Aussie workers demand mandatory salary transparency in job ads, new research shows

Most Australians are refusing to apply for roles that don’t include a salary range — sparking fresh calls to make pay transparency a legal requirement.

Aussie workers are fed up with guessing games and will no longer apply for roles without an advertised salary.

As cost-of-living pressures force Australians to look for ways to increase their earning potential, exclusive research reveals workers want salary transparency to be a mandated requirement for job advertisements.

Almost two-thirds of employers still omit salary details from job postings, despite it being key to jobseeker decisions about whether to apply for roles, according to the research from job site Indeed.

Talent Victoria managing director Simon Yeung

Recruiters understand the frustration but urge jobseekers not to discount ads that fail to mention remuneration, warning they could be leaving highly paid roles on the table.

“If people see no salary (listed on an advertised role) so give it a miss they are potentially missing out on the perfect job for them,’’ Talent Victoria managing director Simon Yeung said.

“There are many high-quality job openings with excellent pay, great culture and great growth (progression opportunities) that don’t include (advertised) salary details.’’

SHOW ME THE MONEY

The Indeed research shows upfront salary information is a key decider for 96 per cent of Australians debating whether to apply for a new job.

Eighty-two per cent of Australians want salary transparency to be mandatory for all employers, similar to pay transparency laws adopted by many countries in the United States.

The research shows unclear or missing salary guidance is the number one frustration of jobseekers – an even bigger peeve than unrealistic job requirements.

Currently, pay transparency varies considerably across Australian job sectors. Those looking for roles in the insurance sector are left the most wanting, with just 11 per cent of job postings including pay information.

In comparison, almost 70 per cent of advertised roles in the personal care and home health industry feature details about earnings.

As cost-of-living pressures force Australians to look for ways to increase their earning potential, exclusive research reveals workers want salary transparency to be a mandated requirement for job advertisements.

ARGUING THE FLIP SIDE

Mr Yeung said missing pay details on job advertisements were not always a sign of low-ball offerings and there were legitimate reasons why companies were hesitant to disclose salaries.

In some instances, employers were seeking to cast a wider net of jobseekers and had flexibility to increase their expected pay for the right candidate, he said.

In others, company policies prevented transparency around salaries, often due to several employees all performing the same job role for varying rates in pay, he said.

Mr Yeung said there was nothing stopping candidates from ringing companies and asking about pay as part of a wider conversation about a particular job opening.

“There’s no point getting to the second or third interview stage and finding out the pay is not where you are at,’’ he said.

“If the salary hasn’t been advertised just call the recruiter or the company itself to find out more details.

“Money plays a big part in everyone’s motivation (to do a job) so asking about salary is a valid question.’’

WASTING TIME

IT specialist Sachin Santhosh is currently looking for new work but has avoided job openings that do not include a listed salary, fearing the pay on offer will fall short of his expectations.

“I don’t want to waste my time (applying for) jobs that don’t specify salary,’’ Mr Santhosh said.

“When I’ve reached out to one or two (companies inquiring about salary prior to submitting a job application) they have said that’s something that would be revealed during the negotiating process if you get the job.

“So I have said, ‘See you later’ (and refused to apply).’’

Sachin IT for Careers note this is only Screengrab do not use large - juz

Having worked in IT for several years, Mr Santhosh said he was aware of his worth as an employee and also had a firm idea of what salary he needed to match his living expenses.

“If the job was with a global organisation like Google or Apple, where you know you are getting fair pay, then I would still apply (if a job listing didn’t include salary information),’’ he said.

“But if it was just a small local company, they might end up paying you nothing and you’ll just end up walking out and looking for something else.’’

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Indeed APAC economist Callam Pickering said the research findings showed ``employers can no longer shy away from pay transparency’’.

Costs of living had made jobseekers ``more sensitive to pay’’ than ever before and consequently, job ads that included salary details typically received 30 per cent more applications, he said.

Where job ads omitted pay details, Mr Pickering said platforms such as Glassdoor could help jobseekers determine what a role could pay.

Alternatively, using job sites to look for roles allowed candidates to filter postings according to their preferred salary range, he said.

“Only 35 per cent of job postings feature pay information so there’s a very large pool of openings that you don’t potentially want to miss out on,’’ Mr Pickering said.

“So do your research – the last thing you want to be doing is going through multiple job interviews before finding out what the pay is.’’

Salary transparency

• 96 per cent of Australian workers say upfront salary details are key in deciding to apply for a job
• 82 per cent want salary transparency to be mandatory for all employers
• 95 per cent are more inclined to trust employers that include pay information in listings
• 60 per cent say salary transparency is the single most important aspect of the job application process
• 65 per cent of employers choose to omit salary information

Source: Indeed.

Originally published as Aussie workers demand mandatory salary transparency in job ads, new research shows