- 1 in 5 say their partner doesn’t know how much they really earn
- More than half think discussing salaries is taboo
- Over half of those asked about their existing salary in a job interview admit to supplying a higher figure
Just 3% of people in Ireland think it is appropriate to ask someone how much they earn on a first date, a new Indeed survey has found.
The hiring platform’s research shows the majority of people (37%) believe romantic partners should wait a few months before asking the salary question while 17% think they should wait over a year and 11% argue that it should be asked after a few years.
Others say the appropriate time should be linked to major life events such as when a couple moves in together (13%) or when getting married (8%).
The Indeed survey was carried out by Censuswide and included over 1,000 workers in Ireland.
The survey found that almost one in five people (19%) think a romantic partner who earns more should pay more of the bill when going on a date while 6% believe they should pay for the entire bill in such circumstances. A total of 41% said dates should be split 50/50, with those in Limerick most likely to want to split the cost.
Over half (51%) of respondents said discussing salaries feels taboo. Just 16% said they would share their salary openly and without hesitation if a coworker asked. More than one in four (26%) said they would politely decline to share the information while 17% would be unsure how to respond. 6% would feel offended and avoid the conversation and 26% would share a “ballpark” figure.
When asked who they would feel comfortable sharing their salary information with, only 12% said their work colleagues and only 6% said their broader circle of friends. A significant proportion were also reluctant to share this information with partners or family. A total of 59% said they would be happy to share their salary with a partner or spouse and 46% said the same about their immediate family. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 (19%) said their partner doesn’t know how much money they really earn.
Salary Transparency at Work
The survey found that 83% believe job postings should include salary ranges as standard practice and 82% would be more likely to apply for a job if employers listed a salary range when recruiting. 74% said they would be more interested in switching career paths if they knew more about the expected pay of a new career before having to apply.
Indeed also examined the rate of salary transparency in job postings on their sites across Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands in 2024. The UK had the highest rates of transparency in job postings, with 71% listing salary details, while Germany had the lowest, with just 16% listing these details. Meanwhile 41% of job postings in Ireland list salary details
When asked what type of salary transparency exists in their workplace only 25% of Irish people said “full” transparency, 36% said “partial” and 36% said there was “no” transparency. A total of 42% of respondents said that they had discovered on at least one occasion in their career that a colleague working in the same position was earning more than them.
Despite more than two-thirds of Irish people (69%) agreeing that salary transparency is positive for both men and women, many either felt they couldn’t discuss the issue or were coy when it comes to volunteering the information to others.
Interestingly, those surveyed indicated a greater willingness to share salary information if there was full salary transparency in a workplace. Almost half (49%) said they would feel less intimidated discussing their pay if they were able to know what their colleagues were paid.
The findings come as the EU Pay Transparency Directive is due to introduce a range of requirements for employers and new rights for employees from next year on.
Organisations will be required to provide information on pay ranges as part of the recruitment process and will not be able to ask candidates about the pay they receive in their existing job, as well as several other measures to improve pay transparency.
Indeed’s survey showed 51% said they had been asked about their previous pay rate when interviewing. Over half of this cohort (56%) said they answered the question truthfully while 34% said they gave a higher number.
Danny Stacy, Head of Talent Intelligence at Indeed, said: “The idea of discussing salary details feels taboo for many. While people have different views on when to raise the subject, especially in their personal life, it is a topic that is becoming an increasingly important issue for both employers and employees. New requirements are on the way that will ultimately allow employees to access more information about pay rates in their workforce and to get a better idea of whether they are being paid the same as others who do similar work. Indeed also has a range of tools and resources that can help jobseekers navigate the salary conversation.
“Our survey shows that employers who already embrace a level of pay transparency and who include compensation details in job postings are likely to appeal to more jobseekers. While the findings show people in Ireland might be reluctant to share their pay details with others, especially colleagues, there is a consensus that pay transparency is positive and should be embraced.”
