Showing the salary for £100k+ roles: a Q&A with Co-op and Pod

Many employers are comfortable publishing salaries for junior and mid-level roles, but stop short when a job pays six figures, often out of worry that it will give away competitive information, make negotiation harder or raise questions internally. So we asked Matt Eyre, Employer Branding & Colleague Value Proposition Lead at Co-op, and Dean Jennings, Talent Manager at Pod, to share their experiences of showing the salary on roles paying over £100k a year.

Both employers are We Show the Salary Sector Champions, encouraging others to follow their lead on pay transparency.

Why did you decide to show the salary at the higher levels too?

Matt (Co-op): While expectations may differ for more senior roles, the principles of fairness, transparency and inclusivity remain the same. We don't believe candidates should have less information simply because a role is more senior.

Dean (Pod): You cannot have transparency at one end of the scale and not the other. Pay transparency is key to building trust across an organisation. If you're only comfortable advertising lower salaries, then you'd have to question what you're trying to hide at the top.

You cannot have transparency at one end of the scale and not the other. Pay transparency is key to building trust across an organisation.

When you first committed to salary transparency, was it harder to get buy-in for the higher-paid roles?

Matt: Yes, there was some initial hesitation, because publishing salaries at that level isn't always common practice. However, fairness and inclusivity are important principles for Co-op, and those values helped shape the discussion and build support for the approach.

Dean: There was a small amount of pushback, but given we wanted to launch pay transparency across the business, it was as good a place as any to start.

Do you take a different approach to showing the salary on job ads for these roles?

Matt: The approach depends on the role and the hiring brief, but we always publish salary information. Where we use a range, we aim to make sure it's meaningful and useful for candidates.

Dean: We're more likely to offer a range for more senior roles than junior ones, but that's driven more by the sort of people we'd like to attract. We have a commitment to our people that a range will never be more than £25,000.

Senior packages often include bonuses. How do you decide what to disclose alongside base salary?

Matt: We publish basic information about our bonus scheme on all relevant job ads.

Dean: If a role includes a bonus, we share what that bonus is, alongside anything else that would be considered remuneration, such as a car allowance.

What difference does showing the salary make when you're recruiting for these roles?

Matt: Salary transparency helps set clear expectations from the outset. Candidates have a better understanding of the role and package available, which can lead to a more informed and efficient recruitment process.

We still negotiate, but both parties are much more clued up about what that should look like. It's much easier to start the conversation when you know where the range sits.

Dean: It saves a lot of time. The intent is there from the very beginning, and you don't have to spend time going backwards and forwards about what the pay might be. We still negotiate, but both parties are much more clued up about what that should look like. It's much easier to start the conversation when you know where the range sits.

Has transparency at this level had any knock-on effect on pay equity or trust further down the organisation?

Matt: Transparency can prompt questions about how reward decisions are made, which we see as a positive thing. It helps build understanding of our reward approach and supports open conversations about careers and development.

Dean: We've had some challenging conversations, but it has opened up much more constructive conversations about role levels across the organisation and how they're paid. It has given us a solid foundation for explaining the why.

One argument we hear is that showing high salaries gives away competitive information. What's your take?

Matt: Organisations need to take a pragmatic approach, but in our experience the benefits of transparency outweigh the perceived risks. Being open about pay helps build trust, supports fairness and enables candidates to make informed decisions.

Dean: If you're embarrassed to post it, the problem is that you don't pay your people well enough. I've seen roles advertised as ‘competitive’ that should pay upwards of £100k but, when the question is asked, are actually paying half that.

What would you say to an employer who publishes salaries for most roles but is still holding back on higher-paid ones?

Matt: Start with an open conversation about the benefits of transparency and the practical considerations involved. Like any change, it takes planning and communication, but in our experience greater transparency helps build trust and creates a better experience for candidates.

Like any change, it takes planning and communication, but in our experience greater transparency helps build trust and creates a better experience for candidates.

Dean: Honestly, it's really not as bad as you think it's going to be. If you've properly benchmarked the role and know exactly what you need to attract for that budget, you're holding yourself back by not doing it.