Compversation #24 - How to Market an Average Salary

Salary transparency isn’t just a legal obligation. For companies that know what they’re doing, it can be an opportunity to stand out in the job market.

Month after month, I write those words (or something close), because I’m deeply convinced they’re true. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you already know I encourage you to view transparency as a competitive advantage for your employer brand.

In the age of transparency, compensation is an integral part of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP): the value a company offers its candidates and employees. 

And HR marketing can no longer sidestep the question of pay. But sometimes I get sceptical reactions from fellow HR professionals, along the lines of:

“OK, I get that publishing salary bands can be an advantage for companies that pay really well. But for us, who pay around the market average, or even below, how can we possibly stand out? How should we adapt our employer branding?”

Luckily, salary transparency isn’t just a way for the highest-paying companies to flaunt their impressive packages and corner the talent market. And I don’t believe this is a revolution that will necessarily disadvantage “average” employers.

Here’s how I advise them to stand out.

A truly differentiating advantage 

When we talk about employer branding, we’re talking about marketing applied to HR. So, it’s worth drawing a parallel with product marketing: how do you market an average product, one whose price isn’t the lowest and whose quality isn’t the highest on the market?

Marketers would tell you the key is to identify a differentiating angle and highlight it consistently across all marketing channels. That’s the principle of a Unique Value Proposition (UVP), which is the single, distinctive benefit that sets a product apart from its competitors.

The same logic applies to employer branding. One truly distinctive HR advantage can be enough to make your company stand out.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to pile on expensive programs to attract and retain talent. In fact, that can be counterproductive. As American HR expert Josh Bersin notes in his recent research on compensation and benefits:

“The ‘Total Rewards’ strategy — the accumulation of numerous types of pay and benefits — was designed for the old world of work, and no longer fits employees’ modern expectations.”

Let’s be honest: many of us have lived that reality. Year after year, companies stack on new perks until the list becomes endless. In the end, few employees even know what’s available, and HR teams complain that staff don’t appreciate their package. A benefits statement helps a bit, but not enough.

Instead, Bersin encourages a more comprehensive, integrated approach he calls Systemic Rewards. Rather than spreading their efforts too thin, companies should focus on finding one distinctive element and highlighting it.

That’s what Malt did successfully with its “sabbatical” program: one paid month off every three years. It was an idea so original it earned them a feature on a popular French TV show (Capital).

I love this example because it’s memorable, unique, and turns employees into ambassadors for the employer brand, by sharing stories of the trips they took thanks to that policy. It’s a true “masterclass,” as the younger generation would say.

Similarly, AWIN made headlines after permanently switching to a flexi workweek. Note that neither of these winning strategies necessarily require huge budgets. They’re effective because they’re differentiating.

Your company might already have a marketing argument like this, such as a particularly generous remote work policy. The key is to identify it and make it shine, rather than trying to stack on additional perks.

Now’s a good time to start thinking about what kind of HR policy could strengthen your employer brand. Keep in mind that one truly differentiating initiative is enough, and it certainly doesn’t have to be expensive to work.

Play the transparency card

If you can’t identify a standout HR policy that would set you apart, here’s an advantage you may have dismissed too quickly: transparency.

Transparency isn’t only valuable for what it reveals; it can be an advantage in itself.

In other words, even if your candidates or employees discover through transparency that they aren’t paid at the top of the market, they may still appreciate having access to that information. 

In fact, a study by Welcome to the Jungle on employer branding found that 75% of candidates value transparency in company culture, and 50% would like that transparency to extend to salary bands and bonuses. It’s safe to assume those numbers are even higher today. 

A message like, “We may not offer the highest salaries, but we can offer something just as valuable: transparency and fairness,” can be very appealing to candidates who value mutual trust.

Some companies go even further, adopting full salary transparency by publishing everyone’s pay internally. Buffer, a pioneer in this area, gained wide attention with this bold policy, which was still rare when the company introduced it.

Of course, reaching that level requires a rigorous audit of existing pay practices to check there aren’t any historical inconsistencies that could be exposed, or worse, create legal vulnerabilities. There’s also the matter of employee privacy.

And then there’s the human factor, as such a move can impact interpersonal dynamics. I know two companies that considered full transparency but pulled back after surveying their employees, not only because some didn’t want their salaries revealed, but because others didn’t want to know their colleagues’ salaries either! 

This kind of radical transparency (which we’ve also implemented at Figures) isn’t easily replicable for all types of organisations, especially more traditional ones. But it’s possible to introduce measured transparency that builds trust without going to extremes. 

A more classic approach is to publish clear salary ranges by role, location, or seniority level, along with explanations to help employees understand where they sit within those ranges.

Danone is a great example. They’ve developed a clear, detailed compensation policy which they share with all employees. Most importantly, their HR and managers are trained on it, too. In my opinion, Danone is one of the most advanced companies in this area. 

Bet on fairness 

To me, transparency around salary ranges is the way forward, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the norm. But before you can publish specific salary bands, you need to make sure your internal practices align with them.

I totally understand not all companies feel ready to take that leap right now. In that case, aim for the highest possible level of transparency you’re comfortable with.

Even without sharing exact numbers, you can communicate the foundations of your pay philosophy:

• How are salaries positioned relative to the market average?
• What kinds of skills and profiles do you value most?
• Do you reward performance or loyalty? Collaboration or initiative?

You should clearly communicate these principles, so employees feel a sense of fairness.

According to the same Welcome to the Jungle study, 60% of candidates value transparency around career-development opportunities. Transparency doesn’t always mean numbers; sometimes it means knowing the rules of the game and feeling confident everyone is treated equitably.

For many employees, understanding why they’re paid a specific salary matters more than how much they’re paid. It’s not just a question of numbers; it’s a question of meaning.

In 2025, employees’ ethical concerns are undeniable: corporate commitments are now a key part of the EVP.

But ethics shouldn’t only apply to social or environmental issues. They should also shape how people are treated inside the organisation. You don’t need to be the most generous payer in the market to offer fair pay, as long as you can explain it clearly and give it meaning.

If you’ve managed to attract or engage talent despite paying at or below the market average, I’d love to hear about your experience.

My inbox is always open!

To continue the conversation 

Here are a few resources to keep exploring the topic. Feel free to share the articles you’ve found most interesting!

Is Salary Transparency a Game Changer for Attracting Talent? — Anne Corder Ltd.

Anne Corder explores how being open about compensation can enhance recruitment efforts and strengthen employer branding. 

Fair Pay, Fair Play: The Case for Salary Transparency — Salary Gray, Hays 

Hays details the business case for pay transparency: improved trust, better attraction, and the practical steps organisations need to take. 

Pay Transparency: A Trend or the Future of Hiring? – Goodman Masson (Insights Hub)

Goodman Masson examines the demands for more openness in pay, the benefits and risks, and how companies can implement it in practice.