without salaries?

In many cases, it comes down to internal uncertainty rather than a lack of willingness to be transparent. Organisations may not have clearly defined salary bands, there may be inconsistencies in what existing employees are paid, or hiring managers may want flexibility to negotiate based on the individual candidate. There can also be concerns that publishing a salary will alert competitors, create difficult conversations with existing employees or attract candidates who are motivated primarily by compensation.

But these challenges are increasingly becoming an internal problem for employers to solve, rather than something candidates should have to navigate.

This transparency has a direct impact on vacancy traction, candidate engagement and overall hiring outcomes. While there are often valid reasons organisations hesitate to publish pay information, the reality is that the market is moving firmly towards greater transparency.

Recent market data highlights how much progress still needs to be made. Only 56% of job advertisements on Indeed include salary details, while more than half of LinkedIn job postings continue to omit compensation information altogether.

At a time when hiring processes are becoming increasingly demanding, candidates are questioning whether it's worth investing their time in opportunities that lack basic transparency from the outset. Today's recruitment journey often involves multiple interview stages, presentations, assessments, stakeholder panels and lengthy decision-making processes. That's a significant commitment for candidates, particularly those who are already employed and performing well in their current roles.

When salary information isn't disclosed, candidates often draw their own conclusions. Fair or not, the assumptions tend to be remarkably consistent. Many believe the salary is below market rate. Others suspect there may be inconsistencies in internal compensation structures. Some assume the organisation is hoping to negotiate from the lowest possible starting point.

Interestingly, salary transparency often decreases as seniority increases. Director-level and leadership positions are among the least likely to advertise compensation openly. Yet these are often the candidates least willing to invest time pursuing opportunities without a clear understanding of the package on offer. Senior professionals typically know their market value and expect open conversations around remuneration from the start.

The organisations achieving the best hiring outcomes today are often those embracing transparency. They provide clear salary bands, define the scope and expectations of the role, maintain efficient recruitment processes and minimise surprises throughout the candidate journey.

Where we see this story from both sides and understand the constraints from a client perspective, the benefits are clear. Salary transparency doesn't just benefit candidates. It helps employers attract the right people, reduce wasted time and create a stronger foundation of trust from the very first interaction.

As competition for talent continues, transparency is no longer just a nice-to-have. It's becoming a key differentiator in building an effective and successful hiring process.