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Hays Middle East releases GCC Salary Guide 2023

49% of organisations in the GCC currently offer remote or hybrid working

Hays Middle East, part of Hays plc, the global workforce solutions and specialist recruitment company, has released its latest Salary Guide 2023 for the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC). The guide provides comprehensive salary data for over 400 roles across 13 industries across the region, with the latest workforce trends based on expert insights and the analysis of a survey of over 2,000 employers and professionals.

The guide has revealed that despite global disruptions, the GCC has remained stable, with continuous investment and diversification leading to a buoyant labour market in 2023, creating new jobs across multiple sectors and geographies in the region with this being exemplified by 85% of employers planning to recruit permanent employees. However, with 45% professionals looking to change organisations, greater competition for the best talent is to be expected.

Employers can leverage flexible working options to counter competition

Hays believes that offering flexible working options is a viable way for employers to counter the fierce competition. The guide shows that while only 49% of organisations in the GCC currently offer remote or hybrid working options, 20% of employers anticipate that employees will be required in the workplace more. Professionals place work-life balance and flexible working as a top priority when looking for a new job.

Addressing the skills dissonance is vital for future success

According to the report, employers and employees in the GCC have different perceptions of talent availability within their organisations. The guide indicates that while 82% of employees firmly believe they have the necessary skills to fulfill their role in 2023, only 35% of employers strongly agree they have the talent needed for the coming year. Employers and employees must work together to address this disconnect to ensure success in the future.

Growth on the horizon for Technology and Industrial Sectors, plus accelerated Emiratisation

The guide highlighted that technology remains the most active industry sector for hiring, with 77% of organisations increasing their headcount last year, thanks to consistent local and foreign direct investment in focus areas such as data, cyber security, and cloud solutions. Despite uncertainty in the global Technology sector, growth in the GCC continues at pace. Indeed, 88% of employers plan to recruit permanent employees in 2023.

In Saudi Arabia, the industrial sector is expanding at an exponential rate. With the Kingdom poised to take further advantage of its abundant natural resources and central geographical location, industrial diversification into new products and materials will lead to a focus on talent with experience, technical skills, and operational knowledge.

In the UAE, almost one in two (49%) of employers will ramp up their hiring of UAE national citizens this year as they work to meet Emiratisation quotas and diversify their workforce.

Sarah Dixon, Managing Director of Hays Middle East commented: “2023 promises to be a prosperous year for the labour market and the GCC in general, with new jobs being created across multiple sectors and geographies in the region through investment initiatives from a multitude of sources. The Hays GCC Salary Guide 2023 provides valuable insights for both employers and professionals, helping them navigate the recruiting landscape of today and stay competitive for tomorrow.”

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32% of candidates’ salary expectations don’t align with what companies pay

  • UK

Developing and upskilling existing employees problematic for a third of hiring leaders

 A new report from Glassdoor has revealed the burning issues facing talent acquisition leaders across the UK. The findings suggest increased workplace transparency and authentic employer branding can slow employee churn and attract talent.

Surveying talent acquisition, employee experience and employer branding specialists, Glassdoor’s State of Employer Branding report found the most significant hiring challenges employers are faced with today are:

  • Salary expectations not aligning with what the company pays (32%)
  • Best candidates receiving multiple offers from other companies (32%)
  • The company receiving too few qualified candidates (27%)
  • Applicants lacking the skills specified in the job description (23%)
  • Building a quality pipeline of job candidates takes too much time and resources (23%)

Furthermore, hiring leaders across the UK agreed that conditions have become more challenging since the pandemic. Compared to 2019, retaining employees is more difficult for more than half of (55%) talent acquisition specialists. A further 50%  found sourcing candidates with the right qualifications harder and 47% could no longer make competitive offers.

Internally, developing and upskilling the existing workplace was problematic for a third (34%) of hiring leaders and 28% said adapting to a remote or hybrid workforce was also challenging.

EMPLOYER BRANDING CAN WIN THE WAR FOR TALENT

Glassdoor’s research reveals that companies with a clear mission and a strong reputation for being a great workplace find it easier to stand apart from the competition and attract and retain talent.

Before 2020, many employers benefitted from established recruitment plans and office perks. But the upheaval caused by the pandemic allowed employees to challenge in-office norms and demand more of their employers.

