We've always been transparent here at Lightning - We publish salary brackets for all roles.  Salary secrecy fuels pay inequality, which disproportionately affects marginalised groups. Unlike other recruiters, we publish salary brackets for ALL our jobs, and it's a condition of working with us that you agree to do so when we represent you too in the travel recruitment sphere 🫶

But soon all employers will need to publish salary information in job adverts, under government plans to rewrite anti-discrimination laws. These proposals echo pay transparency proposals being rolled out across the European Union. The BBC states

"Employers in Europe will have to disclose the initial pay or range for new roles, which must either included in a published job advert or shared before an interview. They will also be banned from asking candidates about their salary history - something that does not feature in the Cabinet Office consultation.

The Cabinet Office says it intends for its proposals to apply in England, Wales and Scotland, with the exact terms set out in legislation following a consultation with industry ending in October".

C&M Recruitment recently shared their salary insights via Travel Weekly with 'Average travel salary passing £40K as wages rise 5% in the first half of the year', which is really exciting news. But having just relaunched and looking at companies hiring actively, it's a 50/50 split on LinkedIn with companies hiring themselves on if they are posting with a salary, salary bracket or nothing at all. 

In a job market that is volatile, there are lots of great candidates that have simply become disillusioned with jobs, they distrust ads altogether and are now turning to recruiters for help, having received one too many AI auto reply / been ghosted altogether after spending hours on bespoke applications directly.

If you are looking to build a better workplace then here at Lightning we can help you - with our new dedicated HR services, powered by Cape Consulting we are the only recruitment agency in travel now able to offer HR support. Not only that but we only work exclusively with clients when it comes to recruitment, so we can handle the recruitment for your roles too, to headhunt you a superstar and ensure all candidates are looked after in the process.

Ps. Did you know that putting up a job ad only gets you access to 30% of the talent in the market? I.e the ones actively seeking roles. To get access to the rest of the market you need to use a recruiter to spend time sourcing candidates who are in roles and could be tempted by your company - you know, the ones you really want to get access to? 😉 If this resonates with you, we're only an email away - office@lightningtravelrecruitment.com

Think of us as a one stop shop to making your workplace the best in the industry ⚡️

Finally, on the pay transparency update, the chartered institute of payroll professionals state:

'If implemented, the proposals could significantly change how employers approach recruitment and pay transparency. For job seekers, salary transparency could make it easier to assess whether a role meets their expectations before applying, potentially reducing time spent on unsuitable applications. It is hoped that this will establish fairer hiring processes as it is viewed that the current system fails to efficiently identify discriminatory pay practices or protect those who need it most such as disabled employees, or those from ethnic minority groups and outsourced workers, as it is a fundamental right to have equal pay for equal work. 

The consultation remains open until 27 October 2026, and employers, workers, trade unions and other stakeholders are encouraged to contribute their views on how these future equal pay and pay transparency reforms should operate'

-----------------------------

If you are wanting to level up your HR/Recruitment set ups then look no further than the team here at Lightning - you can contact us here.