Market-rate salary and your vacancy goes straight into the trash.
Not because candidates are arrogant. But because they have learned this.
Market-rate sounds neutral. But for a candidate, it translates to a question: why are they hiding it?
- They want to avoid salary negotiations by making an offer late.
- It is probably at the bottom of the market.
- They are testing how much I am willing to throw away for the security of an offer.
Candidates who are really in demand compare your vacancy with three others. And if two of those three simply state a range, you drop out. Even before the first interview.
The honest story: transparency about salary attracts better candidates. Not more. But more suitable ones.
The candidate who drops out at 80K-95K is one you wouldn't have wanted anyway. The candidate who drops out at 'market-rate' is one you might have wanted, but you never saw them.
Do you want to speak to better people? Throw the salary range in. Not as a sales pitch. As respect.
