How do we show the salary? A Q&A with Mel Rodrigues of Creative Access

Creative Access supports people from groups that are under-represented in the creative industries to start and build thriving creative careers, and the Creative Access opportunities board is a great place to find creative industry jobs – all with clear pay information. We spoke to Mel Rodrigues, CEO at Creative Access to find out more about why salary info on job ads is a crucial driver of diversity, equity and inclusion in the creative industries.

How does including salary info on job ads support diversity, equity and inclusion in the creative industries?

Being transparent is incredibly important when advertising roles in any industry, but in the creative industries it is vital. This is because of the sheer range and shape of creative roles varying in location, duration and working hours.

Sharing salary information helps ensure candidates can make informed decisions about whether the role is financially and logistically viable.

If you’re a primary carer, disabled or from a working-class group for example, the financial implications of taking up creative work are often amplified. By including pay ranges in job ads, organisations can reduce barriers for candidates from all backgrounds and promote equity of opportunity.

Transparency also combats pay gaps and prevents unconscious biases from influencing offers, as well as giving all applicants important information needed for successful salary and work pattern negotiations. Ultimately, openly communicating salary signals that the organisation values the talent candidates bring. The transparency also shows the company operates with fairness, inclusivity, and respect, fostering a more diverse and equitable creative workforce.

Openly communicating salary signals that the organisation values the talent candidates bring.

When did Creative Access decide to make salary info mandatory on its job board? Was there a trigger that prompted the change?

We've proactively recommended that employers include salary information from the inception of the Opportunities Board and took the leap to make this a requirement for all roles that we promote. That being said, the jobs and traineeships that Creative Access recruit for directly have included salary information long before this, which made the change less of an abrupt shift and more like a natural progression of our work on pay transparency that was already underway. We signalled the change to our employer partners in advance, to give as much time as possible for discussions around salary bandings, pay equity concerns, and any other potential issues.

Rather than responding to a specific trigger, we made this change in line with our mission to make the creative industries more accessible to people from under-represented groups, as well as in response to growing expectations among candidates for pay transparency amid rising living costs. So, when We Show the Salary approached us to be a campaign partner, we felt it was a no-brainer and were super excited to be collaborating on a bigger, pan-industry movement.

Have you noticed any impact – for example, on the number or diversity of applicants – since having salary info on every role on your jobs board?

Even before making the switch to requiring salary information, a hard look at performance metrics for job listings showed that the posts with salary included were dramatically increasing engagement. This helped us to back up our advocacy for salary transparency; as well as providing a more equitable experience for individuals from under-represented backgrounds, we saw a measurable advantage for employers including the salary. Specifically, roles that only stated “competitive” under the salary field received significantly less engagement than roles in the lowest salary band.

Even before making the switch to requiring salary information, a hard look at performance metrics for job listings showed that the posts with salary included were dramatically increasing engagement.

You work with lots of jobseekers through CV workshops and 1 to 1 mentoring programmes – does the topic of salary info on job ads come up in conversations? What kind of feedback do you hear on this topic?

Yes – it comes up frequently in conversations with jobseekers and aspiring creative industry professionals. They want to know that if they take the leap and grow a creative career that they can make it work and frankly, pay the bills. When you don’t come from a privileged background with parental or other support, it can feel like a big risk to enter an industry with comparatively less job security. That we “walk the talk” when it comes to championing salary transparency has played a huge part in encouraging candidates from under-represented backgrounds to engage with us and feel confident in applying for roles.

Stating the salary aligns with our wider approach of creating more inclusive job adverts, including writing accessible and jargon-free copy to outlining the recruitment process and dates wherever possible – all of which has been central to our success over the past 13+ years and led to 150,000 people registering on our jobs board in the past four years.

As well as including salary info on your job board listings, you always show salary info on job ads when you recruit new members of the Creative Access team too. How does being open about pay on the job ad influence your internal recruitment processes and organisational culture?

It’s super important for us as an employer, for our internal culture and outwardly for us to be guardians of best practice for the industries we support. I want Creative Access to attract the best talent into our team, and to support them to thrive and progress in their roles. To do this we need to be competitive in the market and offer not just fair and transparent pay, but also share our training and development opportunities.

I have no doubt that getting sign-off on salary transparency can be tricky. But I’d urge you to examine the benefits and long-term gain – because the value-add is worth it.

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

I have no doubt that getting sign-off on salary transparency can be tricky. But I’d urge you to examine the benefits and long-term gain – because the value-add is worth it. As well as reaching a more diverse and inclusive talent pool, it sends the clear signal that you are an organisation that is committed to an equitable work culture and stands by your values. New talent, clients, peers and employees will notice what you do (and don’t) share.

Being open and honest about pay also builds trust and respect within the business, and will help you both attract and retain stand-out talent who will enrich your business.