“Competitive salary.” A phrase that has appeared in job adverts for years. But could we be seeing the beginning of the end?
On 5 November, the UK Government announced plans for new “say what you pay” legislation, which would require employers to include salary information in job adverts.
For candidates, this could be a welcome change. For employers, it could mean a much bigger shift than simply adding a salary range to a vacancy.
More transparency, better recruitment?
Candidates invest considerable time researching organisations, tailoring CVs and attending interviews, often without knowing whether the salary meets their expectations.
Publishing pay information upfront could change that.
It has the potential to:
- Reduce applications where salary expectations don’t align.
- Improve the candidate experience.
- Save recruiters and hiring managers valuable time.
- Build greater trust between employers and candidates.
It is a simple change that could make the recruitment process more transparent and efficient.
But are employers ready?
Publishing a salary is the easy part. Being able to justify it is another matter.
Greater transparency could expose inconsistencies in existing pay structures and raise some uncomfortable questions:
- Are employees being paid fairly for comparable roles?
- How do new starter salaries compare with existing employees?
- Are salary ranges realistic and consistent?
- Can hiring managers confidently explain pay decisions?
These are questions that organisations should be considering now, rather than waiting for legislation to force the conversation.
Is “competitive salary” becoming outdated?
There is nothing wrong with offering competitive pay. The problem is when the phrase is used without providing any meaningful information.
Candidates increasingly expect clarity. They want to understand what an opportunity offers before investing time in the recruitment process.
With salary transparency moving higher up the agenda, employers that continue to withhold this information risk making their vacancies less attractive.
The proposed legislation is more than a change to job advertising. It is an opportunity for employers to review their wider approach to pay, reward and recruitment.
Those that prepare early could benefit from stronger candidate relationships, more efficient hiring processes and greater confidence in their reward structures.
The question is no longer simply what salary should appear on a job advert. It’s whether organisations are ready to be transparent about how and why they pay what they do.
Perhaps it’s time for “competitive salary” to become a thing of the past.