In our Ask a Recruiter feature, our specialist recruitment team tackles key topics around attraction, recruitment and retention.
This month, Associate Consultant Rachael Conley, answers a question from a law firm reviewing how it discusses salary with candidates. With expectations changing and lawyers becoming more selective about the opportunities they pursue, they’re keen to have honest conversations about pay without putting candidates off.
“Salary is often one of the first topics candidates want to discuss, but it can also be one of the most difficult. How can we have open, honest conversations about pay without creating unrealistic expectations or damaging trust?”
Salary conversations don’t have to feel awkward.
In fact, in today’s market, avoiding them is often more damaging than having them.
One of the biggest themes to come out of our 2026/27 Legal Market & Salary Guide is that lawyers are becoming much more balanced in how they assess opportunities. Salary remains the biggest trigger for considering a move, but it’s no longer the only factor. Flexibility, progression, leadership, culture and long-term sustainability all play an increasingly important role.
That means firms need to move beyond simply discussing what they pay and start talking about the value of the overall opportunity.
Here’s what I’d recommend.
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Be Transparent Early
Few things erode trust faster than avoiding the salary conversation until the final interview.
You don’t necessarily need to advertise an exact figure, but you should have a realistic range and be comfortable discussing it early in the process.
If there isn’t alignment, it’s far better for everyone to know from the outset.
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Explain Where Your Offer Sits in the Market
Candidates appreciate context.
If your salary is towards the middle of the market because your firm offers excellent flexibility, lower billing targets or faster progression, explain that.
Likewise, if you’re offering top-of-market salaries because the role involves more complex work or greater responsibility, make that clear too.
People are much more likely to trust an offer when they understand the reasoning behind it.
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Remember You’re Selling More Than a Salary
Our latest research found that while 72% of lawyers say a significant salary increase would encourage them to move, many also prioritise work-life balance, flexible working, progression, better benefits and leadership.
Salary gets attention, but your wider proposition often secures the hire.
Use salary conversations as an opportunity to explain:
- what progression looks like
- how often salaries are reviewed
- your bonus structure
- flexibility and hybrid working
- the support and development lawyers can expect.
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Benchmark Before You Recruit
One of the biggest mistakes firms make is relying on outdated assumptions about what the market is paying.
Salary progression now varies significantly depending on practice area, complexity of work and firm type. In many disciplines, lawyers moving firms still achieve much larger increases than those staying put, while firms competing on pay alone are finding it harder to differentiate.
Understanding where your salaries sit in relation to the wider market allows you to recruit with confidence and avoid unnecessary negotiation.
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Make Sure Everyone Tells the Same Story
Nothing undermines confidence more quickly than different interviewers giving different messages about salary, bonuses or progression.
Make sure everyone involved in recruitment understands not just the numbers, but the wider value proposition behind the role. Consistency creates credibility, and credibility builds trust.
Lawyers don’t expect every firm to pay the highest salaries.
What they do expect is honesty.
The firms attracting the best talent aren’t necessarily those offering the biggest pay packets. They’re the ones that communicate clearly, understand where they sit in the market, and confidently explain the value of their overall proposition.
Want to benchmark your firm’s offering?
Our 2026/27 Legal Market & Salary Guide for Law Firms is available now and provides detailed salary benchmarking across key practice areas, alongside insights into the benefits, flexibility, progression and leadership factors that are increasingly shaping attraction and retention. It’s designed to help firms understand not just what lawyers are earning, but what they’re looking for from their next employer.
Download your free copy today or get in touch with us to discuss how your firm’s offering compares with the wider legal market.
