Key Findings

  • According to the "Job Seeker Deal Breakers Report" released this week by job site Monster, pay transparency has become a "deal breaker" for most job seekers—60% of respondents said they would not apply for positions that do not list a salary range.
  • The survey of 1,000 U.S. workers also found that more than half of job seekers would skip or reduce their willingness to apply when job descriptions are unclear, companies have negative reviews, or the hiring process requires unpaid overtime or tests.
  • The report noted: "Lack of pay transparency may indicate that compensation expectations are not clearly defined. Many job seekers skip positions that do not provide a salary range, and job postings without salary information may serve as an early warning sign of a lack of transparency."

Deep Dive

Over the past six years, numerous local communities and more than a dozen states in the U.S. have passed laws requiring companies to disclose salary ranges in all job postings. Although some finance executives have said in recent years they are not ready to provide such transparency, Monster's report shows that failing to do so may cause companies to miss out on a large pool of talent.

The report added that job seekers want to know what a position offers in terms of compensation before investing time in filling out an application. It emphasized: "Pay transparency has quickly become one of the most important signals job seekers evaluate when reviewing job postings."

John Arendes, CEO of training platform Traliant, previously told CFO Dive that providing pay transparency can save organizations money by avoiding costs associated with interviewing candidates who would not accept the current salary level. Arendes also noted that transparency laws can help potential employees avoid wasting time applying for positions for which they are overqualified, and give them insight into the company's potential value proposition for the role.

Monster's report suggests that if a job posting does not include compensation information, job seekers should consider researching typical salary ranges for similar positions—this can help them decide whether to apply or proactively ask about the salary range early in the process.

Other Findings

Beyond the lack of pay transparency, 59% of job seekers said they are less likely to apply for positions that require unpaid tasks or excessive take-home work. Overall, mandatory tasks or tests would cause 34% of job seekers to abandon applying altogether, while 66% said it would not necessarily deter them from applying.

The report said this indicates that "if the assessment process feels fair and reasonable, candidates may still be willing to complete it."

The report also showed that about 56% of job seekers would skip job postings from companies with many negative reviews, and 51% are more likely to avoid positions with unclear job descriptions. Meanwhile, 46% are more likely to avoid postings with unrealistic job requirements (e.g., entry-level roles requiring five or more years of experience), and 45% are more likely to bypass overly long or complex application processes.

The report concluded: "Together, these findings indicate that candidates care not only about pay, but also about fairness, clarity, and respect for their time. Today's job seekers may still be casting a wide net, but they are also paying closer attention to signals of transparency and effort."