Recruitment information obligation
Once the Pay Transparency Directive implementation law takes effect, you must inform applicants about the initial salary or salary range before pay negotiations — for example in the job posting or before the interview. Asking applicants about their current salary is no longer permitted. Payqual has a tool that shows you exactly what to communicate per position.
Last update: February 24, 2026 · Reading time: 6 minutes
What does the law say about recruitment information?
“Applicants have the right to receive information about the initial pay or its range, in such a way that informed and transparent negotiations can be conducted, for example in a published vacancy or before the job interview.”
EU Richtlijn 2023/970, artikel 5
The Pay Transparency Directive sets concrete requirements for the information you must share with applicants, before the first interview.
State the salary range
For every recruitment process, the applicant must know the starting salary or salary range before the job interview, for example via the job posting (Directive 2023/970, Article 5(1)).
Ban on salary history
You may no longer ask applicants about their current or previous salary. This prevents existing pay inequality from being carried over (Directive 2023/970, Article 5(2)).
Share pay criteria
Applicants have the right to information about the objective, gender-neutral criteria used for salary determination and career development (Directive 2023/970, Article 6).
Equal access to information
All candidates for the same position must receive the same salary information, regardless of gender or background.
Right to pay policy information
Applicants can ask about the pay policy and the criteria for salary development within the organisation.
Where do things often go wrong?
Many organisations are not yet prepared for the new requirements. These are the most common pitfalls.
No salary in the vacancy
Many job postings still state competitive salary or salary negotiable, without sharing the salary information elsewhere in time. This will no longer be sufficient. You must proactively provide the information before pay negotiations — in the vacancy or at another moment before the job interview.
Asking for salary history
Asking what someone currently earns during the interview is a common mistake that will be explicitly prohibited.
Inconsistent information
Communicating different ranges via the website, recruiter and contract proposal undermines transparency.
Missing criteria
Stating a salary without explaining the criteria on which it is based does not meet the directive's requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How Payqual helps with the information obligation
Payqual generates a complete overview per position of what you must communicate to applicants. No manual research, no inconsistencies.
Select position
Choose the position from your existing job architecture in Payqual. All compensation data is already linked.
Generate information
Payqual automatically generates the salary range, pay criteria used and relevant employment conditions.
Export and use
Export the generated information directly to your job posting, ATS or recruiter briefing.
Because all information comes from the same source, consistency is guaranteed. Every candidate receives the same, correct information, regardless of the channel.
See what you need to communicate
Select a sample position and instantly see what information you must share in a vacancy according to the directive.
Salary range
€ 4,200 – € 5,800 gross/month
Pay criteria
Job level (grade 10), experience, education, managerial responsibility
Employment conditions
13th month, pension scheme, 28 holiday days, remote work allowance
Time savings
Generate vacancy information in seconds instead of hours of research.
Always consistent
One source for all channels: website, recruiter, ATS and contract proposal.
Audit-proof
Complete record of what information was shared when and with which candidate.
Ready for transparent recruitment?
Discover how Payqual helps you communicate the right salary information for every vacancy.