The benefits of non-negotiable salaries and how to get them right

At Ethena, we don’t negotiate salaries.

No, really.

There’s no fine print, no hidden clauses, and no wink-and-nod exceptions. Our first offer is our final offer.

If you’re used to the cat-and-mouse game of salary negotiations, you might find this hard to believe. But three years ago, we made the decision to take salary negotiations off the table entirely. Here’s why — and how it’s shaping our workplace for the better.

Employee relationships are built on trust.

Starting an employee relationship with honesty and transparency is non-negotiable for us. We’ve all been in the position of wondering, Could I have received more if I pushed harder? Did someone else on the team negotiate a better deal for the same role? With a no-negotiation policy, there’s no guesswork.

From day one, candidates get the most competitive offer their hiring manager can justify. Period. There’s no risk of lowballing and then “meeting in the middle.” Instead, candidates know their value is recognized upfront, setting the stage for trust and mutual respect.

It helps us address pay gaps.

Negotiations often reflect more than just professional worth; they’re influenced by a candidate’s previous salary, confidence level, and negotiating skills. These factors often perpetuate inequities, especially for underrepresented groups in the workplace.

By removing negotiation from the process, we’re leveling the playing field. Every offer is based solely on skills, experience, and market benchmarks — not on external factors that can exacerbate wage gaps.

It streamlines the hiring process.

Anyone who’s been involved in hiring knows how time-consuming salary negotiations can be. Offers go back and forth, approval processes are delayed, and candidates are left waiting. At Ethena, we’d rather channel that energy into recruiting top talent and ensuring the hiring process is smooth and efficient. When we cut out the back-and-forth, we move quicker, saving time for both our team and the candidate.

With a no-negotiation policy, hiring managers spend less time debating numbers and more time focusing on what really matters: finding and securing the best talent. Of course, committing to a single, final offer can be nerve-wracking. Hiring managers may feel a moment of doubt when extending an offer. But we believe that this brief unease is a small price to pay for a hiring process that’s equitable, transparent, and respectful of everyone’s time.

Candidates aren’t left hanging in limbo, and our team can move swiftly to onboard new hires.

How to make a no-negotiation policy work

Implementing a no-negotiation policy takes commitment. Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Get clear on salary bands.

The foundation of any successful no-negotiation policy is a strong salary banding system. These bands should be informed by market research, industry benchmarks, and internal equity considerations.

At Ethena, we regularly review our salary bands to ensure they remain competitive. If we notice that a particular role is consistently coming in at the top of the band during recruitment, we take that as a signal to reassess and adjust.

2. Be consistent.

Consistency when it comes to maintaining your policy is critical. The moment you make an exception, you risk undermining the trust you’ve worked so hard to build.

Even when faced with a particularly impressive candidate, we resist the temptation to go outside our policy. Instead, we focus on making our best offer upfront and ensuring the candidate understands why we’ve landed on that number.

3. Adjust salary bands before extending offers.

A no-negotiation policy doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible. If we notice during the hiring process that our initial salary range isn’t attracting the right candidates, we take a step back and re-evaluate.

The key is to make these adjustments proactively, not in response to individual candidates. This ensures fairness across the board and keeps the process efficient.

4. Communicate early and often.

Transparency is everything. We tell candidates about our no-negotiation policy during the very first phone screen. This ensures there are no surprises later on and gives candidates the opportunity to ask questions or share concerns upfront.

When it comes time to extend an offer, candidates already understand our approach, making the process smoother and less stressful for everyone involved.

The bottom line

So, is it working? Absolutely.

Many candidates have expressed relief at not having to navigate the stress of salary negotiations. They appreciate our commitment to equity and transparency, and they know exactly where they stand from the beginning. For us, the payoff has been clear: stronger employee relationships, reduced pay gaps, and a hiring process that’s as efficient as it is fair.

If you’re considering implementing a no-negotiation policy, remember: it’s not just about simplifying hiring. It’s about creating a workplace culture that values trust, equity, and transparency. And we think that’s worth it!

About Ethena

Ethena takes you beyond checking the box with a modern library of 150+ customizable course modules and tech that lets you set it and forget it. An employee hotline, HR case manager, and phishing simulator are all built-in, so you can identify risks and tailor your training to them. We’re trusted by People and Compliance teams at Pinterest, Notion, Asana, Zendesk, The Salvation Army, and more.