Employers who refuse to disclose salaries with candidates are deservedly missing out on the top talent.

That’s the view of Simon Swan, founder of Manchester-based talent marketplace Hiring Hub ahead of Talos360’s exclusive ‘Future of Talent’ event tomorrow (30th April).

Award-winning recruitment technology provider Talos360 has teamed up with BusinessCloud to reveal its latest research on the best ways to motivate, hire and retain the best employees in 2024.

According to the research, 51 per cent of candidates said no mention of salary would deter them from applying.

Swan, who forms part of a stellar panel of speakers at the event, said: “At Hiring Hub, we still speak with employers that are reluctant but it’s a HUGE disadvantage if they don’t at least disclose a salary.

“What candidate is going to waste their time exploring a new opportunity if they don’t know whether it’s in their salary ballpark?

“It’s like buying a car, you know whether you can afford a Fiesta or a Ferrari. Imagine if they didn’t tell you how much they cost and you spent time talking to the salesperson, taking them for a test drive, deciding what colour you prefer only to find out one costs £150k – and you’re priced out – and one is £10k.

Simon Swan steps down as CEO of Hiring Hub

“You hate it. Employers that aren’t willing to share salary expectations, or just say it’s ‘competitive’ but don’t give an indication of what that means, deserve to miss out on the top talent – and they do.”

Swan also said the sector was starting to see some ‘green shoots of recovery’ in Q1 after a tough 2023.

“March was Hiring Hub’s best month for job uploads, so we’re cautiously optimistic about the coming months,” he said.

“Inflation, tightening financial conditions, increased interest rates, and lay-offs have left a scar on candidates, though.

“They’re nervous, with many valuing job security over a switch right now, particularly in sectors like IT/tech.

“However, there are good candidates on the market, and while salary expectations are tempering, people are more focused on work-life balance and flexibility than they have ever been. employers need to be mindful of this when recruiting.”

Swan will be joined on the panel by Adam Ward, CEO of Airtime Rewards, which is now offering offer bi-annual salary reviews.

He said: “Numerous factors have meant that salaries are naturally inflating, however to keep up with this trend, we offer bi-annual salary reviews to ensure we remain competitive and recognise our people’s contributions.”

Ward said it’s still a candidate-led market, with applicants dropping out mid process and declining offers based on counters from their employer and other companies.

Final speaker confirmed for ‘Future of Talent’ event

Talos360’s exclusive ‘Future of Talent’ event takes place tomorrow (30th April) at KPMG’s Manchester offices.

The other speakers include Adam Newey, head of talent at Collctiv; Janette Martin, CEO, Talos360; Dean McGlone, chief revenue officer Talos360; Senda Kavindele, partner, KPMG; and Simon Gomez, founder and director, GMZ Talent.

The discussion will look at the growing impact of technology and societal change on how employers will need to adapt quickly to future-proof their people strategy.

To register for the event click here