It is a truth universally acknowledged that looking for new employment sucks. It can, however, be made easier when the job ad contains all of the information that the job seeker needs to make a decision. That includes the potential salary.
On May 15th, the New York City Pay Transparency Law will be on the books in NYC. It requires that companies with four or more employees list a salary range when posting about open positions.
Frankly, it’s about time that was written into city law. It’s not about being greedy, it’s just plain common sense.
On a recent segment on WNYC‘s The Brian Lehrer Show, the question of whether it will help or hurt a potential employee’s chance of being hired when the question of pay came up.
Back when I was unemployed, there were a number of job ads that did not provide information on what the corresponding paycheck would be. The problem with that is that it wastes the time and energy of both the applicant and the person who has posted the ad. I remember applying to a specific job, liking what I read. When I was contacted for an interview, I had to turn it down because I knew that I could not live on what they were paying. I applied to the same company for the same position a short time later (because the company did not identify itself in either ad). When they contacted me again, I had to once more turn it down.
To say that I was frustrated at that moment was an understatement. It’s difficult as is, but to have my time unnecessarily squandered just added to the difficulty. I understand that for every position and the corresponding tasks, there is a price point. Asking for this information is not an out-of-the-box question. It allows the applicant to make an informed decision, which in turn allows the company to make a similar informed decision as to whom they will hire.
The search for new employment is strenuous, to say the least. Requiring the salary range allows all parties to make a decision that is mutually beneficial to both.
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