According to Glassdoor, today employees overwhelmingly expect more flexible work options; mentions of hybrid increased 1600% in UK employee reviews on Glassdoor this year, and 39% of job hunters say flexibility is a critical consideration of where to work**. In addition, work has also become more personal, with 1 in 5 surveyed wanting their own values to align with the mission and culture of their employer.

In the report, nearly 7 in 10 UK hiring leaders (68%) agreed that their employer brand gave them the edge over competitors when hiring new talent. Additional Glassdoor research*** reveals job seekers who see a company brand at least 10 times are 8x more likely to apply than those who saw the brand once.

Internally, three-quarters (75%) of talent acquisition and employer branding specialists say they are in tune with the wants and needs of their employees and 82% agree their executive team engages with building their employer brand.

But what physically is being done by teams to strengthen their brand? The most common employee experience and engagement tasks carried out are:

  • Delivering diversity and inclusion programmes (59%)
  • Engagement surveys (59%)
  • Developing employee engagement programmes (55%)
  • Taking action on employee feedback (54%)
  • 360 reviews (48%)

Jill Cotton, Glassdoor Career Trends Expert commented: “As we reach the end of 2022, a new employer-employee dynamic has emerged. Employees are holding companies accountable for promises made and choosing to work for organisations whose values align with their own. Record job vacancies may have given job hunters the upper hand when choosing where to work. But our research shows that successful employers listen to and deliver upon the wants and needs of their workforce. Cultivating a strong employer brand helps companies stand apart from the competition by answering the ‘why’ someone should want to work for you.”

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One-in-three move for better pay

  • UK

Cost of living crisis is taking hold

Research from jobs and careers site, Reed.co.uk has shown that 33% of workers have applied for or have considered applying for a new job. In addition, 65% of workers have changed job-seeking priorities in response to the cost-of-living crisis. A salary increase is becoming a common priority for 34% of workers.

The survey, which looked at the opinions of over 2,000, revealed that 22% have said they intend to look for a new job soon and 55% of workers are actively seeking or considering a new one. A further 17% admitted that the increasing cost of living made better work-from-home opportunities more of a priority.

Amongst active jobseekers, the data revealed that 30% of women are more motivated by a salary increase than men (27%). Furthermore, younger workers – between 18-34 – are more likely to consider changing jobs to secure a salary increase than other generations (45% compared to the 29% average).

Fifty percent of workers said that a salary increase is the most meaningful action an employer can take to retain employees, while 47% said that a low salary was the reason they’d want to leave their current employer. Forty percent of workers indicated that they would stay with their current employer if a better salary counter offer were made.

In terms of amounts, the survey showed that employers could retain some workers with moderate increases. For workers aged 55-64 and 65+, most (32% and 38% respectively) agreed that salary increases of less than £1,000 would be sufficient to convince them to stay. For workers aged 18-34 and 35-44, a salary increase of between £2,500 – £4,900 was required by most (33% and 30% respectively) to continue with their current employer.

James Reed, Chairman of Reed.co.uk, commented: “Due to runaway inflation currently at 9.4% and outstripping wage increases across many industries, millions will be on the move from this September onwards to secure a pay bump.

“Although the current economic landscape is challenging, amidst warnings of a looming recession from the Bank of England, UK workers should feel empowered to capitalise on the current labour market which continues to show high volumes of jobs being created.

“However, with inflation potentially rising to 13%, it could increasingly feel like workers are chasing after a galloping horse, with some workers having to take on a second or third job to keep up with the soaring cost-of-living increases. This could lead to a two-speed workforce with workers in some sectors falling behind others.

“It’s a tough situation where very few are benefiting, including employers who are facing a higher turnover of candidates than you’d typically expect in August with over 50% of workers considering a move.

“For employers, a failure to proactively ensure salary packages reflect current inflationary increases will have a significant impact on their business’s ability to attract and retain staff. Understandably, many may not feel in a financial position to deliver significant increases in pay. However, offering desired pay rises costs less than replacing workers and our research shows that the vast majority of candidates (87%) are poised to accept a counter offer from their current employer provided it meets expectations.

“During these challenging times, it’s clear that many workers – particularly those feeling the pinch from the cost-of-living crisis – deserve a pay rise. For most, the best way could be to secure a new job.”

