Salary is a major factor in whether a candidate takes a job — or even applies in the first place. But even after accepting an offer, there still remains the delicate, almost taboo subject of pay.

To be frank, people do not like to discuss what they’re making. When it comes to salaries, bonuses, promotions, benefits and all types of money-related matters — some people are comfortable sharing this information, while others are guarded.

That secrecy not only stems from our culture but has held ground in different stages of our lives. The taboo endure because many people are taught that it’s rude to discuss money.

Granted, it is not an expectation that you shout from the roof the amount of money you make, as that’s just putting a luminous ‘X’ on your back making you a target for unscrupulous individuals. According to BBC Worklife, in traditional corporate environments, the salary is often hidden which becomes a game of cat and mouse trying to figure out what salary the candidate is currently on, what they’re expecting, and what the company is willing to pay.

Some career advisors even advise job applicants to not initiate the subject of compensation, but only when it is brought forward by the interviewer, further perpetuating the ‘off-limit’ narrative.

“Companies are motivated to promote pay secrecy, either covertly or overtly, because it often saves them money. It can mean that new hires don’t know what kind of a salary is reasonable for their role, and some may end up receiving lower pay as a result,” BBC Worklife said.

It added that this can also affect workers already on the career ladder. If people aren’t aware they’re underpaid in comparison to their colleagues, they’re less likely to ask for, or have the leverage to secure large pay rises.

According to Forbes, employees of companies with salary transparency report feeling less underpaid and have more negotiating power, which works to close the wage gap as younger, marginalised employees feel more empowered to ask for their worth.

Pay disclosure can be beneficial to not only job applicants and co-workers, but to individuals looking to enter a particular field.

Fresh out of high school, or even university, many graduates enter the work world without actually knowing the range of what their desired career compensates, plus the additional benefits.

That’s because at career day, while a diverse category of careers are presented, the pay is still shrouded. And when asked, it’s of a broad range with many dependent variables.

However, growing awareness of pay secrecy and its impacts could perhaps contribute to a shift.

This would be an illuminating and instrumental tool to help people make better and more informed career decisions. Oftentimes they can be misled by materialistic possessions, unaware that it’s not solely financed by an individual’s salary.

Think of how broken the system is when young people take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans and commit to years of college — only to learn that they can never earn enough in their field to justify the costs and time commitments.

If we can get past this so-called taboo of discussing money, it would create more real and honest conversations to guide decisions on whether pursuing a particular career, switching jobs, majoring in certain subjects in school or migrating could be based on real data to make informed decisions instead of just hoping for the best.