Recruitment

Number of job ads including salary falls to six-year low, research shows

THE number of job advertisements disclosing the salary on offer has slipped to a six-year low, according to new research.

Job site Adzuna looked at 80 million job ads advertised on the website in the past six years to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of salary transparency in the UK and across the globe.

It found that the UK has the highest rate of salary disclosure out of 19 job markets analysed in 2022, with three in five job ads disclosing an intended salary or salary range.

“That said, over the course of the last six years, there has been barely any progress, and the country is showing early signs of a slowdown, with the proportion of advertised vacancies including salary slipping to a six-year low,” a spokesperson said.

It said there was a North/South divide in salary transparency.

Yorkshire & Humber is most straight talking, with 63% of job ads disclosing pay, while London (55%), Scotland (49%) and Northern Ireland (28%) are the most secretive regions.

Interestingly, London has been cited as having both the worst ethnicity pay gap and worst gender pay gap, suggesting a correlation between a lack of transparency and inequality.

In the South West, the number of job ads revealing the salary on offer was 58.3%, a drop from 67.2% the previous year.

Sector-wise, Charity & Voluntary is the most transparent sector, while Creative & Design is the most secretive. About one in three job ads of creative and design roles featured salary information in 2022, down from 48% a year ago, the firm added.

Other worst offending sectors include Scientific & QA, with just 34.1% of job ads disclosing a salary, and Retail (37.2%).

The Energy sector has seen the biggest fall in the proportion of job ads with a salary, down -20.6 percentage points to 38.6%, followed by Creative & Design.

Healthcare & Nursing fell third fastest, slipping -10.9 percentage points to 60.2% in 2022, followed by IT which was down -10.8 percentage points.

“Falling transparency in these latter two sectors could have consequences on hiring, as companies failing to disclose pay rates could miss out on candidates amid skills shortages,” the spokesperson added.

Employers value ‘soft skills’ when interviewing potential recruits

EMPATHY and a sense of humour could be the most important ‘soft skills’ for people seeking a job, according to a new poll.

A survey of 1,000 hiring managers commissioned by recruitment firm Michael Page revealed 77 percent were on the lookout for much more than just technical attributes when someone sits down for an interview.

The survey showed 62 percent had hired someone who showed emotional skills like sincerity and respectfulness, even if there were better technically qualified candidates.

However, 63 percent said they believed prospective employees often forgot to demonstrate their personable and human sides in interviews and focussed too much on their skills and qualifications.

“The pandemic really drove home the importance of soft skills and taught businesses how crucial it is to invest in a workforce that possesses more than just technical ability,” said Doug Rode, from Michael Page, pictured.

“Now, with a turbulent economic landscape impacting businesses across the country, attributes such as a willingness to learn, flexibility and a sense of humour are all highly desired by hiring managers who know that personal qualities can impact a company’s overall success.

“Too often, candidates talk themselves out of applying for a certain job because they worry they don’t have every single skill, but this research clearly shows that employers are willing to overlook that for the right candidate.

“It’s easy to upskill once someone is in role, but traits like teamwork, empathy and friendliness are crucial attributes that you can’t necessarily teach.”

According to the research, almost half (49 percent) of employers said they would take on a prospective employee who would complement the team.

And 36 percent said when an interview finished, they often knew whether they would be offering the job to that person.

Mr Rode added: “Over the past few years, technology has fundamentally changed the traditional recruitment process – particularly through virtual interviewing.

“One of the key benefits of this is that companies are able to widen the net to secure talent from further afield, increasing diversity and creating opportunities for previously untapped talent pools.

“However, whether virtual or in person, interviewers will be keen to get a sense of the soft skills candidates can offer their business.

“Now, more than ever, demonstrating the desire to develop and futureproof their skills, being willing to learn and able to solve problems will give most candidates an edge over purely technical ability.”

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