“Candidates nowadays are incredibly informed, and if the company isn’t being transparent, they’re going to find that information somewhere,” says Tillo.
Pay transparency beyond the legal checkbox
Ontario’s pay transparency requirements came into full effect on Jan. 1, 2026, requiring employers with 25 or more employees to include salary ranges in all publicly advertised job postings. For Tillo, the legislation is welcome, but she says compliance alone misses the point.
“Pay transparency really only becomes a competitive advantage when an organization views it as a trust-building exercise rather than just a compliance requirement,” she says.
Listing a salary is a start, but candidates want context on why this number, what does progression look like, how is performance is rewarded, according to Tillo. “If you’re transparent with salary, a candidate expects transparency throughout the hiring process,” she says. “The organizations doing a pretty good job consider it part of their talent strategy and they’re being upfront about career growth, flexibility, benefits, and how performance is rewarded.”
She also reframes a metric that has frustrated some employers: candidates withdrawing after seeing a posted salary. “If you see it being a pattern, it’s sending you a signal,” she says. “It might indicate a gap between what you’re offering and market expectations, or maybe your overall proposition isn’t clearly communicated.”