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One in five UK workers worried about keeping up with cost of living

  • UK

Government and healthcare workers amongst the most concerned

With the cost of living constantly increasing and real UK wages falling at the fastest pace on record, making ends meet is a priority for many workers.

Research from Glassdoor reveals that 22% of UK workers are concerned about finding a job that supports the cost of living at the moment and that anxiety around this issue is on the increase.

An analysis of words used on Fishbowl by Glassdoor showed that mentions of “cost of living”,

“inflation”, “rent”, “petrol”, “accommodation”, and “bills” have increased by 67% year-on-year.

Over 700,000 Glassdoor reviews by UK-based employees were examined. The data revealed that negative mentions of “salary”, “pay”, and “compensation” increased by 16% since 2020.

The biggest increase in salary complaints was among government workers – up 26% from 2021. In the past, these workers were less inclined to discuss salary negatively. But, with public sector wage growth falling far behind the private sector, this is no longer the case, indicating a possible future exodus of government workers. Similarly, complaints about salary have also increased among healthcare workers.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, employees in the hospitality industry(restaurants, food service, travel, and accommodation) have seen unusually high pay growth, and salary complaints have dropped.

Lauren Thomas, Glassdoor’s EMEA Economist, said: “The only constant in 2022 is change -and skyrocketing prices. Even with high wage growth and a tight labour market, workers are feeling the pinch as inflation emerges as the biggest winner. With real wages falling a record 3.0 percent thanks to inflation, the cost of living is a priority for many job seekers.

“Job vacancies, which have hit record highs month after month, have started to fall but even now employers can’t rest easy. Hiring will remain difficult, particularly in industries like hospitality and healthcare where employees’ Glassdoor reviews show they feel overworked and underpaid.”

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Only 33% of Australian employees happy with their current benefits

Salary increases on the rise but workers feel they deserve more

Although salary increases are rising, only 33% of Australian employees are happy with their current benefits. This is according to recruitment company, Hays.

Hays believes that benefits can help bridge the salary expectation gap and aid staff attraction. According to their latest Salary Guide, 35% of employers have improved benefits and working practices to entice more staff.

The data also showed that allowing more than 20 days’ annual leave is one of the most sought-after employee benefits. This year’s data shows that the benefit is desired by 55% of job seekers, compared to 30% last year. The most desired benefit, according to Hays, is training, at 57%. Interestingly, while 87% of employers offer training as a benefit, only 23% provide more than the minimum legal requirement for leave.

Next on the list of top five benefits are:

  • ongoing learning & development (53%)
  • mental and physical health and wellbeing programs (38%)
  • formal career paths (38%)

Flexible working is not on the list of highly prized benefits, likely because although it was a top benefit pre-pandemic, it is now the expected norm.

Professionals are advised to consider the complete value exchange – even if salaries are not meeting expectations, workers should consider whether the benefits they receive enhance the complete value exchange they receive for their skills and experience.

Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand, commented: “With a salary expectation gap evident, offering the benefits employees value can help reward and retain top talent in a competitive labour market.”

“The pandemic prompted many people to prioritise their work-life balance and mental health, to care for their health and wellbeing they now want a job that offers more than customary annual leave.”

“If a person’s time is as valuable as money, additional annual leave can add significantly to their overall package.”

“For employers looking to modernise their benefits portfolio to attract, reward and retain staff, it’s important to reconcile your offering with what employees’ value, training and additional annual leave are obvious improvement points. So is the provision of formal career paths, which 38% of employees want but only 20% of employers offer.”

“For jobs that can be performed outside a central workplace, skilled professionals expect to work in a hybrid arrangement,” he said. “After more than two years of hybrid working, it’s no longer considered a benefit that can attract and engage staff but rather a minimum ordinary entitlement.”

“If your salary increase falls short of expectations, consider what else you can ask for. In particular, think of your long-term career objectives. Additional benefits such as training, formal career paths and mental and physical health and wellbeing programs, for instance, could lead to a promotion and higher compensation long-term than a small raise here and now.”

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Work-life balance trumps pay, new research reveals

  • UK

Two-thirds of workers think work-life balance is more valuable than pay

Despite increasing inflation and the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, a new survey suggests that employees value work-life balance more than pay.

