Not sharing the salary range is a waste of everyone’s time and ultimately hurts organizations trying to attract diverse, qualified candidates. Without transparency, candidates may go through multiple rounds of interviews only to find out the pay doesn’t meet their needs, which causes frustration and disillusionment.
Disclosing pay upfront actually demonstrates respect for applicants, helps set realistic expectations, and shows that an organization values transparency. It also avoids wasting resources—on both sides—by ensuring that candidates know from the start if the salary meets their expectations. By hiding pay, organizations risk losing top talent to those that are clear and upfront about compensation.
Organizations that use salary cloaking (hiding the pay) as a tactic to lowball or surprise candidates at the end of the hiring process.
Ultimately, a good hire is worth more than keeping a mysterious salary under wraps. Every time a job post leaves out the salary range, you may also be breaking state law!
It’s becoming standard to disclose salary ranges in job postings, a practice that helps to promote equitable hiring practices (Nonprofit AF), especially for women and people of color. Our article Can New Laws and Practices Address Pay Disparities? from February 2022 rounds up recent data and legislation supporting salary transparency.
