New Campaign Launches to Encourage UK Employers to Show Salary Info on Job Ads
London, 8 April 2025: A new campaign has launched today, called We Show the Salary, to tackle the issue of salary transparency on job ads in the UK. The campaign is backed by nine founding partners representing various business sectors, including Co-op, AEG Europe, Good Energy, IOP Publishing, Emerald Publishing, Stowe Family Law, THINK Consulting Solutions, Ketchum UK, and Full Fat.
The goal of the campaign is to encourage more employers to include salary information on all job ads in order to create a fairer, more inclusive, and accessible recruitment process for job applicants. The campaign also aims to help close the pay gaps that exist in UK workplaces.
According to research collected by We Show the Salary, less than 40% of job ads in the UK include salary information. This figure drops even further when looking at job ads posted directly by employers. On LinkedIn, only 27% of job ads posted directly by employers include salary information.
This lack of transparency is creating a significant barrier for job applicants, with 56% of people saying they are unlikely to apply for a job where the salary is not listed in the ad. This lack of information also goes against fair and inclusive recruitment practices, as salary information is recognized as one of the key ways to close pay gaps.
Matt Eyre, Employer Branding & Colleague Value Proposition Lead at Co-op, explains the importance of salary transparency: “Salary transparency is a simple but powerful way to make recruitment fairer. 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 address this issue, the We Show the Salary campaign is issuing a call to action to every employer in the UK to make a pledge to include salary information on all job ads. Employers, recruitment agencies, and job boards can take the pledge by visiting www.weshowthesalary.org.uk/pledge.
Charlotte Williams, Talent Acquisition Manager at Good Energy, also stresses the importance of salary transparency: “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.”
The campaign has already gained the support of 50 early adopters, including Haymarket Media Group, Usborne Publishing, learning and development platform HowNow, Sano Genetics, creative agencies Jack & Grace, Hope & Glory and GOOD Agency, TPP Recruitment, and charities Blue Cross, ActionAid UK, National Federation of Women’s Institutes, Keep Britain Tidy, Young Lives vs Cancer and Independent Age.
Jo Tidball, campaign director for We Show the Salary, explains the campaign’s mission: “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…We want employers to recognize 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.”
Laura Lefeuvre, Head of Talent Acquisition at AEG Europe, also emphasizes the importance of salary transparency: “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.”
The campaign is also supported by recent polling conducted by Opinium, which shows that 56% of people are unlikely to apply for a job where the salary is not listed in the ad. This poll also found that salary information is the most important detail for job seekers, with six times as many people saying salary info is most important compared to employee benefits.
The We Show the Salary campaign is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with the aim of getting salary information onto 100% of job ads in the UK. Employers, recruitment agencies, and job boards can take the pledge to show salary info on all job ads by visiting www.weshowthesalary.org.uk/pledge.
For more information or to arrange an interview with any of the founding partners, please contact campaign director Jo Tidball on team@weshowthesalary.org.uk.
Data sources for the campaign include Applicant Tracking System job data provided by Fantastic.jobs
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.