Hazel Wynn, managing director of specialist finance recruiter Rutherford Cross UK, has questioned whether the Government’s plans to improve transparency in the jobs market by requiring employers to disclose salary information in job adverts could end up having the opposite effect.
Under new proposals, employers would be forced to publish a salary or pay range in any job adverts, or provide written salary information before an interview if a role is not shared publicly – a move that may significantly change how employers approach recruitment. They may also have to provide information about other forms of remuneration, such as bonuses.
While the proposals are aimed at improving openness about roles and preventing future pay discrimination claims, Wynn believes the new rules may actually limit how publicly companies decide to promote their roles, making the market more opaque.
“The frustration candidates feel about job adverts with no salary is completely understandable,” says Wynn. “That’s why when we cannot publish a figure or range, we try to at least provide an indication of what the organisation has in mind for the role.
“Pay grades and ranges are already a common part of recruitment in the public sector – and they work well in that context, where the roles are often clear cut and part of a defined structure. However, in the private sector, with businesses at very different stages of their growth, it can be a complicating factor, particularly when they might be recruiting for a role for the first time.
“Companies often need to scope out the market to find a realistic salary for a role, the position may evolve depending on the available candidates, and sharing what new recruits might be paid can cause issues within the existing team,” she points out. “All of that may make them decide not to advertise publicly, and instead go down other routes to hire.”
Wynn also adds employers may can inadvertently dissuade people who may otherwise be perfect for the role by being too prescriptive about a salary. If the amount is far above what they are currently paid, they may think it is too aspirational and Wynn says they’ve seen plenty of cases where suitable candidates can be discouraged by a number of factors in job adverts, often feeling like they have to meet all the criteria.
News of the legislation came shortly after the employment figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the number of job vacancies across the UK fell to 702,000 in the three months to August – the lowest level since 2014, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic. Unemployment remained at 4.9 per cent in July – significantly higher than the 3.6 per cent low recorded four years ago.
Full details of the legislation are yet to be finalised, with government officials planning to consult on whether pay ranges, benchmark rates, or exact salaries will need to be shared with potential candidates. The consultation remains open until 27 October 2026.
Hazel Wynn added: “At a time when many businesses are already facing multiple challenges and they are finding it difficult to recruit the right people, this could add another layer of complexity. They would need to thoroughly research the market to determine salary expectations and think carefully about how they communicate a new role going live internally.
“From a candidate perspective, what they need is the opportunity to be evaluated based on their fit, experience, and potential rather than be judged by a fixed salary,” concludes Wynn. “This would offer greater flexibility for negotiation and potentially higher individual offers for the right people.”
