Sharing job postings effectively is crucial for companies looking to hire top talent. With the rise of social media and online job boards, there are now more options than ever for getting the word out about open positions. However, not all sharing methods are equally effective. The key is choosing the right platforms and strategies to reach qualified candidates. Here are some best practices for sharing job postings.
Post on your company website
The most obvious place to share job postings is on your own company website. This allows you to provide detailed information about the role and gives candidates a sense of your company culture. Make sure the careers or jobs page is easy to find through site navigation and optimized for keywords candidates may search. Provide a simple application process right on the site to capture interested candidates.
Here are some tips for optimizing job posts on your site:
– Use keywords in the job title and description that candidates would search for. This helps the posting appear in searches.
– Make the job description detailed, clear and compelling. Go beyond just a list of responsibilities and really sell the role.
– List qualifications and requirements needed so only qualified applicants apply.
– Highlight company culture and benefits to attract great fits.
– Optimize the page for SEO by including relevant keywords candidates would search for.
– Include structured data like schema markup so the posting appears in search engine results.
Having an optimized job posting on your company site should be the foundation of your sharing strategy.
Leverage online job boards
Online job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, ZipRecruiter and Monster should be part of your sharing strategy. These sites allow you to get your open position in front of many qualified, active job seekers.
Here are some of the top job boards to consider:
Job Board | Overview |
---|---|
Indeed | Indeed is one of the most popular job sites with over 250 million visitors per month. You can post for free on Indeed or pay for sponsored listings. |
LinkedIn Jobs | Posting on LinkedIn Jobs allows you to reach the site’s 740+ million members. You can target by location, industry, skills and more. |
ZipRecruiter | ZipRecruiter has one of the largest job seeker networks and sends applications directly to your site. |
Monster | Monster is one of the leading traditional job board sites with an engaged candidate audience. |
When posting on job boards:
– Tailor the job description for each site’s format, features and audience.
– Target relevant geographic locations and job categories.
– Use relevant keywords in titles and descriptions.
– Take advantage of any special features like highlighting or sponsoring.
– Provide details for quick and easy applications.
Using the major online job boards expands your reach and visibility.
Post on niche or industry-specific sites
In addition to the major job boards, there are many niche sites catering to specific industries, job roles, locations and more. Posting on relevant niche sites can help attract candidates perfectly suited to the specific role.
Here are some examples of niche job sites:
– Dice – For tech and engineering roles
– Idealist – For nonprofit and social impact jobs
– HigherEdJobs – For jobs in academia and higher education
– Mediabistro – For media and journalism roles
– FlexJobs – For remote, part-time and flexible jobs
– AngelList – For startup and tech startup jobs
– Behance – For creative and design positions
When posting on industry-specific sites, really customize the job description and requirements to what those candidates care about. Also focus on the aspects of company culture that will resonate with that niche audience.
Targeting the right sites allows your job to be seen by more qualified candidates in your industry.
Share on social media
Social media provides another excellent avenue for sharing your job postings. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram allow you to get in front of large professional audiences and networks.
Here are some tips for sharing job postings on social:
– Post on your Company Page and have employees share with their networks.
– Engage your followers by asking for referrals.
– Promote with LinkedIn Jobs.
– Join and share in relevant LinkedIn Groups.
– Post on your Business Page.
– Engage employees to share posts.
– Advertise to your target location and demographics.
– Join local community and professional Groups to share.
– Share job links, images and details on your company handle.
– Ask followers to retweet.
– Engage with hashtags like #hiring, #jobopening and #jobsearch.
– Post job images and details on your business profile.
– Use visuals and graphics to capture attention.
– Share Instagram Stories frequently.
Leveraging your social media channels allows you to reach new audiences and get employees sharing and recommending your openings.
Partner with schools and programs
Building partnerships with schools, colleges, training programs and community organizations can be an excellent source of qualified candidates. Here are some ways to get your job postings in front of the right audiences through partnerships:
– Work with career centers at schools and colleges to share postings with soon-to-graduate students and recent alumni.
– Attend career fairs to promote openings.
– Offer to host informational sessions or facility tours for students.
