LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 740 million members worldwide. It is a great platform for networking, finding jobs, connecting with industry professionals, and promoting your business. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability for companies to post job openings on the platform for free. This allows employers to tap into LinkedIn’s massive user base when recruiting talent.
But a common question that comes up is – how long do these free LinkedIn job postings remain active before they expire? Let’s take a detailed look at how the free job posting feature works on LinkedIn and the duration for which the listings stay online.
What is LinkedIn’s Free Job Posting Feature?
LinkedIn offers a free job posting feature that allows any company with a LinkedIn Company Page to publish job openings on the platform at no cost. The free listings are visible to LinkedIn members searching for jobs and appear in relevant search results and job recommendations.
Some key things to know about LinkedIn’s free job postings:
– Available only for companies with a LinkedIn Company Page. Individual accounts cannot post jobs for free.
– Let’s companies post one job at a time. You cannot batch upload multiple job listings together.
– Appears on LinkedIn platform only. The free postings are not distributed to job boards or aggregator sites.
– Comes with basic applicant tracking. You can see how many people viewed the listing or expressed interest.
– Does not include screening questions or assessment options for candidates.
– Provides basic analytics like number of views, applies, shares, etc.
So in summary, the free job posting option gives companies a way to reach LinkedIn’s wide user base and attract relevant candidates through targeted postings.
What is the Duration of Free LinkedIn Job Postings?
Now coming to the main question – how long do these free job postings stay active on LinkedIn?
The duration of free LinkedIn job postings is 30 days. When you publish a job posting without a paid package, the listing will remain live on LinkedIn for 30 days from the date of posting.
Once the 30 day period expires, the job will automatically be removed from LinkedIn and will no longer appear in searches. So to recap:
– Free job postings remain active for 30 days
– After 30 days, the listing is automatically expired and removed
– To extend the duration, you must upgrade to a paid job posting subscription
This 30 day limit applies only to the free job listings. Paid job posts can remain active for longer depending on the subscription package purchased.
Can You Extend the Duration of Free Listings?
Since free LinkedIn job postings expire after 30 days, many recruiters wonder if it’s possible to extend the tenure of these listings.
Unfortunately, there is no way to directly extend the lifespan of free job postings. Once the 30 day limit has been reached, the listing cannot be renewed or reactivated for free.
The only way to continue the listing on LinkedIn is to upgrade to a paid job posting subscription. Some options include:
– LinkedIn Job Slot – $199 per slot
– Annual Recruiter Seat – $4,999 per year
– Pay Per Click Job Postings – Bid-based pricing
With these paid products, you can keep job listings active from 30-90 days based on the package. You can continually renew expired postings to keep them showing up in recruiter searches.
So while the free listings themselves cannot be extended, paid subscriptions do give the flexibility to maintain continuous active job listings well beyond 30 days.
Tips to Maximize Free Listings Duration
Here are some tips to make the most of the 30 days free posting period on LinkedIn:
– **Post early** – Post the job as early as possible once you are ready to start accepting applications. This will give you the full 30 days to source candidates.
– **Promote frequently** – After posting, promote the listing by sharing it with your LinkedIn connections, groups, company followers etc. Promote it again at regular intervals to keep it visible.
– **Refine targeting** – Use relevant job titles, keywords, locations etc. to ensure your listing appears in searches by appropriate candidates.
– **Leverage networks** – Ask employees to share the listing with their own networks to widen the reach.
– **Review analytics** – Check analytics regularly to see engagement levels and refine the posting if needed to get better results.
– **Remain engaged** – Respond promptly to applicants and update the listing if the position is filled before expiry.
Proactively following these best practices can help you maximize your free 30 days and reduce the need for a costly paid extension.
What Happens to the Listing After 30 Days?
It’s important to understand what happens to the free job posting after the 30 day validity period:
– The job listing is completely removed from LinkedIn and will no longer show up in any searches.
– All applicant tracking data is lost. You cannot retrieve application information after expiry.
– The posting cannot be renewed or extended for free. An upgrade is required to list it again.
– The listing URL will no longer work. Any bookmarks or links shared previously will become invalid.
– LinkedIn will indicate the job has expired if you try to access the posting.
So in summary, the free listing is permanently deleted from LinkedIn after 30 days – it does not continue to be displayed in an inactive or expired state. Any required renewal makes it a brand new paid posting.
Does LinkedIn Send an Expiration Notification?
LinkedIn does not automatically notify employers when their free job posting is about to expire or has already expired.
