Why Adding a Salary Range is Important
Adding a salary range to your LinkedIn job posting has become an increasingly important practice for companies and recruiters. With growing demands for pay transparency from candidates, specifying the pay upfront can help attract qualified applicants, improve diversity, and increase application conversion rates. According to LinkedIn’s research, job postings with salary ranges get up to 2x more applicants than those without.
Displaying salary information also helps set clear expectations with candidates early in the hiring process. This prevents wasting time interviewing candidates who may not be satisfied with the eventual compensation offer. Overall, providing a salary range contributes to a positive candidate experience and can give your employer brand a competitive edge.
LinkedIn’s Requirements for Posting Salary Ranges
In March 2022, LinkedIn began requiring employers to include salary information in all job postings for roles based in Colorado and New York City. This requirement stems from pay transparency laws that have gone into effect in these regions. While optional for jobs in other locations, LinkedIn strongly recommends adding a salary range wherever possible.
Here are LinkedIn’s guidelines for posting salaries:
– The salary range must encompass the minimum to maximum pay for the role. Avoid listing a single salary figure rather than a range.
– If the role is hourly rather than salaried, provide the hourly wage range. Make sure to specify that it is hourly.
– The salary range must be for the location where the job is based, factoring in local pay rates and costs of living.
– Avoid using subjective terms like “competitive pay” or “lucrative salary package” without stating the actual range.
– The posted salary should represent total compensation, including base pay, bonuses, commissions, tips, and estimated overtime pay. Do not include benefits like health insurance or equity compensation in the range.
– If you operate in multiple geographies, tailor the salary range for candidates in each location. Do not post global salary bands.
– The salary range must be listed in the job description section of the posting. It cannot be stated only in the qualifications or in a different section.
How to Add a Salary Range on LinkedIn
Adding a salary range to your LinkedIn job postings is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps:
1. From your LinkedIn Recruiter account, create a new job posting or edit an existing one.
2. In the job description section, enter the salary information in a sentence like: “The salary range for this role is $55,000 – $75,000.”
3. You can also add the salary range in a bolded sub-heading or bullet point to make it stand out, like:
Salary range: $60,000 – $85,000
or
– Salary range: $70,000 – $90,000
4. Avoid using wage ranges that are too broad like $40,000 – $100,000. Stick to a range of around $15,000 – $20,000 for most positions. For senior executive roles, the range can be broader.
5. For clarity, specify that the salary is in annual terms or if it is an hourly wage. For example:
– Salary range: $45,000 – $65,000 per year
– Hourly wage range: $15 – $22 per hour
6. Double check that the salary range complies with LinkedIn’s requirements and any applicable laws based on the job location.
7. Preview how the salary information will appear in the live job posting. Make edits if needed.
8. When done, publish the job as you normally would.
The salary range will now be visible to candidates viewing the job posting on LinkedIn. They will immediately know the pay scale for this opportunity before applying.
Tips for Determining Your Salary Ranges
When deciding which salary range to post for a job, aim for competitive pay that will attract qualified candidates based on the following:
– Research the typical pay range for this job title and experience level in your city or region using sites like Glassdoor, Payscale, Salary.com.
– Review the salary ranges you’ve posted for similar roles in the past and consider any changes needed based on market conditions.
– Factor in the specific duties, skills, experience and education required for the job. More specialized or senior roles warrant higher pay bands.
– If this is an existing role, use the current salary as a starting point for the range minimum. Extend the range maximum to the highest pay supported by your budget.
– Account for non-negotiable considerations like union contracts or internal pay equity with other roles.
– Get buy-in from your CFO, VP of HR or hiring manager on the proposed salary range before posting.
– For jobs open to remote employees located anywhere, research pay rates nationally for that role.
– Make sure the range complies with your diversity and inclusion goals around equitable pay by gender, race and other factors.
– Allow room for negotiation within the range when extending job offers. Do not advertise the maximum salary as the fixed pay.
Regularly reviewing your salary ranges against the market will help attract the best candidates. Posting salaries also reinforces your commitment to pay fairness and transparency.
Alternatives if You Prefer Not Posting Salary Ranges
While becoming standard practice, sharing salary info upfront still represents a major mindset shift for some employers. If your organization is not comfortable posting pay ranges publicly, consider these alternatives:
State that salary is “competitive” or “commensurate with experience”
This gives candidates a general sense that the pay will align with market rates for the role and their background. However, without numbers it is still vague.
Share the salary range upon request
Invite candidates to connect with the recruiter to learn the pay range details confidentially. But this adds extra steps for the job seeker.
Disclose the range to applicants who pass initial screening
Once you have reviewed a candidate’s resume, share the salary details privately before scheduling an interview. This provides the information to serious applicants only.
Explain why salary is not listed
Consider adding a line explaining why your job posts do not show pay information. For example, “Salary will be discussed with candidates later in the hiring process.” At minimum, this acknowledges the topic.
While posting compensation ranges has its challenges, the added transparency and candidate trust are worth the effort for most employers today.
Using LinkedIn’s Salary Insights Tool
In addition to including salary ranges in your job postings, take advantage of LinkedIn’s Salary Insights tool. Available with LinkedIn Recruiter and Talent Insights packages, this provides detailed salary data for positions in your region.
Here’s how Salary Insights can help when determining pay to advertise for open roles:
– Review the average base salary, along with the low and high ends of the range, for the specific job title you are hiring for. Compare to your own salary estimate for this role.
– Filter the salary data by years of experience required to see how pay expectations change based on seniority and skill level.
– Break down the salary information by education, company size, and other filters relevant to your hiring needs.
– See how salaries for this role at your company compare to competitors. Identify areas where your pay lags behind.
