Job seekers pressure employers on pay transparency

Nearly half of Hong Kong job seekers only apply for roles that disclose salary ranges.

Hong Kong employers are facing increasing pressure to disclose salary ranges as nearly half of job seekers now apply only for roles that include pay information, highlighting a growing demand for transparency in recruitment.

Elaine Chu, Associate Director of the Financial Services Division at Robert Walters, said many employers remain reluctant to publish salary ranges because compensation depends on more than job titles.

“Hong Kong employers want a bit more flexibility because compensation is very determined by the job title alone,” Chu said.

She explained that responsibilities can differ significantly between large and small organisations despite similar titles, resulting in varying salary levels. Employers also consider broader compensation packages, including overtime arrangements, work-life balance, annual leave and other benefits, which are often discussed later in the hiring process rather than at the application stage.

Chu said cultural attitudes toward discussing pay also contribute to limited salary transparency.

“I think transparency can address these pay inequalities, including gender pay slips gaps, gender pay gaps. But I think it really depends on the person as well if they're willing to share or not,” she said.

She encouraged employers and candidates to use market benchmarks and recruiter guidance when assessing compensation, noting that specialist responsibilities, regional support requirements and working hours can justify different salary ranges even for positions with similar titles across different companies and industries.