London, 8 April 2025 – A new campaign has been launched to promote salary transparency in job advertisements across the United Kingdom. “We Show the Salary” is urging employers to include salary information in all job ads to create a fairer and more inclusive recruitment process.
According to research, less than 40% of job ads in the UK currently show the salary. This number drops even further when looking at job ads posted directly by employers, with only 27% including salary information on LinkedIn. The lack of transparency around salaries has been identified as a significant barrier for job applicants, with 56% stating that they are unlikely to apply for a job if the salary is not stated in the ad.
The campaign is backed by nine founding partners representing a diverse range of business sectors including Co-op, AEG Europe, Good Energy, IOP Publishing, Emerald Publishing, Stowe Family Law, THINK Consulting Solutions, Ketchum UK, and Full Fat.
Matt Eyre, Employer Branding & Colleague Value Proposition Lead at Co-op, explains the importance of salary transparency in recruitment, stating, “At Co-op, we know that being clear about pay helps candidates make informed decisions, breaks down barriers, and leads to a more inclusive process. It also makes business sense – we see stronger, more diverse applications when we’re open about what we offer, and that benefits everyone.”
To support the campaign, employers, recruitment agencies, and job boards are encouraged to take a pledge to include salary information on 100% of their job ads by visiting the website www.weshowthesalary.org.uk/pledge.
Charlotte Williams, Talent Acquisition Manager at Good Energy, expresses enthusiasm for the campaign, saying, “We at Good Energy are really excited to be part of the We Show the Salary campaign. As an employer whose values are based on being inclusive and fair, a big thing that you can do is be upfront with your candidates and show them the salary, making things as easy, fair and straightforward as possible.”
Laura Lefeuvre, Head of Talent Acquisition at AEG Europe, also emphasizes the importance of salary transparency in promoting diversity and equality in the workplace, stating, “At AEG, we have a diverse recruitment charter and one of our key pledges is that we always show a salary on our adverts. This commitment is part of our broader strategy to create a level playing field on pay gaps and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to equal pay across genders and ethnicities. We want to be transparent and show respect to our job applicants. By showing the salary range, we know we’ll attract a larger, more diverse talent pool, which will help us become an even more diverse and inclusive employer.”
In addition to the nine founding partners, 50 more employers, recruitment consultancies, and job boards have already signed up as early adopters of the pledge, demonstrating their commitment to promoting salary transparency in the recruitment process.
“Right now we’re in a bonkers situation where it’s common to see job ads give long lists of benefits and perks, but with no mention of the more important detail of salary,” says We Show the Salary campaign director, Jo Tidball. “And job ads frequently describe the employer’s commitment to being an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace, without saying what the job pays – but showing salary info in the job ad has been identified as one of the key ways to close pay gaps. We want employers to recognise that being an inclusive workplace and ensuring fair and equitable pay starts with putting the salary info in the job ad – and to show their commitment to doing this by taking the We Show the Salary pledge.”
This campaign is supported by data collated from various sources, including applicant tracking software (ATS) platforms, LinkedIn job postings, and a new poll conducted by Opinium. The poll reveals that 56% of individuals are unlikely to apply for a job where the salary is not stated in the ad. Additionally, when asked which detail is the most important to see on a job ad, six times as many people say salary info as say employee benefits, and 3.5 times as many people say salary info as say flexible/hybrid working policies.
“We Show the Salary” is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with a simple but ambitious goal of getting salary info onto 100% of job ads in the UK. Employers, recruitment consultancies, and job boards can take the pledge to show salary info on all of their job ads by visiting the website www.weshowthesalary.org.uk/pledge.
