Publishers pledge to show salaries in job ads to ensure 'fair and equitable pay'

Two publishing companies, IOP Publishing and Emerald Publishing, have been announced as founding partners of the We Show the Salary campaign, a business-led campaign that will encourage more UK employers to include salary information on all of their job ads. 

More than 50 employers, including Usborne Publishing, have already taken the We Show the Salary pledge to show salary information on all of their job advertisements. Any employer, recruitment agency or jobs board can take a pledge to show salary information on all of their job advertisements here. 

The other founding partners are Co-op, AEG Europe, Good Energy, Stowe Family Law, THINK Consulting Solutions and PR and creative communications agencies Ketchum UK and Full Fat.

Campaign director Jo Tidball said: “Being an inclusive workplace and ensuring fair and equitable pay starts with putting salary information in the job ad – so it’s really important that this happens for every single job ad. Lots of publishing companies are already putting salary information on many of their job ads but we’d love to see more publishers join Emerald Publishing, IOP Publishing and Usborne Publishing in taking the We Show the Salary pledge to include salary info on 100% of their job ads.”

Research collated by We Show the Salary found that fewer than four in 10 job advertisements in the UK include salary information, with 39% of jobs published on applicant tracking software (ATS) platforms including salary information. Furthermore, 37% of jobs on LinkedIn include salary information, which drops to 27% when jobs posted by recruitment agencies (which make up around a fifth of job adverts on LinkedIn) are excluded.

Andy Macdonald, chief people officer at IOP Publishing, said: “Ensuring salary ranges feature on our job advertisements isn’t just about transparency – it’s about fairness, inclusion and making the hiring process smoother for candidates, and for us. We find that doing so helps attract a more diverse pool of applicants, reduces potential pay disparities, and streamlines the decision-making process. We’re championing the We Show the Salary campaign because we want to see other organisations embrace this practice, creating more equity and openness for everyone."

Katy Snell, people director at Emerald Publishing, commented: “Emerald Publishing is proud to be a founding partner of the We Show the Salary campaign. We believe in transparency and fairness, which is why it’s crucial to include salary information in all job ads. This practice builds trust and attracts a diverse and qualified pool of candidates, fostering equity and efficiency in our recruitment process.

“By showing the salary, we ensure that our business, employees and job applicants benefit from a clear and honest approach, leading to higher satisfaction and retention. As an accredited Open Org, we’ve seen first-hand how salary transparency can enhance our workplace culture and support our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”