– Understand pay trends over time by comparing current salary data to historical patterns.
– Get localized salary recommendations tailored to the city or region where the job is based.
– Export the salary information into reports and share findings with your leadership team.
Along with posting more transparent salaries, using Salary Insights ensures your ranges align closely with candidate expectations. This helps you hire more effectively.
Measuring the ROI of Posting Salary Ranges
To understand the impact of adding salary information to your LinkedIn job postings, track metrics like:
– Application rate: Calculate the % increase in daily or weekly applications for jobs with salary ranges versus without. Aim for at least 25% higher application volume.
– Applicant quality: Review the experience levels and skills of candidates applying to determine if attracting more qualified talent. Monitor changes to key indicators like years of work experience required.
– Cost per applicant: Determine if adding salary ranges lowers your average cost per applicant by reducing spending on job board posts and recruiter time spent screening irrelevant candidates. Benchmark against industry standards.
– Conversion rates: Compare the % of applicants who move from initial screening stages to becoming interviewees and ultimately hires. Rising conversion rates indicate higher candidate engagement.
– Time to hire: Calculate whether listing salary ranges shortens the number of days needed to source and hire candidates for open positions. Faster hiring velocity is positive.
– Regulatory compliance: If required by law to post salaries, monitor and confirm that all job listings in compliant regions include the necessary pay information.
– Candidate satisfaction: Ask applicants and new hires to rate their perception of your hiring process and pay transparency. Higher scores indicate a competitive edge.
By regularly measuring such metrics, you can quantify the ROI of salary transparency and optimize your approach over time.
Common Candidate Questions About Posted Salary Ranges
When you add compensation information to LinkedIn job postings, interested candidates may have some follow up questions. Here are some FAQs along with suggested responses:
Why does the job listing show a pay range instead of a single salary figure?
We use a salary range to provide applicants flexibility in aligning pay with their specific experience and skill set within the general scope of the role. The final salary offer takes multiple factors into account.
Is the salary range negotiable?
The range represents the overall minimum to maximum we are budgeted to pay for this position. However, where you land within the range depends on the hiring process and your full qualifications.
Are bonuses, commissions, or other pay included in the advertised salary range?
The range reflects the expected base pay only. Bonuses, incentives, and other compensation elements are discussed separately once an offer is extended.
I’m located in a different city. Will the salary be tailored to my local pay rates?
For remote positions open to candidates anywhere, we benchmark pay competitively against national averages for this role. If applying for an in-office job, the range is based on local pay rates.
The range seems low based on my experience level. Is it flexible?
The range represents our standard budget, but we can discuss adjustments during the interview process for exceptionally qualified candidates.
Being prepared with clear answers to questions like these reassures candidates and demonstrates your commitment to pay fairness.
Ensuring Compliance with Salary Posting Laws
As more states and cities enact legislation around pay transparency in job listings, ensuring legal compliance becomes crucial. Here are some tips:
– Closely track which locations have mandatory salary posting laws in effect and their specific requirements. Update your postings for all roles in these places.
– If the law requires sharing a salary range, be sure not to list only a single number. Many laws explicitly need ranges.
– Do not try to circumvent obligations by leaving out the salary altogether or using vague language like “competitive wages” when a number is mandatory.
– Understand any exceptions if specific types of employees like contract workers can be excluded from salary posting requirements.
– Train your recruiters and HR staff on proper protocols for including pay in job advertisements for compliance.
– Update your applicant tracking system to mandate salary range fields when posting jobs in regulated locations. Build in data validation checks.
– If a role allows work in multiple states or countries, clarify which geographic pay range is being displayed.
– Review help center guidance from LinkedIn and job sites on how to format salaries when posting to ensure visibility.
– If receiving applicant complaints about missing salary data, address immediately to avoid investigation risks.
Staying current on evolving regulations around pay transparency will ensure your LinkedIn job posts meet legal obligations.
Best Practices for Salary Posting
To gain the most value from sharing salary ranges, keep these best practices in mind:
– Disclose specific numbers, not vague statements. Provide clear minimum and maximum figures.
– Check that ranges align with your actual compensation budgets. Do not inflate or exaggerate.
– Avoid broad ranges like 40%+ difference between minimum and maximum pay. Closer alignment reassures candidates.
– For very senior roles where wider ranges are needed, break into smaller increments like $50K – $75K – $100K – $125K.
– Update ranges annually based on pay trends, market movement, and changes to company pay scales. Outdated info causes distrust.
– Train recruiters to have salary transparency conversations with candidates early and openly.
– Use inclusive language like “salary expected” rather than “salary required” to allow for flexibility.
– Explain any circumstances where posted pay rates may not apply, like for highly experienced hires.
– List salaries upfront prominently in job posts. Do not reveal only if candidates inquire.
– Support equal pay by auditing ranges for bias and adjusting as needed to close unfair pay gaps across demographic groups.
Making pay transparency standard practice throughout your hiring process can position your employer brand for the future while accelerating candidate conversion today.
Conclusion
Adding salary information to LinkedIn job postings delivers measurable improvements in applicant quality, conversion rates, and hiring efficiency. In today’s candidate-driven market, pay transparency before the interview process is now essential for attracting top talent. By following LinkedIn’s guidelines and best practices for posting compensation ranges, your company can gain a competitive recruiting advantage while also complying with an evolving regulatory landscape demanding greater pay transparency. Implementing salary ranges thoughtfully demonstrates to candidates your commitment to fair and equitable compensation based on skill and experience, not arbitrary factors. Rather than a limitation, proactively sharing salary details in your LinkedIn job ads is a key opportunity to reinforce your employer brand and advance your diversity, equity and inclusion goals.