The post explores how pay disparities in the events industry begin before an offer is made, highlighting systemic issues in expectations and negotiations.
Pay gaps often emerge during the hiring process, not just in salaries.
Candidate expectations are shaped by past undervaluation.
Employers’ assumptions can reinforce inequality.
Transparent benchmarking is vital for fairness.
Pay equity issues don’t begin at payday — they start the moment a candidate names their salary expectation. And that’s a major blind spot in how we hire across the events industry.
It’s well known that pay gaps exist — but what’s less talked about is how early they begin. According to the Live Recruitment Diversity Report 2025, women in the UK events industry earn an average of £3,500 less than men. Professionals from ethnically diverse backgrounds also earn less than their White peers. But perhaps the most telling insight? Those same groups are also asking for less.
How bias shapes expectations
The data shows that women request salaries approximately £4,000 lower than men. Ethnically diverse candidates also report lower desired salaries on average. This isn’t just about confidence — it’s about conditioning. When people have historically been underpaid, undervalued, or penalised for negotiating, they may lower their expectations to stay in the running or in many cases, they are also unaware of what they should be earning due to a lack of salary transparency from employers. However, when employers determine offers based on what candidate’s request — or worse, on salary history — they risk entrenching past inequities.
Equity in Hiring
Pay equity starts at the recruitment stage. Employers must review assumptions and align salaries to benchmarks to drive fairness.
Candidate Empowerment
Professionals should be equipped with transparent data and benchmarking to confidently negotiate fair pay during recruitment.
The Fawcett Society’s End Salary History campaign highlights how this practice locks in discrimination over time. 58% of women say disclosing their previous salary negatively impacted what they were offered. And when it comes to negotiating, Black women can face additional barriers. Research published in Psychological Science (Livingston, Rosette & Washington, 2012) found that Black women who assert themselves are more likely to be stereotyped as “angry” or “aggressive”, — making them less likely to be seen as competent leaders and more likely to face backlash for negotiating.
Building fairer salary practices
The events industry has an opportunity to move away from subjective negotiation and towards transparent, benchmarked, and bias-resistant salary practices. Equity doesn’t start with a pay slip—it starts with the offer.
"Salary transparency is the foundation of pay equity. Employers need to lead the change, not wait for candidates to ask for it." James Walton, Founder, Live Recruitment
By recognising how bias shows up in the earliest moments of the hiring process, we can start to level the playing field, before the ink dries on the offer letter.
FAQs
Why does the pay gap start before the offer?
Biases, undervaluation, and differing salary expectations often set unequal foundations during recruitment.
How can employers reduce pre-offer pay gaps?
By using transparent benchmarking, avoiding assumptions, and ensuring fair discussions at every stage.
What role do candidates play in this issue?
Candidates’ expectations, shaped by historic undervaluation, can unintentionally reinforce inequities.