Indeed’s data suggests that salary transparency in the UK has increased by 49% since 2019.
The research also highlighted that 28% of European employees report full salary transparency within their company, compared to 31% who say that there’s none at all. Indeed’s survey results were published yesterday (11 February).
We asked commentators: does the current business climate make pay transparency more important?
Yes, according to Jack Kennedy, Indeed’s senior economist, who told HR magazine: “In today’s challenging job market, prioritising pay transparency will better enable businesses to compete and attract top talent.
“For employers, and HR teams within businesses, pay transparency is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s essential. And it starts with communication, from publishing salaries on job postings, to conducting pay equity audits and openly communicating salary bands internally.
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“This not only helps employees to feel more valued and empowered to address pay discrepancies, it also creates a culture of trust between leadership and teams, within the organisation.”
For employees though, Indeed’s research suggests that there is a hesitancy to be completely frank with employers: when asked by potential employers about their previous salary, 41% of European jobseekers admitted they didn’t tell the truth, with 28% inflating their past earnings.
Commenting on shifting employee attitudes, Matt Monette, country lead for the global hiring platform Deel, told HR magazine: “Once a taboo subject, discussions around salary were met with hesitancy. However, attitudes from workers have shifted. Even in countries like France – where conversations about money have long been considered highly private – there is a growing willingness to talk about pay.
“Deel did some research last year which found that only 24% of French people now see salaries as a potentially sensitive topic – a stark contrast to the 83% who felt uncomfortable talking about it just five years ago.
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“This shift is compounded by pay transparency directives, which have been implemented across Europe. These two forces mean that companies are now rethinking the role transparency plays in meeting the expectations of today’s workforce and in attracting and retaining top talent.”
The EU Pay Transparency Directive does not impact UK companies but it requires firms with more than 250 employees who hire or operate in the EU to publish salary information, including gender pay gap data. Similar legislation may be introduced in the UK.
Indeed’s research was commissioned by Indeed’s Hiring Lab and conducted by Censuswide, whose team surveyed 6,011 workers/jobseekers aged 18+ in the UK, Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, and Ireland, between 15 and 20 January 2025. Findings were published on 11 February.
