Job ad detail that may decide whether talent applies revealed

Author: Herald Reporters,
Publish Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2026, 8:53pm

Businesses who fail to disclose salary details upfront in job advertisements could be missing out on top talent, according to a new report.

A Robert Half survey of 250 hiring managers in New Zealand found 87% of employers said they have lost a candidate because salary expectations were misaligned after failing to include pay details in a job advertisement.

Almost half (47%) of employers who did lose a candidate said it happened frequently.

The survey found 58% of employers said they included salary details in their job ads, while 42% do not.

For the group who do include salary details upfront, 92% said doing so improves the quality of applications they receive, with 38% saying the improvement was significant.

Only 2% said it reduces the quality and the remaining 6% didn’t notice an impact.

Robert Half managing director Megan Alexander said failing to disclose salary information can slow the hiring process and undermine recruitment outcomes.

“In a market where skilled professionals are time-poor and increasingly selective, transparency gives employers a clear competitive edge,” she said.

“Employers who leave compensation discussions too late risk moving high-quality talent through several stages of the hiring process, only to lose them at the final stage, which is a costly outcome in both time and resources.”

According to the survey, the main reason employers used pay transparency was to attract more qualified talent (24%).

This was followed by promoting transparency and building trust with candidates (23%), reducing candidate drop-off because of unclear expectations (23%), and to reduce time spent on salary negotiations (20%).

Alexander said there were valid reasons for some employers to not disclose salary information, such as preventing potential internal pay discrepancies among employees and allowing flexibility for the right candidate.

“As cost-of-living pressures persist and candidates become more vocal about pay, candidates are evaluating new opportunities with greater financial scrutiny,” she said.