Do salaries belong on job ads?

Despite being one of many trends emerging in response to an increasingly competitive job market, new research has suggested that omitting salary in job ads may not be worth the effort in the long run.

Findings that almost 50 per cent of surveyed employers choose to exclude salary details in job postings signal a move away from transparency and an acknowledgement of difficult financial conditions – but many are paying the price.

According to new research by Robert Half, 69 per cent of Australian employers have lost a candidate because of misaligned salary expectations. In these cases, the information has emerged after initial application, thereby disrupting the recruitment process midway, and potentially seeing the loss of valuable candidates.

The survey of 500 Australian hiring managers revealed that of the 69 per cent, 22 per cent experienced candidate departure frequently.

This has a significant impact on both the individual and the organisation. Robert Half director Nicole Gorton said that withholding salary information can delay hiring outcomes and waste time for skilled professionals already navigating a tricky labour market.

“With the state of the current employment market, even losing one high-potential candidate can have ripple effects on productivity, team morale, and business continuity,” she said.

In this way, clarity has emerged as a competitive advantage.

Salary disclosure resulted in improved application quality for 91 per cent of employers, with approximately 50 per cent already embracing transparency as a strategic lever in recruitment.

Of this proportion, popular reasons for doing so were to promote transparency and build trust with candidates, to attract more qualified applicants, to stay competitive, to reduce candidate drop-off and to reduce time spent on salary negotiations.

“Transparency acts as a natural filter by aligning salary expectations early, reducing friction later in the hiring process,” Gorton said.

“While some employers may choose not to disclose salaries upfront due to internal equity concerns, flexibility needs, or evolving role requirements, sharing a salary range where possible can help set expectations, support informed discussions, and minimise the risk of misalignment.”

As such, both ends of the spectrum are seeing benefits, with employees able to exercise clear judgement before applying to a position, and employers attracting candidates that are aligned both financially and professionally.

“With ongoing cost-of-living pressures and employees becoming more vocal about remuneration, candidates are approaching job moves with sharper financial awareness. Employers who don’t address compensation upfront risk progressing strong talent through multiple stages of the hiring process only to lose them at the final hurdle,” Gorton said.

“That’s a costly use of both time and resources.”

Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make HR Leader a preferred news source on Google.