The survey by HR and payroll software provider CIPHR polled over 1,000 UK workers about the most important job aspects. The results revealed that 70% of women and 65% of men consider work-life balance more important than pay and employee benefits combined.

According to the research, the top 20 most important aspects of a job, ranked by popularity, are:

  • Work-life balance (67%)
  • Pay and benefits – total rewards package (59%)
  • Job security (57%)
  • Job satisfaction (53%)
  • Healthy work environment (42%)
  • Recognition: feeling valued and appreciated (37%)
  • Feeling safe at work (36%)
  • Feeling included / belonging at work (33%)
  • Right to disconnect from work outside of usual working hours (26%)
  • Promotion opportunities / career progression (25%)
  • Job autonomy – trusted to do a job without being micromanaged (24%)
  • Clear goals and targets (23%)
  • Correct tools for the job (20%)
  • Job purpose and variety (20%)
  • Learning and development initiatives (18%)
  • Social connection (18%)
  • Team-oriented culture (17%)
  • Transparent leadership (15%)
  • Fewer meetings (9%)
  • Regular coaching and feedback (9%)

Interestingly, flexibility in where employees were allowed to work affected the results, with work-life balance being the most-valued job aspect for 79% of remote workers compared to 66% of workers who are either partly remote or who never work from home.

Similarly, the right to disconnect from work – and not feel obliged to do any unpaid work-related tasks outside of contracted hours was also a priority for employees who work remotely, compared to those who don’t (36% vs. 25%).

The results indicated that office- or workplace-based staff see greater value in their physical workspace and working among others. Top priorities among these employees include:

  • Healthy work environment (47%)
  • Feeling safe at work (40%)
  • Feeling included and belonging at work (38%)

Employees with hybrid working arrangements generally seem to place equal importance on how pay and benefits (56%), job security (55%), and job satisfaction (55%) interrelate.

Two-fifths of these workers agree that recognition and feeling valued and appreciated by their employers rank more highly than a healthy work environment (41% vs. 39%).

Further data analysis indicates that survey respondents in leadership and senior management team (SMT) roles are likelier to work remotely than those in non-SMT positions (70% vs. 50%). These workers also have different job priorities than the rest of the workforce, with pay and benefits being the fourth most important aspect of a job, at 46%. Work-life balance (60%), job satisfaction (52%), and job security (51%) were at the top of the list.

Regarding age and career longevity, 72% of 24-to-44-year-olds favoured work-life balance over 51% of 18-to-24-year-olds. People kicking off or ending their careers were more likely to place job satisfaction ahead of job security, with 45% of 18-to-24-year-olds and 65% of over 55s preferring to have a job that they enjoy, even if it’s not completely secure.

For respondents aged 45 to 54, 56% said job security was more important than pay and rewards packages (52%).

Across industries, the results vary. People in the finance and insurance sectors are more likely to prize pay and benefits over work-life balance (60% compared to 58%, respectively). In the IT and software industry, job security beats pay and benefits and work-life balance (58% compared to 54% and 54%). Manufacturing workers rate work-life balance and pay and benefits equally (63%).

Claire Williams, Chief People Officer at CIPHR, commented: “CIPHR’s latest findings highlight that salary often isn’t the key driver that many people think it is. People rarely have just one single aspect of a job that matters most to them: there are always a variety of factors that govern whether an individual will join, stay, or leave an organisation, and these will vary depending on where they are with their career at the time.

“Everyone has their own idea of what work-life balance looks like to them. For some, it means looking for more flexibility at work – such as flexible hours, a four-day week, or remote working – while for others it’s an aspiration that helps shape their career choices, the type of roles they want, and the employers they want to work for. It’s certainly not a new concept, but there’s no doubt that the pandemic has spurred many people to re-evaluate their work-life priorities and change how they want to spend their time at work.

“While employers are still navigating what this means in the long term, they do need to recognise that if they are not meeting their staff’s current needs and priorities – particularly around any core job aspects that they want and value – it’s likely that another organisation will.

“Take the time to actively listen to your workforce – perhaps by running a survey similar to this one – to find out what’s important to them, and map these results against employee demographics, life stages, locations and department. An integrated HR tech stack, with a sophisticated HR system, such as CIPHR HR, at its centre, will help you gain this holistic view of your people data.

