Good Faith Hiring

For employers

Most of Good Faith Hiring happens before an advert goes live. Check every advert against the list below, then plan your replies and feedback.

Last updated 1 November 2026

The employer checklist

Commitments 1 to 5 apply to every advert before it goes live. 6 to 8 are about how you run the process. To print it or save it as a PDF, use your browser's print option.

  1. 1. Show the salaryGFH-E1
    • A pay range or fixed figure in every advert.
    • The top of the range is no more than 1.5× the bottom. £40,000 to £60,000 meets it; £40,000 to £80,000 doesn't.
    • Base pay is shown on its own. Commission, bonus or on-target earnings (OTE) are shown separately.
    • Contract roles give a day rate and say whether the role is inside or outside IR35.
  2. 2. Say where the work happensGFH-E2
    • Office roles: the town or city, and the number of days a week on site.
    • Remote roles: the countries you can employ people in.
    • Never a nationality. "UK-based" describes where someone works, not who they are.
  3. 3. Say whether you sponsor visasGFH-E3
    • The advert says: "You need the right to work in the UK by the start date. We can sponsor a visa for this role" or "We cannot sponsor a visa for this role".
    • Every applicant at the same stage is asked the same right-to-work question.
    • No nationality wording, such as "British only" or "UK nationals".
  4. 4. Separate must-haves from nice-to-havesGFH-E4
    • No more than 5 must-haves, labelled as must-haves.
    • Each must-have is needed to do the job, and is written as a skill. No years of experience, and no particular degree unless the law requires one for the role.
    • No "native speaker" wording. Say the level of English, or other language, the job needs.
    • People are only turned down for not meeting a must-have.
  5. 5. Advertise real jobsGFH-E5
    • Every advert is a role you intend to fill, unless it is clearly labelled as a talent pool.
    • The advert is closed within 5 working days of an offer being accepted.
  6. 6. Respect people's timeGFH-E6
    • The stages and a rough timeline are set out in the advert or the first reply.
    • Unpaid take-home tasks take 3 hours at most. Longer tasks are paid.
    • Adjustments are offered at every stage.
  7. 7. Reply to everyoneGFH-E7
    • Every application is acknowledged within 5 working days, and the acknowledgement says how to ask for adjustments.
    • Every applicant hears the outcome within 20 working days, or is given a date when they'll hear.
  8. 8. Give feedback after interviewsGFH-E8
    • Everyone interviewed gets feedback within 5 working days of the decision.
    • The feedback gives at least one real reason, tied to the role's requirements.

How to adopt it

  1. Check your adverts. Run each new advert through the checklist below. Commitments 1 to 5 are about the advert itself.
  2. Plan your replies. Set up an acknowledgement that goes out within 5 working days and says how to ask for adjustments. Decide who sends outcomes and feedback, and when.
  3. Say you follow it. Add a line and a link to your adverts. The adopt page has text to copy.
  4. Get listed, if you like. Send us three live adverts and we’ll add you to the adopters list, which also lets you use the badge.

Following it is free, and so is being listed.

Common sticking points

“We can’t show pay because it depends on the person.” Then show the range you’d pay. If it’s wider than 1.5×, you’re probably hiring for two levels, so advertise two roles.

“Our hiring managers want long requirement lists.” Ask them which five things they’d turn someone down for. Those are the must-haves. Everything else is a nice-to-have.

“We get too many applications to reply to all of them.” An automatic acknowledgement and a batch outcome message take minutes to set up. Clear adverts also mean fewer applications from people who can’t take the job.