I just came across an ad this morning for a sales director that started this way:
As a Business Development Director with Idea Information Security, you will enjoy a healthy base salary…
The ad is quite long and covers more topics than needed, but the opening line is a bit of a concern. Hiring salespeople who are money-driven is a wise approach (though there are mitigating factors in that approach). The issue with the opening line is that it sounds like a reward for winning the interview process.
This point is subtle, but we have run into it in the past. We prefer to list base salary amounts in the ad, but we usually list it towards the end. The more important information is to describe the position, the traits that lead to success and the expectations of the manager. The fit you are looking for first is ability.
Compensation, obviously a part of the equation, should not be the card you lead with in the first sentence of the ad.