Post every role on your own careers page, then add one or two channels that reach the people you want: a general or regional job board for broad roles, a specialist board or community for niche skills and your employees' networks for referrals. Match the channels to the role and the budget, make the posting clear, track where each hire comes from and drop channels that send volume without quality. More channels mean more applications, but also more screening, so the aim is the right applicants, not the most. Review after each role and keep a short list of what works for each type of job.
Channels change quickly, so treat any list as a starting point.
Channel types
| Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Your careers page | All roles; builds a base for referrals | Needs traffic from elsewhere |
| General job boards | High-volume and entry-level roles | Many unqualified applicants |
| Specialist boards | Technical, creative, healthcare and other niche roles | Smaller audience; fees |
| Professional networks | White-collar and senior roles | Needs a good company profile |
| Communities and forums | Specialist and values-driven roles | Slower; rules vary |
| Universities and bootcamps | Early career and graduate roles | Timing around terms |
| Employee referrals | Nearly all roles | Narrows diversity if used alone |
| Agencies | Urgent, senior or niche roles | Fees; align on criteria first |
| Local and community groups | Local, hourly and small business roles | Limited reach |
| Social media | Employer brand and some roles | Time to maintain |
Choosing by role
- Customer support or retail: general boards, local groups and your own page. Volume is likely, so plan the screening; see high-volume resume screening.
- Software or data: specialist boards, communities and meetups, plus referrals.
- Healthcare or regulated roles: professional bodies and specialist boards that verify credentials.
- Senior roles: your network, search firms and professional networks.
- Graduates: university career services and graduate schemes.
- Creative: portfolios and communities where work is shared.
Make the posting work
Whatever the channel, the posting decides who applies.
- Use a standard, searchable job title.
- State the pay range, location and working pattern.
- Describe the real work and the real requirements. See job description writing.
- Say what you offer and what the process looks like.
- Link to an application form that takes a few minutes. See job application form design.
- Use inclusive language. See inclusive job ads.
Some places require pay ranges in postings. Check the rules where you recruit.
Track by source
Add a "source" field to every application. Then compare:
| Source | Applicants | Qualified | Interviews | Hires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Careers page | ||||
| Job board A | ||||
| Referral | ||||
| Community |
You will quickly see which channels send people who fit. Divide the cost by hires to see cost per source. See cost per hire and recruiting metrics.
Test, do not guess
Post a role on two channels for two weeks. Compare the number of qualified applicants and the cost. Keep what works and drop the rest. If a channel sends many applicants and few qualified ones, tighten the posting or drop it.
Paid versus free
Start with free: your own page, your network, communities. Add paid channels when you have a role you cannot fill, and you know which paid channel has worked before. Paid promotion increases reach but also screening effort, so use knock-outs and a short form to manage volume. See knockout questions.
Agencies
Use them for roles where speed or reach matters. Agree on the criteria in writing, the fee, the guarantee period and how candidates are presented. Give them the same scorecard you use. See intake meeting for how to align. Agency hires are often the most expensive source, so check quality.
Outreach alongside posting
For hard roles, posting is not enough. Add direct outreach to people who match; see candidate sourcing.
After the post goes live
- Acknowledge applications and set expectations. See candidate experience.
- Screen within a few days.
- Close the posting when you have enough candidates, and tell those who applied.
For the overall flow, see hiring process steps.
A short example plan
Suppose you are hiring a mid-level accountant in a mid-sized city. A reasonable plan is your careers page, one general job board with local reach, one professional body's job board, a post in a local accounting group and a referral request to your own staff. Give the posting two weeks, then compare qualified applicants by source. If the professional board produced half of the qualified applicants at a tenth of the cost, use it first next time.
Keeping a channel log
Keep a simple log with the role, the channel, the dates, the cost, the number of applicants, the number who passed screening and the hires. After five or six roles you will have a record of what works for your business, which is more useful than any general ranking of job boards. It also helps new colleagues who take over hiring.
Common inquiries regarding this topic.
Where is the best place to post a job?
It depends on the role. Use your own careers page for all roles, add one or two job boards that reach the right audience, and add communities, schools or referrals for specialist or senior roles. Test channels and track which produce hires.
It depends on the role. Use your own careers page for all roles, add one or two job boards that reach the right audience, and add communities, schools or referrals for specialist or senior roles. Test channels and track which produce hires.
The Resume World Team
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