Which Job Boards Are Most Effective for Employers and Job Seekers?

Having a well written job description is only the first step in finding quality talent for your company.  You also need to post it online for people to see.  Of course this includes your website but in order to make sure the right people see it, it has to be posted in the right places.

A good place to start are the boards that are free and easy to use for the job hunter.  Places like Indeed, Careerbuilder and Monster are some of the most popular options. Below, we look at each of the job boards to learn more about the benefits of each for both job seekers, as well as employers:

Indeed

According to Recruiting Daily, out of the top 10 sources for external online hires, Indeed accounts for 50% of hires.  To put this another way, Indeed accounts for the same amount of external online hires as the rest of the top 10 combined. Careerbuilder comes in second with 14%

For Job Seekers:

Indeed has millions of job postings from thousands of websites all over the Internet and the world.  Indeed will pull jobs from many sources that aren’t even specifically posted to Indeed, aggregating job postings in one location.  This makes Indeed very much a go-to site for job seekers.  If someone posts a position to Indeed you can take advantage of a “quick apply” option, making it extremely convenient. Users can also sign up to receive alerts from Indeed based upon their specific job title and geographic preferences.

For Employers:

Indeed is also the cheapest (it’s free!) for employers to use and allows unlimited posts unlike some other boards. Not only is Indeed free for job postings, they also let you sponsor jobs for as low as $5 a day.  When you sponsor a job, your post will be pushed to the top of any relevant job search. Clearly, this is the most effective way for you to cast a wide net.

Careerbuilder

For Job Seekers:

Careerbuilder is kind of like Indeed’s little brother in terms of size but just because it’s the little brother doesn’t mean that it isn’t huge.  It’s among the largest and most popular job boards on the Internet. 

For Employers:

Careerbuilder also has ways to help you narrow your search for the right applicant by allowing you to filter through resumes to find those with the closest preferred experience.  This can help prevent a flood of thousands of unqualified resumes.

Monster

For Job Seekers:

Though not quite as big as Indeed or Careerbuilder, Monster is one of the best sites for finding jobs.  Monster allows for a much more customized search and recommends jobs that are similar or the same as ones you have previously applied to. Monster also helps save you time by streamlining the application process. You can upload multiple versions of your resume and you can easily apply for multiple jobs with one click of a button.

For Employers:

By having such a customizable search bar Monster can really help connect you with the person trying to find their perfect job. While Indeed’s size has caused earned the job board a reputation for being a “butts-in-seats” kind of site, Monster is known for having more professional candidates.  The highly customizable search bar is going to help you find someone who thinks your position is their perfect job.

LinkedIn

For Job Seekers:

LinkedIn is THE professional social network.  If you aren’t currently on LinkedIn, you should be since your profile is basically an in-depth resume and running account of your professional accomplishments and interests. One of the greatest things about LinkedIn is the ability to see which contacts you may be connected to within specific companies where you may be seeking specific positions.

For Employers:

When someone applies to your LinkedIn posting you can access their profile which will have far more information about them then any paper resume.  For example, my LinkedIn profile also has links to previous articles and projects that I have done going all the way back to my early days in college.  Someone’s profile can really show an in depth look at someone’s skills and experience.

The downside to LinkedIn for a recruiter is that you need to have a LinkedIn Recruiter license which can cost thousands of dollars over the course of the year. While this gets expensive over time, many companies use this method and are quite satisfied with their results.

Specialized Job Boards

For Job Seekers:

These smaller job boards are more focused on specific fields.  As a result the searches you have can ultimately yield stronger results that are more in line in what you want, provided you go to the correct site of course!

For Employers:

Specialized job boards can help you find the right candidate without having to sift through mountains of resumes that sometimes come with the previously listed job boards.  These smaller sites are more likely to have candidates with interest and experience in their fields.  The net you’re casting is smaller, but also more concentrated.

Dice – Dice is the Indeed of the Tech World.  If you need anyone involved in anything Tech - developers, programmers, etc. – then Dice is the place to go. We at Eliassen Group love Dice!

TalentZoo – Creative jobs like marketing and advertising.

Law Jobs – I bet you can guess what sort of jobs they focus on.

And there are many, many more with dozens of sites online for every field of work.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with them and see what results you get. Having too many strong applicants is never a bad thing!