It is up to the company to keep track of the 30 day validity period for their listings. Set yourself a reminder on the date when the posting will lapse so you can either renew or remove it in time.
Some indications that your free job has expired:
– Drop in application volume as listing disappears
– Link to job posting stops working
– Job status shows as expired on employer account
– Job no longer appears in searches and bookmarks
Since proactive notification is not sent, you have to monitor these signs carefully and take timely renewal action.
How to Avoid Unexpected Expiry of Free Listings
To ensure your free LinkedIn job posting doesn’t expire unexpectedly before attracting suitable candidates, follow these tips:
– **Note posting date** – When you first publish the listing, mark your calendar on the exact date it will expire.
– **Set reminder alerts** – Set up automatic reminders through your calendar or project management software as expiry approaches.
– **Check application analytics** – Notice any dip in application volume that indicates a potential lapse.
– **Test listing link** – Click on the job link periodically to see if it is still working as expected.
– **View on dummy accounts** – Check if listing appears in searches you run while logged out of your company account.
– **Renew/Remove promptly** – As soon as you notice expiry signs, either renew paid posting or remove listing so it does not reflect poorly.
– **Maintain organized records** – Document posting date, applications received and other details so data is not lost when a listing expires.
Planning ahead and tracking actively are the best ways to avoid a free listing vanishing without notice and ensure continuity in your recruiting process.
Options for Posting Long-Term/Evergreen Jobs on LinkedIn
For long-term job openings or evergreen listings that you need to keep active indefinitely on LinkedIn, the free 30 day option will not be suitable.
Here are some alternate paid routes that allow permanent or renewable job listings:
– **LinkedIn Recruiter** – Higher tier recruiter licenses allow job posting tenure between 30-90 days that can be continually renewed.
– **Active Hiring Plan** – Pay per click model where job stays active as long as hiring campaign runs.
– **Sponsored Jobs** – Bid-based sponsored listings that can be kept online until hiring is complete.
– **Job Wrappers** – Funded wrap around actual listings to keep positions promoted.
– **Boosted Postings** – Option to pay to boost visibility of regular postings.
– **Always-on Talent Pools** – Maintain an always-on talent pipeline through dedicated pages.
So for long-term hiring needs, pairing free posts with some of these paid products can be a cost-effective approach on LinkedIn.
Tips for an Effective Free LinkedIn Job Posting Strategy
Here are some overall tips to develop an effective free job posting strategy on LinkedIn:
– **Align with hiring needs** – Post free listings only for jobs where you can complete evaluation in 30 days. Don’t use for long-term roles.
– **Leverage targeting** – Use job titles, keywords and location filters strategically to reach your best candidates.
– **Promote efficiently** – Share new listings with relevant groups, followers, employees etc. but avoid spamming.
– **Monitor activity** – Check applicant volume, share numbers, click traffic etc. to refine listings if needed.
– **Renew promptly** – For qualified applicants still in pipeline as expiry hits, promptly renew through paid route.
– **Remove expired posts** – This avoids user confusion and keeps your employer brand consistent.
– **Supplement strategically** – Support free posts with occasional paid boosts, sponsored listings etc. for best results.
With some planning, strategic use of targeting and efficient promotion, you can maximize free LinkedIn job postings even within the 30 day constraint.
Common Myths and Misconceptions
There are some common myths around LinkedIn’s free job postings that must be busted:
**Myth:** Listings automatically expire after you have hired for the role.
**Reality:** Term is fixed 30 days irrespective of when position is filled.
**Myth:** Integration with payroll platform extends duration.
**Reality:** This is not valid. Only paid upgrade extends tenure.
**Myth:** Listings will continue to show as inactive after 30 days.
**Reality:** Postings are completely removed from the platform after expiry date.
**Myth:** You can repost an expired job for free.
**Reality:** Each free listing is a one-time unique post that cannot be reposted for free.
**Myth:** Duration can be extended if you update or edit the listing.
**Reality:** Any changes do not impact or reset the expiry period.
Conclusion
To conclude, LinkedIn’s free job postings offer a valuable outlet to tap into rich talent pools and attract great candidates without upfront costs. The 30 day tenure gives adequate time to source prospective hires for most standard positions.
With some planning around renewal/removal dates and leveraging promotions, targeting and analytics, recruiters can maximize the ROI of these free listings. Periodic paid boosts can complement for continuous visibility. Overall, the free job posts coupled with LinkedIn’s powerful targeting and massive reach present an unbeatable opportunity to hire top talent.