Salary ranges in job ads: what the EU Pay Transparency Directive requires
By the Equaudit team · Updated · 3 min read
Of all the duties in the EU Pay Transparency Directive, the recruitment rules are the ones every employer meets first and that most visibly change day-to-day practice. They apply regardless of company size and they begin the moment your national law does. This article explains the three rules and gives a checklist for your job ad template.
Rule 1: tell applicants the pay before the interview
Applicants have the right to receive information on the initial pay or pay range for the position, based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, and where relevant the related provisions of a collective agreement. It must be communicated in a way that ensures an informed and transparent negotiation, for example in the published vacancy notice, before the job interview, or otherwise prior to the interview.
You have a choice of when and how. Publishing the range in the ad is the simplest and usually the safest, because it is verifiable and reaches everyone at the same time. Some national laws may require it to be in the ad.
Rule 2: stop asking about pay history
Employers must not ask applicants about their pay history in their current or previous employment relationships. Pay history carries past inequality into the new job. Remove the question from application forms, screening scripts and recruiter briefs, and brief anyone who speaks to candidates, including agencies.
Rule 3: gender-neutral ads and titles
Job vacancy notices and job titles must be gender-neutral, and recruitment must be conducted in a non-discriminatory way. In languages with gendered job titles, use neutral forms or add the usual inclusive markers, and avoid wording that signals a preference, such as demands for stereotypically masculine traits.
How to state the range
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Competitive salary | Salary range: €48,000 to €58,000 gross per year |
| Salary depending on experience | Starting pay €52,000 gross per year, up to €58,000 with 5+ years of relevant experience |
| Salary: negotiable | Hourly pay €22 to €26 gross, plus a performance bonus of up to 8% of annual base pay |
- Make the range real. It should reflect the pay band for the role, not a wide band that nobody is hired into.
- Tie it to criteria. Be ready to explain what moves a hire within the range, for example experience or certification, using criteria that are objective and gender-neutral.
- Mind consistency. Offers to different candidates for the same role should follow the same logic. Record why an offer sits where it does.
- Avoid unsupported precision. If the range is large because the job spans levels, publish separate ranges per level.
Job ad checklist
- Pay range or starting pay stated, gross, with currency and period.
- Variable components mentioned where they are part of the offer.
- Job title gender-neutral in every language you publish in.
- Requirements are job-related and not tied to gendered traits.
- No pay history question in forms, ATS fields or interview guides.
- Process to explain offers inside the range recorded.
The ranges you publish must match the pay structure you use internally. If your hiring ranges are lower for equally valued jobs held mainly by women, they create the very gaps that show up later in your category analysis. Defining job categories first makes ranges easier to set and defend.
Frequently asked questions
Does the pay range rule apply to small companies?
Yes. The recruitment rules are not tied to the headcount thresholds used for pay gap reporting, so they apply to employers of any size once your national law applies.
Can I give the range at the interview instead of in the ad?
The directive allows the information to be provided in the vacancy notice or otherwise before the interview. Your national law may be stricter, and publishing in the ad is the most robust option.
Can I still ask what salary a candidate expects?
Asking about expectations is different from asking about pay history, but be careful about how it is framed and recorded. Once you have disclosed your range, discuss expectations within it and base decisions on the role's criteria.