12th November 2026

Salary Transparency in IT Channel Recruitment: What Mandatory Salary Disclosure Means for Employers

Employers will be required to put salaries on job ads, PM Andy Burnham has announced 

In a recent announcement from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, employers will be required to include salary information on job advertisements, a move that reflects a broader shift towards pay transparency across the UK labour market. The proposal has already sparked significant discussion among employers, recruiters and HR leaders about how recruitment strategies will need to evolve.

The push towards salary transparency is being driven by several factors. Employers face increasing pressure to demonstrate pay fairness and consistency, while candidates want greater visibility into compensation before engaging with recruiters. Transparency is also viewed as a way to support diversity and inclusion by encouraging more structured and objective pay frameworks. At the same time, competition for specialist talent remains intense, particularly within the IT channel.  

For technology vendors, distributors, MSPs and resellers, this could have major implications for talent attraction and retention. The businesses that adapt quickly will gain a competitive advantage in the race for skilled IT channel professionals.

What This Means for IT Channel Recruitment

The IT channel remains one of the most competitive hiring markets globally. Experienced professionals across channel sales, partner account management, distribution leadership, marketing, pre-sales and customer success often have multiple opportunities available at any given time. 

Compensation Will Be Easier to Compare

One of the most significant changes is that compensation packages will become publicly visible. Many organisations benchmark salaries internally but have limited visibility of how their offering compares externally. Once salary information is openly displayed, candidates can quickly compare base salary, commission potential and benefits across multiple employers. 

This means businesses can no longer rely solely on brand reputation or market presence to attract talent. Compensation packages will need to align with current market expectations if employers want to remain competitive.  

Salary Is Only Part of the Decision

A common concern is that salary transparency will create a bidding war where only the highest-paying employers can secure talent. In reality, experienced IT channel professionals evaluate opportunities using a combination of factors. Alongside compensation, candidates consider career progression, leadership quality, company reputation, vendor relationships, flexibility, international opportunities and workplace culture. 

As a result, organisations with a strong employee value proposition can still attract top talent even if competitors offer a higher base salary. The key is effectively communicating the overall opportunity rather than focusing exclusively on pay. 

Internal Pay Structures May Come Under Pressure

Publishing salary ranges can also highlight inconsistencies within existing teams. If organisations advertise new positions at salaries higher than those paid to current employees in comparable roles, they may face retention challenges, employee dissatisfaction and increased demands for salary reviews. 

Forward-thinking businesses should use this opportunity to review compensation frameworks and ensure pay remains competitive, equitable and aligned across the organisation.  

How IT Channel Employers Can Prepare

Rather than waiting for regulatory change, employers should take proactive steps now. 

Benchmark Salaries Against the Market

Regular salary benchmarking is becoming increasingly important. Employers should review compensation levels for key positions including Channel Account Managers, Partner Development Managers, Channel Sales Directors, Alliances Managers, Vendor Managers, Channel Marketing Managers, Pre-Sales Consultants and Customer Success Leaders.

Understanding current market rates helps ensure salary ranges are realistic, competitive and capable of attracting high-quality candidates. 

Strengthen Your Employer Value Proposition

As salary becomes more transparent, other differentiators become increasingly important. Employers should clearly communicate career progression opportunities, learning and development investment, access to leading vendor ecosystems, international growth prospects, flexible working arrangements and incentive structures. Candidates need to understand not just what they will earn, but why your organisation represents a strong long-term career move. 

Focus on Retention

Greater transparency may encourage employees to compare their package with opportunities elsewhere. Organisations should therefore regularly review pay parity, career development opportunities, leadership effectiveness and employee engagement. In most cases, retaining top-performing employees is considerably more cost-effective than replacing them. 

How Robertson Sumner Can Help

As specialist recruiters focused exclusively on the global IT channel, Robertson Sumner helps technology vendors, distributors, MSPs and resellers make informed hiring decisions in changing market conditions. 

By continuously monitoring hiring trends, compensation levels and candidate expectations across the channel, we help employers benchmark salaries, improve offer acceptance rates and remain competitive in increasingly transparent hiring markets. Accurate market intelligence is becoming a critical advantage as salary disclosure becomes more common. 

Our annual salary survey provides employers with valuable insight into remuneration trends, hiring activity, skills demand and candidate priorities across the global IT channel, helping businesses make evidence-based recruitment and retention decisions.

We also help organisations position opportunities around career progression, leadership vision, company culture and long-term earning potential. In today's market, employers must sell the complete opportunity rather than relying on salary alone. 

Beyond advertised candidates, our specialist global network provides access to experienced sales, channel, technical, marketing, customer success and leadership professionals who may not be actively seeking new opportunities. This enables businesses to access a broader and more qualified talent pool. 

The Bottom Line

Mandatory salary disclosure is likely to accelerate a trend that is already reshaping recruitment: greater transparency, stronger competition for talent and increased emphasis on employee value propositions.

Organisations that understand their market position, offer competitive compensation and clearly communicate career opportunities will be best placed to attract and retain top IT channel talent.

Looking to hire for your IT channel business? Contact Robertson Sumner for specialist recruitment support, salary benchmarking and access to the global IT channel talent community.