Salary Transparency: Building Trust in Cross-Border Hiring

One of Elphe’s defining features is something that makes both companies and professionals a bit uncomfortable at first: every talent profile includes expected salary information. It’s visible, upfront, and non-negotiable for profile creation.

This transparency is deliberate and fundamental to our mission. Let’s explore why salary transparency matters, especially in cross-border hiring, and how it benefits everyone involved.

The Traditional Approach: Hide the Number

Conventional wisdom in hiring suggests keeping salary information hidden:

The Old Playbook

Companies:

• Don’t mention salary in job postings
• Ask candidates for their expectations first
• Negotiate based on their current salary
• “Save money” by offering the minimum they’ll accept

Candidates:

• Don’t mention salary expectations early
• Research market rates extensively
• Try to avoid naming a number first
• Risk wasting time on positions outside their range

The Result: Inefficiency and Mistrust

This dance of hidden information creates problems:

• Wasted time on both sides pursuing misaligned opportunities
• Mistrust from lack of transparency
• Inequitable outcomes favoring better negotiators
• Information asymmetry disadvantaging candidates

Why Cross-Border Hiring Needs Transparency

In international hiring, especially India-to-Global hiring, the traditional approach fails even more dramatically:

Market Rate Confusion

Companies often don’t know what Indian developers expect:

• Is $15,000 reasonable? $25,000? $40,000?
• How does experience level affect compensation?
• What’s competitive for specialized skills?

Without guidance, companies either:

• Overpay out of uncertainty
• Underpay and miss top talent
• Waste time discovering misalignment late

Currency and Cost-of-Living Complexity

International hiring involves additional factors:

• Currency conversion and fluctuation
• Different cost-of-living standards
• Tax and compliance considerations
• Payment method logistics

These complexities multiply the importance of clear expectations upfront.

Cultural Differences

Salary discussion norms vary across cultures:

• Some cultures consider salary discussion taboo
• Others expect direct salary negotiation
• Misunderstandings can derail promising conversations

Clear, upfront expectations bypass these cultural complications.

The Elphe Approach: Radical Transparency

At Elphe, every talent profile includes expected salary information. Here’s why:

1. Efficient Matching

For Companies: Know immediately if a candidate fits your budget. Search results can be filtered by salary expectations, ensuring you only review profiles within your range.

For Professionals: Only engage with companies whose budget aligns with your expectations. No more wasting time on positions that can’t meet your needs.

2. Market Intelligence

For Companies: Understand market rates for different skill levels and specializations. Make informed budget decisions based on real data.

For Professionals: See what others with similar skills expect, helping you set competitive expectations without undervaluing yourself.

3. Trust Building

For Everyone: Transparency builds trust. When salary expectations are clear from the start, conversations begin with honesty rather than strategic positioning.

4. Fair Outcomes

For Everyone: Transparency reduces the “negotiation skill advantage.” Compensation aligns more with value delivered than with negotiation tactics.

Real-World Benefits

The impact of salary transparency manifests in concrete ways:

Time Savings

Before Transparency:

• Company posts job
• Reviews 100 applications
• Conducts 20 screening calls
• Gets to salary discussion in round 3
• Half the candidates are outside budget
• 10+ hours wasted on misaligned candidates

With Transparency:

• Company searches with salary filter
• Reviews only in-budget profiles
• Every conversation has pre-aligned expectations
• Saves 5-7 hours per hire

Better Conversations

When salary is settled upfront, conversations focus on what matters:

• Skills and experience fit
• Cultural alignment
• Career growth opportunities
• Technical challenges and learning
• Team dynamics and collaboration

Instead of circling around compensation, you discuss the work itself.

Reduced Anxiety

For Professionals: Not wondering if you’re pricing yourself out or undervaluing yourself. Clear expectations reduce stress in the job search process.

For Companies: Not worried about competing blind or making an offer that’s wildly off-market. Budget certainty enables faster decisions.

Common Objections Addressed

Salary transparency still encounters resistance. Let’s address common concerns:

“Won’t everyone just pick the highest number?”

Reality: Professionals know overpricing themselves reduces opportunities. Most choose realistic expectations based on their experience and market awareness.

Elphe profiles include skills, experience, and portfolios. Companies evaluate the complete package, not just the salary figure.

”What if someone’s expectations are unrealistic?”

Reality: Market feedback quickly calibrates expectations. If someone prices themselves out of opportunities, they’ll adjust. The transparency helps this happen faster.

Additionally, seeing other profiles helps professionals benchmark themselves realistically.

”Doesn’t this disadvantage less experienced negotiators?”

Reality: It does the opposite. Transparency especially helps those who might undersell themselves. With market rates visible, everyone can make informed decisions.

”Won’t companies just lowball everyone?”

Reality: In a transparent market, companies must be competitive. Professionals can easily see what others with similar skills expect and will engage with companies offering fair compensation.

The platform dynamics create upward pressure on fair compensation, not downward pressure.

