The UK government is consulting on whether employers should be required to publish salary information in job adverts. The consultation closes on 27 October 2026, so nothing is law yet, but the direction is clear.
Here is our view
For candidates, this is a straightforward win. If a salary does not meet their needs, they should know that before they spend time tailoring a CV, writing a covering letter and sitting through several rounds of interviews. Salary transparency gives them that information upfront so they can make a sensible decision and focus their energy where it is worth spending it.
For clients, there are real benefits too:
First, you will attract better-matched applicants from the outset. Candidates who know the salary and still apply are already signalling that the role works for them financially, which makes for cleaner, faster shortlisting. It's a fact that more applications are received when a salary is specified.
Second, it reduces the risk of late-stage drop-out. Losing a strong candidate at offer stage because the salary was never discussed is an expensive waste of everyone's time. Transparency largely removes that problem.
Third, it gives you a stronger, more credible presence in the market. Candidates notice when a business is open about what it pays. It signals confidence and fair dealing, both of which matter when you are competing for good people.
Yes, there are nerves around this. Nobody wants competitors knowing their pay rates, and some employers worry about existing staff making comparisons. But if your salaries are below the market rate, that is a problem that already exists. Pay transparency does not create it; it simply makes it visible. And if pay is the main thing keeping your team in their seats, that is worth addressing before the market does it for you.
For a thorough overview of the proposals, the research and the international examples, the full article is worth reading.