How do we show the salary? A Q&A with Kate Nightingale of Young Women's Trust

Young Women’s Trust supports young women aged 18-30 who are on low or no pay, through coaching and mentoring services, and through campaigning for equitable pay and workplace rights. They’re an accredited We Show the Salary employer, which means salary info is always included on their job ads. We spoke to Kate Nightingale, Director of Communications, Campaigns and Research at Young Women’s Trust, to find out more about why showing the salary on job ads matters so much for young women.

How does including salary info on job ads support equality and fairness for young women at the start of their careers, and as they aim to progress in their careers?

We know that there is an annual income gap between young women and young men of around £4,000 per year – so pay inequality is there right from the beginning of women’s working lives – and then it follows them, and grows, all the way up to retirement when they end up with lower pensions than men.

If pay is based on your previous salary, then pay gaps just get baked in, as women are likely to be on lower pay to start with. Salary transparency means a level playing field.

Showing the salary on job ads is a crucial way in which employers can stop the pay gap creeping in. It means everyone is offered the same pay for the same work. We know that if it’s left to negotiation, women tend to negotiate lower pay than men – and women, particularly Black women, can be perceived more negatively for negotiating. And if pay is based on your previous salary, then pay gaps just get baked in, as women are likely to be on lower pay to start with. Salary transparency means a level playing field.

Does the topic of salary transparency on job ads come up when you’re working with young women in workshops and mentoring sessions? What feedback do you hear on this issue?

When we worked with young women to put together their ‘manifesto for an equal world of work’, salary transparency and a ban on asking for salary history was one of the key things they wanted to see. Young women in all types of job have told us about how hard it is to apply for a job when they don’t know what they will get paid, and how hard it is to negotiate when they have no benchmark for what to ask for. This is happening in the lowest paid retail jobs as well as more corporate jobs in finance and consulting. And, partly as a result, almost a quarter of young women say they’ve been paid less than men for the same work.

Young women in all types of job have told us about how hard it is to apply for a job when they don’t know what they will get paid, and how hard it is to negotiate when they have no benchmark for what to ask for. This is happening in the lowest paid retail jobs as well as more corporate jobs in finance and consulting.

How does being open about pay on your job ads influence your internal recruitment processes and organisational culture?

Having transparency means there is trust between colleagues, and between staff and employer – working relationships can better flourish and everyone feels equally valued for what they do.

We have always shown the salary on job ads, so it’s second nature to us, and we have set payscales, and a robust evaluation process to ensure any new or amended job descriptions are objectively scored alongside others in the organisation. Obviously these things can take time to set up but once the frameworks and processes are in place it makes recruitment for each individual role much simpler. And we have had plenty of feedback from candidates that they have appreciated the transparency.

For us, salary transparency goes alongside other ways we can be as transparent and accessible as possible for candidates – for example, we always state what the flexible working options are in every role, and what our parental leave offer is, so this isn’t left for candidates to have to awkwardly raise during the process. Having those conversations from the start makes things better for everyone.

Salary transparency goes alongside other ways we can be as transparent and accessible as possible for candidates – for example, we always state what the flexible working options are in every role, and what our parental leave offer is, so this isn’t left for candidates to have to awkwardly raise during the process. Having those conversations from the start makes things better for everyone.

What advice would you give to employers who aren’t yet showing the salary on their job ads?

Get going. You can start by showing the salary on new job ads, and go from there. You will see the benefits in the recruitment process and your ability to attract a more diverse range of candidates who will see and respond to your transparency. Not only is a practical thing you can do to improve diversity and equity, it signals your values as an employer.