LinkedIn has become one of the top places for companies to post job openings and find qualified candidates. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn offers access to the largest professional network on the internet. Determining the best time to post a job on LinkedIn is crucial to getting your listing viewed by the most relevant applicants.
What are the benefits of posting jobs on LinkedIn?
There are several key advantages to posting job openings on LinkedIn:
- Reach a targeted audience – LinkedIn’s extensive user base allows you to connect with professionals in your desired industry or location.
- Promote your employer brand – Company pages showcase your brand, culture and reputation to prospective candidates.
- Tap into passive candidates – Many LinkedIn users aren’t actively job searching but could be interested in new opportunities.
- Integrate with other tools – LinkedIn seamlessly integrates with applicant tracking systems and HR software.
- Get actionable analytics – LinkedIn provides data and insights on your job post views, applicants, and more.
With its vast reach and strategic targeting capabilities, LinkedIn recruiting gives employers an effective platform to attract and engage with top talent across the globe.
What time of day should you post a job?
Here are some recommendations on the best times to post jobs on LinkedIn:
Time of Day | Rationale |
---|---|
Early Morning (before 10 AM) | Users are checking LinkedIn first thing in the morning as part of their routine. Posting early means your listing will be towards the top of the feed. |
Lunch Hour (11 AM – 2 PM) | Many users browse LinkedIn on their lunch break. Increased midday activity means more eyes on your posting. |
Afternoon (2 PM – 5 PM) | Steady traffic continues through the afternoon as people take short breaks and finish up their day. |
Post-Work Hours (5 PM – 7 PM) | Professionals check LinkedIn before and after wrapping up their workday. Listings tend to get buried quickly so post early in this window. |
In general, aim to post new jobs in the morning or early afternoon for maximum visibility. But any time before 7 PM will allow you to capitalize on active users throughout the workday.
What day of the week should you post?
While you can post a job at any time, data shows there are optimal days to post on LinkedIn:
- Tuesday: Highest overall engagement and click-through rate for job posts.
- Wednesday: Increased activity midweek makes this a strategic day to post.
- Thursday: Still sees strong traffic as the workweek winds down.
Mondays and Fridays tend to be less ideal posting days. Engagement on Mondays may lag as users are ramping up after the weekend. Fridays have lower visibility going into the weekend. Avoid posting over the weekend when activity on LinkedIn tends to decline.
Should you post a job multiple times?
Posting a job once may not be enough – data indicates that re-posting at optimal times can greatly expand your reach. Here are some best practices for repurposing your content:
- Wait 1-2 weeks between postings on a single platform.
- Vary the job headline and description wording to appear new.
- Cross-post your listing on multiple platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.
- Turn existing employees into brand ambassadors by sharing with their networks.
- Refresh postings after a major company announcement or news event.
Avoid reposting too frequently, as duplicative content can seem spammy to your audience. But thoughtfully repurposing and recirculating your listing can help attract 17% more applicants on average.
How long should you leave a job posted?
There are a few factors to consider when determining how long to leave a job posting live:
Factor | Recommendation |
---|---|
Candidate Pool | Narrower candidate pools may only need 2-3 weeks. More specialized roles could warrant 4-6 weeks. |
Hiring Urgency | Mission-critical roles may necessitate a shorter posting window of 1-2 weeks. |
Applicant Volume | If applicant volume is low, leave the listing open longer. If sufficient candidates applied quickly, can close sooner. |
Cost of Vacancy | Higher costs associated with unfilled roles may require an extended posting time of 6-8 weeks. |
Monitor your applicants and hiring pipeline. Typically plan for 3-6 week posting durations, with flexibility to extend or renew postings if needed.
How can you optimize job post formatting?
Crafting an engaging, optimized job post can significantly impact performance. Here are some tips:
- Write a compelling, keyword-rich headline and description tailored for LinkedIn users.
- Highlight company culture, brand values and employee benefits.
- Use bullet points, lists and headers to improve skimmability.
- Emphasize opportunities for career development and growth.
- Add multimedia like images, videos and infographics when possible.
- Include relevant hash tags like #engineeringjobs, #hiring, etc. to be more discoverable.
- Publish posts natively on LinkedIn rather than linking out to external sites.
An optimized job post provides all the details a candidate needs while being engaging, easy to digest and aligned with LinkedIn’s algorithm.
Here are some LinkedIn job post templates and examples:
[Job Title]
[Catchy headline like “Join our fast-growing tech team in NYC!”]
[Location]
[Introduction positioning why the role/company is an exciting opportunity]
[Short paragraph on what the company does, team culture, values]
What you’ll do:
- [Overview of role responsibilities and duties]
- [Responsibility 2]
- [Responsibility 3]
You should have:
- [List of required skills and experiences]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
It’d be great if you have:
- [List of “nice to have” skills and qualifications]
- [Desired skill 2]
- [Desired skill 3]
What we offer:
- [Benefits like compensation, healthcare, PTO, retirement, etc.]
- [Perks like remote work options, professional development, etc.]
- [Company culture details]
[Purposeful call-to-action encouraging ideal candidates to apply]
[Company branding and hashtag inclusions]
Should you pay to sponsor postings?
LinkedIn offers paid job listing upgrades including:
- Spotlight listings appear at top of search results
- Featured listings given expanded visibility in feed
- Sponsored listings pushed proactively to targeted members
Here are some factors to weigh when considering paid distribution:
Considerations for Paid Posting | When It May Make Sense |
---|---|
Budget | The role justifies the added cost for better candidates |
Urgency | You need to fill the role extremely quickly |
Candidate Competition | You need visibility over other employers recruiting for similar roles |
Niche Audiences | You need to target very specific demographics or skill sets |
Weigh the costs against expected ROI – sponsored distribution works best for highly specialized, urgent openings with ample hiring budgets.
How can you measure and improve performance?
Leverage LinkedIn’s analytics to understand engagement and optimize your approach. Metrics to track include:
- Impressions – how many people your post reached
- Clicks – how many clicked for more details
- Applicants – how many applied through LinkedIn
- Source of hires – new vs. existing members who applied
- Conversion rates – applicants vs. impressions
- Cost per hire – for sponsored postings
Compare performance by time/day posted, variations in content, sponsored vs. organic, etc. Use insights to iterate on your recruiting strategy.
Conclusion
Posting roles on LinkedIn is a proven way to connect with high quality, relevant talent for your organization. Pay attention to when and how often you post openings. Craft optimized content showcasing your employer brand. Measure performance and continuously improve. Leverage LinkedIn’s unmatched professional user base and features to take your hiring strategy to the next level.