To gain a better understanding of the desires and needs of jobseekers in Limburg, we recently visited a job fair. We asked various questions about the type of job they were looking for, how they applied, where they found success, and what disappointed them. One topic that frequently came up was salary — unsurprising, as jobseekers place great importance on this. They shared how much they wanted to earn and what they had earned in the past. One thing stood out: the vast majority of job postings they reviewed did not mention a salary. Vague terms like “competitive,” “market-based,” or “attractive” were used instead. But what value do these words have for a candidate? In reality, none.
It is striking that job postings often fail to specify a salary amount. There is always a detailed description of what the candidate will do daily, what the organization looks like, and what is expected of them. But what they receive in return is often left unmentioned. Isn’t that remarkable? This leads to significant time-wasting for everyone involved. A candidate applies, attends an interview, learns the salary, finds it unsatisfactory, and withdraws. The result: the candidate wastes time traveling to the interview, and the recruiter wastes time reviewing, inviting, and interviewing the candidate.
Imagine shopping in a supermarket where no product has a price tag. Only at the checkout do you discover the price and decide you don’t want the product. You waste time filling your cart with items you don’t want due to high prices, and the cashier wastes time restocking them. Fortunately, supermarket products do have prices!
Research shows that between 70% and 80% of all job postings do not include salary information. You can imagine how much time is wasted as a result. This may stem from a fear that candidates won’t apply if the salary is listed. However, transparency actually attracts motivated candidates who apply with genuine interest.
Save your own time and that of the candidate by stating the job’s salary. After all, it’s not as if they’ll never find out.