“It won’t always be possible to tick every box but if you can act on the feedback where possible, it will help improve employee experience and engagement at all levels. Do nothing, and you’re likely to lose staff in the long run.”

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Challenges in the L&D sector, new report reveals

Lack of salary increases and growth opportunities identified as top issues

Two new reports published by 360Learning have indicated that the Learning and Development sector has some challenges to deal with. The reports revealed that 42% of UK L&D professionals had not received a pay rise in recent months, and a further 23% believe they do not have opportunities to develop at work.

The reports, which look at salaries, progression, and satisfaction in corporate Learning and Development (L&D) teams across the US and UK, have the following findings:

In the UK:

  • The most common annual salary range was found to be between £30-£39k a year
  • The average salary comes in at £31.6k
  • People working in voluntary sectors were likely to earn less than £39k
  • People in the private sector had the best chance of earning more than £80k
  • 25% of L&D Managers earned between £50-£59k
  • Administrators in the L&D environment earned the least at below £39k

In the US:

  • The most common salary range was $70-$100k
  • The mean salary across all roles was much higher than the UK average, at $91.2k
  • 41% of L&D Managers earned more than $100k
  • Instructional Designers and Learning Specialists in the L&D environment earned the least, at less than $70k

The gender pay gap is also clear in the results with:

  • One-third of UK women earn less than the national average (£31,285) compared to only a fifth of men
  • Half of the women in the UK earned less than £39k, compared to only 36% of men
  • Only a quarter of women said they earn more than £40k, versus 41% of men in similar roles

When looking at reasons for lack of advancement, in the UK, 6% of women report that childcare and family are stopping them from growing at work, compared to just 1% of men.

In the US, 4% of people cite personal or family reasons for preventing advancement.

The studies also looked at salary satisfaction. Interestingly, despite gender and role disparities, 53% of L&D professionals in the UK and US were satisfied with their salaries, with the satisfaction increasing per age bracket.

In the UK:

  • 56% of men and 55% of women were satisfied with their earnings
  • 58% of men and 59% of women between 25 and 45 were also happy with their incomes.
  • 42% of UK professionals haven’t had a pay rise in more than 12 months
  • Of the professionals who had not had a pay rise, 54% admitted that they’re not comfortable asking for one
  • Among the professionals who did receive pay rises, 52% were below the rate of inflation, with 45% as low as 1%-3% – half the rate of inflation

In the US:

  • 80% of professionals have had a raise in the past two years
  • 20% have had no raise at all or last had a raise three or more years ago
  • If they have had a pay rise, 38% saw a 1-3% increase
  • 10% of professionals had enjoyed a salary increase of 10% or more over the past 12 months. 41% were “comfortable” or “very comfortable” about asking for pay rises

As far as the impact of education and career experience on salary is concerned, the survey found that 74% of higher salaries across the UK went to people aged over 45; however, 73% of the over 45s surveyed had been in the L&D industry for less than a year.

It would appear that qualifications do not have much influence on compensation. Most of the UK respondents don’t have an L&D-related degree. Of the respondents who earned more than £70k a year – only 7% had degrees or higher. However, in the highest salary bracket, only 2% of people without an L&D-related degree earn more than £80,000 compared to 6% of respondents who do. Clearly,  L&D degrees can lead to higher salaries when it comes to senior roles.

In the US, where wages were higher than $70k, there were almost equal numbers of people with L&D degrees and those without, indicating that on-the-job training via mentors, upskilling, and learning management systems can be an effective route to progression.

The survey provided insights into the roles of mentors in earning potential. For example, the respondents who had a salary of more than $100k a year were more likely to have mentors than those earning lower salaries. Similarly, professionals with a 4% or higher salary increase in the previous 12 months were also likely to have had a mentor.

Generally speaking, mentorship numbers are higher in the US than in the UK. Of the US respondents, 65% of professionals agreed that they benefitted from mentoring, while only 47% in the UK said the same. These numbers could correlate with the fact that 20% of male and 21% of female L&D professionals in the UK feel that they lack opportunities to progress in their careers.

With 4% of US respondents and 22% of UK respondents saying they want to leave L&D, it is essential that L&D professionals feel empowered to effectively provide training and support to other employees.

