Overview
Advertising salaries and total compensation is among the recruitment strategies available to hiring units to attract and retain a robust candidate pool. Adopting this strategy thoughtfully both provides a positive candidate experience while positioning the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an employer of choice.
Importance
- When candidates review a job posting, pay and total compensation information are among the first items viewed. When candidates cannot locate this information within the posting itself, they may search websites such as Glassdoor.com or Indeed.com for salary details, which may not be accurate.
- Advertising salaries not only provides a competitive advantage, but also a more positive candidate experience overall. By being transparent upfront, the candidate can manage their own expectations accordingly. This allows the hiring unit to potentially mitigate issues down the line during offer negotiations. (e.g. a highly-qualified candidate makes it through the screening and interview process, but declines a final job offer)
- Asking candidates for their salary history is a dated practice that often contributes to pay inequity; it is important for hiring units to determine salary and total compensation based on the responsibilities the candidate will be fulfilling.
Compensation Details in Workday
When creating the Job Requisition (and subsequent job posting), pay and total compensation details can be included under the "Compensation" heading in the Job Qualifications and Additional Details for Job Posting open text field.
Best Practices
- Setting a realistic salary minimum allows applicants to self-select whether the pay range is acceptable when deciding to apply for a position. If advertising a salary above the range minimum, a hire cannot be made below the advertised salary.
- Example: For a Financial Specialist III, the salary range is $39,400 - $73,200. Instead of posting the minimum of the range, determine what a more realistic or competitive minimum is based on your budget and level of experience needed.
- If the budget for the position is known and there is no room to negotiate outside of the budgeted amount, consider adding a statement to this effect. If the maximum salary is advertised, a hire cannot be made above that salary.
- Example: “The expected salary range for this position is $XX up to $XX for highly experienced candidates. Actual pay will depend on experience and qualifications.”
- If recruiting for a higher-level position, such as a Director, and you wish to expand upon the posted salary minimum, consider adding a clarifying statement in the job posting.
- Example: “The starting salary for the position is $XX but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.”
- When advertising for a position with the possibility of permanent residency, the salary qualifier should be set to ‘Negotiable.’
- Include applicable total compensation for the position, including hiring bonuses, relocation stipends, etc.
- Example: “Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. This position is eligible for a hiring bonus of [percentage%] of the starting salary.”
More guidance, including a language bank, can be found on the Draft Your Workday Job posting guide.