– Partner with professors to guest lecture about your company and positions.
– Work with vocational programs and community organizations to reach unique talent pools.
– Offer internships that convert to full-time roles.
Connecting with schools and programs allows you to build relationships over time and tap into student and alumni talent.
Leverage employee referrals
Referrals from your own employees can be one of the best sources of quality candidates. Your team already understands your company culture and know others who would be a great fit. Make sharing job postings a regular part of your employee communication.
Here are some ways to get employees sharing openings:
– Hold contests for employees who refer candidates that get hired. Offer rewards like gift cards or extra PTO.
– Send new job postings frequently in internal communications and company newsletters.
– Encourage employees to share postings on their own social media networks.
– Provide an internal referral bonus when a referred candidate is hired.
– Ask employees to keep company openings top of mind in their external networking.
Tapping into employee networks can help attract talent much faster through trusted referrals.
Promote to your audience and database
Your own company’s audience and database can be a direct source of candidates. If you have an email list, social media followers or community, leverage these channels to share openings.
Tactics for promoting to your audience include:
– Featuring open positions prominently on your website.
– Sending a dedicated job posting email to your mailing list.
– Highlighting openings in customer newsletters.
– Driving social media followers to apply through posts and ads.
– Connecting job postings to your brand content and messaging.
Your current audience members, customers and fans already know and trust your company. They can make for great candidates as they likely share your values.
Consider paid job advertising
In addition to free posting options, paid job advertising can be a cost-effective way to increase visibility and applications for key roles.
Here are some top paid channels to consider:
– Job site sponsorships – Pay for premium placement and visibility on sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter.
– Social media ads – Run targeted LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram ads promoting openings.
– Google Ads – Use keywords related to the job title and location to get your posting to appear in searches.
– Industry websites – Many niche sites offer paid listings or text ads.
– Job newsletters – Place a sponsored listing in email newsletters going to relevant job seekers.
– Retargeting ads – Serve ads to people who have already visited your site or job listing.
When using paid advertising, focus on the platforms and audiences that are most relevant for each role. Track results closely to optimize towards the channels driving the most interest and hires.
Make applying easy
However you share job postings, it’s crucial to make the application process quick and easy in order to convert interest into actual applicants.
Here are some tips for streamlining applications:
– Allow candidates to apply directly through an online form on your website without requiring uploads or downloads.
– Integrate with application tracking software like Greenhouse or Lever to create a seamless apply experience.
– Enable one-click apply options from third-party job boards to capture candidate info and resumes.
– Only ask for essential information needed at the initial application stage. Save additional info for later screening.
– Give candidates the option to apply using their LinkedIn profile rather than a traditional resume.
– Ensure your application site is mobile-responsive so candidates can apply from anywhere.
The easier you make it to throw a hat in the ring, the more great applicants you’ll have to evaluate for the role.
Spread the word
For hard-to-fill roles requiring niche skills, get creative about spreading the word outside traditional channels. Here are some out-of-the-box tactics to try:
– Send details about the role to your professional network and ask them to refer any contacts that could be a fit. Leverage your employees to do the same.
– Connect with leaders and influencers in your industry that have an audience you want to reach. Ask them to share the job posting with their networks. Offer to produce content they can share in return.
– Attend or speak at industry conferences and events where you can network directly with potential candidates and spread the word about openings.
– Post flyers or leaflets about open positions in places your ideal candidates frequent in the local community.
– If the role is location-flexible, consider broadening your geographic targeting and job sites.
Getting the word to more people through creative offline and online tactics can uncover great candidates who may not see or respond to traditional job ads.
Conclusion
With the wide range of options available today, sharing your job postings should involve a multi-channel strategy. The most effective approach is to utilize your own company assets like your website, employees and audience. Augment this by leveraging niche job boards, social media and schools to promote openings to both passive and active job seekers. Streamline your application process as much as possible. Consider paid advertising to increase visibility. Exploring creative tactics can also help attract hard-to-find candidates. Use the data on which sources generate the most and best candidates to optimize your approach over time. A comprehensive sharing strategy will help you connect with top talent to build an outstanding workforce.