Lately, I've been helping business owners set up their hiring funnels. I help structure the process so that the right people come to you, not just anyone.

And you know what I see time and again? The same mistake. I used to make it myself for five years straight until I finally got it.

We cut our own funnel. With one line in the job posting.

The salary range that kills responses

We write: "Salary 70–180k."

And that's it. We've lost the flow.

Because in the candidate's mind, this happens: "Yeah, right, it'll be 70. The rest is fairy tales for fools."

This isn't paranoia. It's a normal market reaction. We've all been fed promises so many times that our brains automatically read a range as "you'll get the minimum, forget about the top."

I did this for years myself. I thought a range was honest. Like, "let's see how you perform." But in reality, I was just cutting off strong candidates. Because strong candidates don't want to start at 70k and believe in a fairy tale about 180.

What actually works

Write the maximum in the job posting. Right away. Without a range.

"Salary up to 180k."

And in the job description itself, you can break down how the 180k is composed, for example, base salary 90 + KPIs averaging 50 to 100.

But (and this is important, damn it) — you must be ready to explain at the interview how it's made up. And this number must be truly achievable. That is, you need to quickly and clearly explain to the candidate how they can reach that 180k.

How to check? Ask yourself:
- Do you currently have an employee who earns that much?
- Can a new person reach that amount in 3–6 months with normal work (not heroics)?

If yes — write it boldly. If no — you're just lying, and it will come back to bite you.

At the interview, say this

"180k is what Sasha from our department earns. He joined six months ago, the first two months were 90–110, then he hit his targets — and now he's consistently at 160–180. Here's the structure: base salary 80 + sales commission + bonus for hitting targets. Realistic? Yes. For everyone? No, only for those who perform."

That's it. No deception. Just you show the ceiling, not the basement.

In short

A range cuts the funnel.
A maximum boosts the flow of great candidates!