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UK towns and cities most affected by the Great Resignation

  • UK

UK vacancies up 48% year-on-year

The locations with the highest rates of jobseekers have been revealed in a new study. London, Manchester, Birmingham, and towns on London’s commuter belt topped the list. The study results indicate that as offices reopen and daily commuting re-commence, workers are searching for roles closer to home.

The research by job search engine Adzuna also revealed that every advertised London-based job ad received an average of 65 views during April – indicative of high job churn in the capital city and centre of the Great Resignation in the UK.

Second on the list of jobseeker activity was Manchester, with over nine views for every job listing. Birmingham was third at over seven views per ad.

Edinburgh, Scotland, and Cardiff, Wales, also featured on this list, with view rates of 2.5 and 1.83, respectively. Northern Ireland, however, didn’t feature on the list – possibly showing that the Great Resignation has not reached them yet.

Further findings for April 2022 included:

  • Advertised vacancies in the UK were up 48% year-on-year, to 1,298,581.
  • Over half a million vacancies were on offer across London and surrounding areas.
  • The average advertised salary in London and surrounding commutable areas was £45,515.
  • The average advertised UK salary was £36,587 in April. This is 3% lower than 12 months ago (£37,898).
  • The number of advertised vacancies has exceeded the number of job seekers for the first time.

The study also revealed a growing interest in jobs within commuter towns. Slough and Heathrow experienced the fourth-highest jobseeker activity level. While traditionally, workers in these locations would have commuted into London, they are now looking for jobs closer to home. Job ads, on average, received over four views per posting in these areas.

There was also high jobseeker demand in other commuter towns around London:

  • Chelmsford (2.47)
  • Reading (2.45)
  • Guildford and Aldershot (2.07)
  • Luton (1.88)
  • Crawley (1.87)

The commuter belt towns accounted for a fifth of the list of top 30 UK towns and cities with the highest jobseeker activity.

Looking across the UK, England had the highest activity from jobseekers, with an average of 3.6 views per job ad. Rates were much lower across the rest of the UK with Scotland at 0.26, Wales at 0.11 and Northern Ireland at only 0.03.

Paul Lewis, Chief Customer Officer at Adzuna, comments: “London is at the core of the Great Resignation in the UK, but our data reveals the trend is spreading out fast. In particular, jobs in commuter towns are seeing high interest levels driven by a renewed interest from Brits to spend more time at home. As offices have reopened and commutes have restarted, workers are looking for close to home options that will continue to give them the flexibility they got used to over the pandemic and various lockdowns, be that picking the kids up from school, or simply working flexible hours. The return-to-office is a huge driver of the current high movement between jobs, and companies offering fully remote options, or even much publicised ‘work from anywhere’ policies, are stealing a march on the competition and coming out on top.”

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58% of workers keen to move to ‘greener’ pastures 

  • UK

18% of employees will take a pay-cut to work for an NPO 

According to Aviva’s recent How We Live report, almost two thirds of workers (64%) would consider taking a pay cut if a new role offered other benefits with more than a fifth of workers (22%) stating they would think about taking a lower salary if they had the option to do hybrid working, while almost a third (31%) would do the same if they were able to choose flexible working hours. 

Almost a fifth of workers (18%) reported that they would be prepared to take a wage cut if they were going to work for a charity or not-for-profit organisation and 15% would do so if the company had strong environmental credentials. This view is higher amongst under-25s, with a quarter of people in this age group saying they would consider a lower salary for these reasons. 

Aviva’s previous How We Live report (November 2021) discovered two thirds of employees intend to make changes to their careers in the next 12 months. 

Aside from potential pay-cuts, the study found that around three fifths (58%) of UK workers would consider changing their current role for a “greener” career. 

The study suggested that this attitude is more prevalent in some sectors than others, with workers in finance and engineering / building among those most likely to hold this view at 70% in both cases. 

Industry   Percentage of workers who would consider switching to a “green” career 
Finance  70% 
Architecture, engineering and building  70% 
IT and telecoms  69% 
Legal  64% 
Manufacturing and utilities  63% 
Healthcare  58% 
Education  58% 
Retail, catering and leisure  57% 
Travel and transport  54% 

Green schemes in the workplace 

However, there is increasing evidence that employers are becoming greener with three quarters of workers saying their employer has made changes to improve its environmental impact in the last five years – although 75% of people within this group feel there is still more to do. 

