Posting a job opening can be an expensive endeavor, especially for small businesses or startups with limited recruiting budgets. However, there are several effective options for posting jobs for free across various online platforms and job boards. Here are some tips on how to post jobs at no cost.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million members globally as of January 2023. While LinkedIn does offer paid job listings, they also allow employers to post jobs for free directly to their Company Pages. Here’s how:
- Go to your LinkedIn Company Page and click “View Insights”
- Select the “Post a job” button on the right side
- Fill out job details like title, description, and location
- Choose to post the job listing to your Company Page for free
Posting on your Company Page allows you to reach LinkedIn members actively searching for roles while developing your employer brand. You can increase visibility by sharing the job post update across your employee accounts.
Leverage Facebook Jobs
Facebook recently introduced Facebook Jobs, allowing businesses to post open positions directly to their Facebook Business Pages. Just like LinkedIn, these job listings are 100% free. Here’s how to post a job:
- Go to your Facebook Business Page and click “Jobs” in the left menu
- Click the “+ Add Job” button and fill in the job details
- Specify that you want to publish the listing to your Business Page
- Share the job post on your Page and in relevant Facebook Groups
Facebook Jobs is a smart choice for employers wanting to recruit candidates where people already spend a lot of their time online. You can target nearby job seekers by location.
Broadcast on Twitter
Twitter is used by over 300 million people each month, offering employers an expansive reach for job promotions for free. Post job openings by Tweeting from your business Twitter account. Some tips:
- Write a compelling job post title and description within Twitter’s 280 characters
- Include hashtags like #jobopening, #hiring, or #job to help people find your tweet
- Tag relevant professional organizations or associations in your industry
- Run an ad campaign to promote your job tweet to targeted followers
Twitter is ideal for spreading your job post far and wide quickly. Promoted tweets can get your job in front of many more eyes.
Harness the Power of Google
Google is the #1 internet search engine and allows you to post job listings through Google My Business and Google Jobs. Both are free options with tremendous reach.
Google My Business
Google My Business help users find local businesses. By creating a free Google My Business profile for your company, you can post job openings right to your profile page. Follow these steps:
- Sign up for a Google My Business account
- Complete your business profile and verify your location
- Go to the “Posts” section and click “+ Add post”
- Select “Job” as the post type and fill in the details
- Publish the job post and share it across Google
This allows people to see job openings along with your business information on Google Search and Maps. You can drive applicants to your website or application portal.
Google Jobs
Google also provides its own job search platform at google.com/jobs. As an employer, you can create a free Google Hire profile and directly submit open roles. Follow these steps to get started:
- Go to google.com/jobs and sign up for an employer account
- Confirm your business email and agree to Google’s terms
- Complete your basic company profile and job locations
- Use the “Job Postings” section to describe open positions
- Choose appropriate job categories, titles, and keywords
Adding jobs to Google Jobs will expose your openings to job seekers on Google Search as they look for new opportunities. You can specifically tailor listings for each role.
Partner with Local Colleges
Developing relationships with career services teams at nearby colleges and universities can unlock free job promotion channels to students and recent graduates. Here are some tips for collaboration:
- Introduce yourself to the college career center and discuss posting jobs
- Provide job descriptions, qualifications, and application instructions
- Ask for listings to be shared through school job boards and newsletters
- Inquire about participating in campus career fairs, panels, or company info sessions
This is a smart way to source talented candidates right from local academia. Many newly minted graduates are eager to jump into the job market.
Partner with Non-Profits
Non-profit and community organizations focused on job training, workforce re-entry, and skills development are often happy to circulate employment opportunities at no cost. Some options include:
- Local unemployment offices and job centers
- Trade schools and vocational/technical colleges
- Programs helping military veterans transition to civilian jobs
- Rehabilitation centers assisting people with disabilities
- Resettlement agencies for new immigrants and refugees
Building connections with organizations like these that work closely with job seekers can help your open positions reach capable candidates looking for work.
Post on Craigslist
Despite some ups and downs over the years, Craigslist remains one of the most widely used classified ads websites. Posting jobs under Craigslist’s employment section is completely free for employers. Steps include:
- Navigate to Craigslist.org and select your nearest city
- Click the “Post” button and choose “Post a Job”
- Select the appropriate job category like skilled trade, writing, or customer service
- Fill in key details including description, responsibilities, and qualifications
- Provide instructions for candidates to follow when applying
One benefit of Craigslist is the hyperlocal reach, allowing you to easily target applicants within your metropolitan area. The site still averages over 50 million monthly users in the US.
Ask Employees to Share
Your own staff can be incredibly helpful for spreading the word about job openings, especially on social media. Some ideas to generate shares include:
- Incentivize employees to share job posts on personal accounts
- Highlight why they enjoy working for your company
- Provide messaging they can easily copy and paste
- Cross-post employee shares to your company profiles
Referrals are one of the most common ways people find new opportunities. Tap into your biggest advocates – your employees!
Conclusion
Hiring can be expensive, but posting jobs without a budget is very feasible if you’re creative. Focus your efforts on free job boards from leading professional networks and social platforms. Building local community relationships and leveraging your staff for shares can also generate quality applicants. With the right strategy, you can promote your employer brand and find top talent without breaking the bank through paid job listings.