New report reveals the growing importance of pay transparency in attracting talent
Salary transparency is emerging as one of the top "deal-breakers" for many jobseekers during recruitment, according to a new report, putting more pressure on employers on their pay transparency policies.
Findings from Monster's latest survey among more than 1,000 workers revealed that 60% will not apply to a job posting that does not list a salary range.
According to the report, this demonstrates how salary transparency is a "deal-breaker" for many candidates, who want to understand compensation before investing time in an application.
"Salary transparency has quickly become one of the most important signals job seekers look for when evaluating job postings," the report read.
Rising role of pay transparency
The findings highlight the growing importance of being transparent on salary ranges even in job postings, a practice that many employers only commit to due to legal compliance.
Only 21% of employers publish salary ranges for all their job postings, according to the 2025 Global Pay Transparency Study from Aon.
Another 48% said they publish salary ranges only when required, while 31% said they do not publish their salary ranges, the report added.
Making salary ranges available to current and/or prospective employees is already a requirement under the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the laws of multiple other countries.
Lisa Stevens, chief administrative officer at Aon, previously warned that organisations which fail to commit to pay transparency not only risk non-compliance, but also jeopardise their ability to attract talent.
"Pay transparency is no longer a buzzword. It's a baseline expectation from employees and a regulatory imperative across an increasing number of jurisdictions," Stevens said in a previous statement.
"Organisations that fail to act face risks not only in compliance, but in their ability to attract, retain, and engage talent."
Other deal-breakers for jobseekers
Meanwhile, Monster's report further revealed other factors that can disengage jobseekers during recruitment. They include:
- Requirement for unpaid assignments or excessive take-home work (59%)
- Negative company reviews or reputation (56%)
- Unclear job descriptions (51%)
- Unrealistic role requirements (46%)
- Overly long or complicated application process (45%)
- Poor candidate experience in previous interactions (26%)
According to the report, employer communication also has a major role in keeping jobseekers engaged during recruitment. More than half said they dropped out of the hiring process due to the following factors:
- Poor interview experience (57%)
- Unclear or constantly changing hiring processes (56%)
- Long delays or lack of communication (53%)
"Together, these findings suggest that candidates are paying attention not just to compensation, but also to signals about fairness, clarity, and respect for their time," the report read.