How It Works in Practice

Let’s walk through real scenarios:

Scenario 1: Senior Full-Stack Developer

Profile Salary Expectation: $35,000 annually

Company A (Budget: $40,000):

• Sees profile, within budget
• Reviews skills and experience
• Sends invitation
• Strong match, conversation begins

Company B (Budget: $25,000):

• Sees profile, outside budget
• Doesn’t reach out
• No one’s time wasted
• Both parties avoid mismatch

Scenario 2: Junior React Developer

Profile Salary Expectation: $18,000 annually

Companies searching for junior developers:

• Can filter for realistic junior developer salaries
• Know budget sufficiency upfront
• Focus evaluation on skills and potential
• Make offers confidently

Candidates with similar experience:

• Can benchmark against similar profiles
• Adjust expectations if significantly off-market
• Feel confident they’re pricing fairly

The Market Efficiency Argument

From an economic perspective, salary transparency creates a more efficient market:

Information Symmetry

Traditional Market:

• Companies have more salary information
• Candidates navigate with partial knowledge
• Information asymmetry creates inefficiency

Transparent Market:

• Both sides have complete information
• Decisions are better informed
• Market clears more efficiently

Price Discovery

Transparency enables real price discovery:

• Aggregate data reveals true market rates
• Outliers become visible and adjust
• Supply and demand balance naturally

Reduced Transaction Costs

Every hour spent in misaligned conversations is a transaction cost. Transparency reduces these costs dramatically, making the market more efficient for everyone.

Broader Industry Trends

Elphe’s transparency approach aligns with wider movements:

Legislated Transparency

Many jurisdictions now require salary transparency:

• Colorado, New York, California require salary ranges in job posts
• EU regulations mandate pay transparency
• More jurisdictions considering similar laws

These laws recognize that transparency benefits markets.

Company Policies

Progressive companies are adopting transparency voluntarily:

• Buffer publishes salary formulas
• GitLab has public compensation calculator
• Help Scout shares complete salary data

These companies report better hiring outcomes and improved team morale.

Research Support

Studies consistently show transparency benefits:

• Reduces pay gaps across demographics
• Improves employee satisfaction and trust
• Increases applicant quality by attracting aligned candidates
• Shortens hiring time through better matching

Guidelines for Setting Salary Expectations

For professionals creating profiles, here are our recommendations:

Research the Market

• Review other Elphe profiles with similar skills
• Consider your experience level realistically
• Account for specialized skills that add value
• Understand typical ranges for Indian developers in international positions

Consider the Total Package

Salary isn’t everything. Factor in:

• Learning and growth opportunities
• Work-life balance and flexibility
• Company reputation and stability
• Career advancement potential

You might accept slightly lower salary for exceptional other benefits.

Be Realistic but Confident

• Don’t undersell yourself
• But don’t price yourself out of opportunities
• Remember you can discuss specifics during conversations
• Salary expectations aren’t binding final offers

Update as You Grow

• Revisit your expectations periodically
• Update as you gain skills and experience
• Adjust based on market feedback

For Companies: Making Transparency Work

Companies searching on Elphe should:

Set Realistic Budgets

• Research market rates for Indian developers
• Remember you’re competing in a global market
• Understand the value you’re getting
• Budget for fair compensation that attracts quality talent

Use Filters Wisely

• Filter by salary to stay within budget
• But don’t automatically filter out slightly higher expectations
• Remember the cost savings vs. local hires
• Consider the total value proposition

Be Transparent in Return

• Share your budget range in initial conversations
• Discuss total compensation, not just base salary
• Be clear about growth opportunities
• Honor the transparency the professional has shown

The Future of Compensation Transparency

We believe complete compensation transparency is the future:

Beyond Base Salary

Future iterations may include:

• Benefits packages
• Equity or profit sharing
• Bonus structures
• Professional development budgets

Real-Time Market Data

As the platform grows:

• Market rates become clearer
• Specialization premiums emerge
• Supply and demand dynamics visible
• Everyone makes better-informed decisions

Industry Standard

We hope to normalize transparency:

• Make it expected, not exceptional
• Reduce the awkwardness around compensation discussion
• Create fairer, more efficient markets

Conclusion

Salary transparency isn’t just a feature of Elphe—it’s a philosophy. We believe that honest, upfront information creates better outcomes for everyone:

• Companies save time and money finding the right talent at the right price
• Professionals avoid wasting time on misaligned opportunities
• Markets function more efficiently with better information
• Trust builds when everyone operates openly

Yes, it’s uncomfortable at first. Discussing money often is. But the discomfort quickly gives way to appreciation for the clarity and efficiency that transparency provides.

In cross-border hiring especially, where cultural norms differ and market rates aren’t common knowledge, transparency isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.

At Elphe, we’re committed to maintaining this transparency because we’ve seen how much better the hiring process works when everyone knows where they stand from the start.

Salary transparency builds trust. And trust is the foundation of successful, long-term employment relationships.

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Experience transparent hiring. Join Elphe and see salary expectations upfront.