Lack of salary transparency a huge barrier for jobseekers, poll finds

‘Being transparent is one way for companies to show they care about fair pay,’ says expert

Lack of transparency damages trust, survey says (PA)

Job hunters’ biggest gripes when looking for a new role include lack of salary details in adverts, failing to receive a response after applying, and waiting “too long” to hear back following an interview.

A survey of 2,000 adults who had sought new employment in the past five years found they typically spent four hours applying for a single job, with 0 per cent of these applications resulting in an interview.

But 66 per cent said they found the process stressful and time consuming, with common frustrations including unnecessarily lengthy interview processes and misleading job adverts.

And lack of clarity on salaries – for instance, overly broad salary bands – was a significant gripe, especially for the 36 per cent who had declined a job offer upon discovering what they would be earning.

The research was commissioned Adzuna a job search site. Doug Monro, its chief executive, said: "With all the time and effort that goes into applying for jobs, it can be incredibly frustrating and stressful to stumble across issues along the way.

“From the research, it’s plain to see salary is a critical component of the job process with jobseekers clearly pointing to a lack of clarity or detail on annual wages being a key gripe when applying for a job.

“That’s why we’re driving the industry forward in encouraging employers to be more transparent.

"They need to include as many details on salaries in their job adverts as possible to give candidates the financial peace of mind they need, as well as the all important information around whether a role is right for them.”

The study found 69 per cent of respondents believed companies should be more transparent in their job adverts. One-third (32 per cent) said they thought the employer was hiding something if they did not include salary information in adverts.

Similarly, 22 per cent said such practices made a business appear untrustworthy and 21 per cent said they seemed unprofessional.

Further, 46 per cent of respondents said they simply would not accept an interview offer if they did not know about the wages offered.

Salary information was not all those polled were keen to see beforehand, with workplace location and employee benefit schemes also important to many.

The survey, carried out via OnePoll, also found 63 per cent thought greater transparency over salaries would make workplaces fairer.

Further to this, 36 per cent would be happy for their colleagues to know what they earned, with 44 per cent neutral on the subject, and just 12 per cent unhappy with the idea.

Mr Monro added: “Jobseekers are increasingly concerned with finding employers that match their values and that they trust.

"Being transparent by showing salaries on job adverts is one way for companies to show they care about prioritising fair pay.

“But there is room for improvement and the onus is now on companies doing their diligence to present job opportunities that fairly reward candidates.”