More than a fifth (21%) of workers say they are already participating in initiatives to make their employer more environmentally-friendly, while an additional 50% of employees would like to get more involved in this area. 

The report also reported welcomed news regarding the uptake of existing “green” schemes with current employers with the majority of employees saying that their organisations offer some initiatives aimed at reducing their impact on the planet, ranging from cycle-to-work programmes, to removing single-use plastic from workplaces, to electric vehicle leasing schemes. 

 

Workplace scheme for employees  Percentage of employees saying scheme is offered at their workplace  Estimated number of UK employees able to make use of such a scheme*  
Cycle-to-work / bike loan scheme  68%  22.1 million 
Subsidised public transport / loans for transport season tickets  60%  19.5 million 
Removing single-use plastic from the workplace  77%  25 million 
Paperless office  71%  23.1 million 
Vegan / vegetarian options in workplace canteens  70%  22.7 million 
Hybrid / remote working (to reduce commuter pollution)  67%  21.8 million 
Making use of video calls to reduce unnecessary travel  79%  25.7 million 
Using refillable cups for drinks  85%  27.6 million 
Volunteering through environmentally-friendly workplace schemes  60%  19.5 million 
Electrical vehicle (EV) leasing scheme  55%  17.9 million 

Jon Marsh, MD, Partnerships, Aviva General Insurance says: “Sustainability is very much on the radar for businesses large and small and it is positive news that so many UK people are bringing green thinking into their working routines, as well as their personal lives.  

“The latest How We Live data shows that a great many employees are already involved in environmental initiatives in their workplace – from simply re-using cups, to limiting unnecessary travel, to making use of electric vehicle leasing schemes.   

“Three quarters of workers acknowledge that their employer has made environmental progress in the past five years – but they want to do more to make a difference. This could mean actions taken in a current role or switching to a position with a more environmental focus – but the emphasis on green career ambitions is clear.” 

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78% of jobseekers won’t apply if no salary shown in job ad

  • UK

Salary secrecy culture is detrimental to hiring

New research commissioned by Reed.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading jobs and careers sites, has revealed that that 78% of jobseekers are less likely to apply for a job vacancy that does not display a salary.

Amid labour shortages and a cost of living crisis, a culture of salary secrecy is limiting hiring managers’ ability to secure the best talent. The research revealed that 22% of jobseekers will only apply for jobs with a listed salary, with recruiters admitting that they still either don’t include the salary, or only sometimes include it, on nearly half of all job ads.

Money talks, but employers remain silent

With more than 42% of companies currently finding it more difficult than usual to generate applications, the research indicates that there is a clear need for businesses to update their salary transparency protocols.

With jobseekers stating that salary is the number one reason to apply for a job, almost two-thirds (62%) of hiring managers believe a lack of salary transparency on job ads has no negative impact on applications, and less than half (46%) of employers have a salary transparency policy. There seems to be a disconnect between hirers and candidates despite data from Reed.co.uk showing that ads that display salaries receive 27% more applications than those that don’t.

Furthermore, almost half (48%) of all jobseekers say the absence of a salary on a job advert negatively impacts their perception of the hiring company with a quarter (26%) reporting that the word “competitive” in a salary description is likely to put them off applying for the role.

Transparency enables greater diversity

Improving salary transparency could contribute towards solving the nation’s hiring challenges, as well as widening the candidate pool for employers.

A high proportion of hiring managers found that providing salary details delivered more applications (42%), greater relevancy of applications (38%), and saved time in the recruitment process (35%).

More than a quarter (27%) also said showing salary generated more applications from diverse candidates. This is supported by data from the study which found that women (81%), disabled (81%), LGBTQ+ (81%), and black people (87%) were much less likely to apply for a role without a salary being shown, compared to the national average (78%).

Simon Wingate, Managing Director of Reed.co.uk made comment: “You wouldn’t shop in a supermarket that doesn’t list its prices, so why should we expect people to sift through job ads that don’t advertise salary? From our research, it’s clear that jobseekers want to apply for roles at businesses that are open about what they pay.”

“Not only will [revealing pay] generate more applications, you’ll likely improve relevancy and save time in the process. You’ll also be able to attract from a wider talent pool and avoid any negative impact to your employer brand. Businesses need to be more open to salary transparency or risk losing out on the best candidates.”

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