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'We're going to see more of it' - Why salaries should be on job descriptions

Caroline Reidy says employers need to start benchmarking salaries to keep workers
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

14.02 3 Feb 2022


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'We're going to see more of it...

'We're going to see more of it' - Why salaries should be on job descriptions

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

14.02 3 Feb 2022


Share this article


More job descriptions will have salary information on them going forward, as people want the information upfront.

That's according to Caroline Reidy from The HR Suite, who says employers will have to start benchmarking salaries to keep workers.

She told Lunchtime Live there is a reluctance to share salary information within organisations.

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"People are really cautious to share their salary or their package - in case they're on less than somebody else and they might think they're on more, or vice-versa.

"I think it's one of those things that people really are very slow to share that information."

But she says this is not the case when people are moving to new roles.

"We're beginning to see more candidates now, when they're going for an interview, they want to know upfront - and rightly so - what is the package that the job offers before they even put their CV forward.

"And I think that's a good thing - because if it doesn't meet your expected package requirements, then there's no point wasting everybody's time.

"So I think we're going to see more of it, but I think it's definitely a contentious one".

Caroline says some salaries are not as clear cut, and remote working may blur that even more.

"It's down to the cost of living piece, isn't it? As to saying 'My cost of living is going to be higher if I'm living in Dublin than if I'm living in Donegal... yet my job is going to be exactly the same'.

"But I think with the whole remote working piece now, and many people have relocated to fabulous locations around the coast - particularly - and they're reluctant to move back into the city.

"It'll be interesting to see if conversations are going to start to happen now in relation to salary, like they're doing in some of the big multinationals, using New York as a test ground for that".

But Caroline says salary is not the only reason people are switching.

"For many, the salary's only one part of the job - we've really seen in the last 12 months particularly as people are making decisions.

"Many people are not moving just for salary; they're moving for flexibility, they're looking at pension, they're looking at health insurance.

"They're looking at what does the career progression look like, what does the culture feel, am I being connected in this environment in a place that fits my values?

"There's an awful lot more mow that makes a person stay in an organisation, or might turn their eye to see if the grass is greener over there."

And she says benchmarking will be important going forward.

"I think it'll take more than salary to move somebody - but I think employers definitely need to be benchmarking to be pro-active to make sure they're going to retain somebody.

"It's no good when somebody comes to the employer and says 'I've got another job over here and I'm gone' - because when somebody is gone, they're checked out.

"And even if you convince them to stay, it's only a short-term convincing normally".

'We're going to see more of it' - Why salaries should be on job descriptions

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Main image: A woman searching for a job in a newspaper. Picture by: Freefall Images / Alamy Stock Photo

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Benchmarking Benchmarking Salaries Caroline Reidy Job Descriptions Lunchtime Live Salaries The HR Suite

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